Description

The floor plan is based on a square grid to form a three-dimensional conglomerate in which 3 x 3 m spaces are predominantly connecting rooms, linked axially or diagonally to form larger areas. Double-height volumes mark more important spaces or are used to access bedrooms or roof terraces above, and open patio courtyards seamlessly link the interior rooms to the outside.

This patchwork sets the stage for two intertwined residential units shared by neighbors – one is for the factory owner and his family, who occasionally reside here, the second for the warehouse supervisor and his child. Where the two units intersect, an open connection comprised of four quadrants – two in each apartment, one inside and one outside – houses a shared kitchen island stretching between the units, where the neighbors encounter one another from within their own space.

The concept is a reference to a living form common in China until not long ago where communal kitchens, bathrooms, and courtyards were shared among residents. What was once a necessity is here freely chosen.

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Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider with Eric Zapel (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fifth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2018.