Winning project in the “Innovative Grundrisse Competition” in Hamburg, designed in collaboration with Membrive Architecktur. The aim of the competition was to generate reflections and ideas to guide the future of social housing in the city. Project brief:
Community infrastructure / Learning to share: The street and public space have always been places of encounter, interaction, community, and conflict. A place where many of the city’s functions and actors intersect. This hybrid and intensive condition is at risk due to changes in production and consumption models or the categorization and redistribution of activities in urban spaces. This process is further accelerated by digitalization and virtuality, which greatly impact patterns of relationships, work, and mobility. These dynamics do not align with the concept of collective living space, which is of great importance to any city.
In parallel, social and demographic changes have occurred, reflected in the competition brief and directly impacting the meaning of home and the rituals associated with it. The deconstruction of the traditional family (mononuclear and heteropatriarchal) has opened the door to different forms of cohabitation, accompanied by a reduction in household size. Furthermore, there is a general aging of the population. We live longer and, at the same time, increasingly alone and in isolation. To counter this development, a paradigm shift centered on formal and informal care is necessary.
The experience of housing associations and other collective initiatives experimenting with relationships and forms of cohabitation shows that collective life can make a significant contribution to community building. Our proposal is an open system that breaks the typical mono-functionality of residential buildings. The building helps to overcome individualization and atomization by softening the boundaries of private space and creating ambiguous areas and meeting opportunities that foster trust and connection.
A building where we learn to share—spaces for negotiation, open to exchange and encounter. A shared infrastructure for socially and ecologically sustainable living.
Basic structure: A matrix with a very clear, neutral, and non-hierarchical geometry that facilitates replication in other contexts. The corner geometry results from the modulation of the volume in both directions. Circulation spaces are located at the intersection points of the axes, which act as hinges and articulate the spaces. The hinge is integrated into a central spine that also includes wet rooms, elevators, and utility shafts. This central spine is reduced to the basic dimensions necessary to allow for generous design of the main rooms.
Structure and spatial continuity: Starting from the initial modulation of the spaces, a diagonal relationship is established between them. This considers the building’s orientation and corner typology, reinforcing the relationship between street and courtyard. These spatial relationships generate a layout where the programme is organized according to a “complete/teaching” and “private/community” pattern. We differentiate between individual bedroom cells (intimate spaces) and shared interaction spaces. Shared rooms may include a living room within an apartment, a group lounge, or a common room for the entire floor.
Transition between public, community, shared, and private space: Reclaiming the communal character of public space and extending it into the building’s interior to create spaces for interaction. Access, community, and workspaces are playfully connected to form a continuous spatial sequence. This creates a fluid transition between private and public realms. To offer a variety of shared spaces, private room units are reduced to small functional units. Flats are connected not only by the main stairwell but also via the connection between common rooms along an alternative route. The ground floor with living space enables the use of the common room by the entire building.
Internal circuits: The system is based on two staircases and a spacious vestibule. This forms part of the communal path through the building. Additional individual staircases strengthen the connection between common areas. The different routes across the building allow for a more private or communal use of the space, depending on the community’s needs. Circulation does not compromise the privacy of the rooms.
Productive spaces: Productive and domestic spaces are integrated into the building’s spatial continuum. In addition to private workspaces, the coworking principle is also promoted. Alongside desk-based work, workshop spaces are also offered. Individual or shared workshops on the ground floor activate the public space and increase the permeability between street and building. The communal kitchen becomes a meeting point between the workshop and the coworking area.
Dwelling. A single framework, multiple typologies for changing housing needs: The basic and cluster housing typologies are based on a common framework, allowing them to be combined and transformed. The base structure allows for spatial continuity along north-south, east-west, or northwest (corner apartment) directions. Residential units are made up of multiple cells, resulting in various sizes and accommodating different numbers of residents across different life stages. The structure consists of small units of 10, 12, or 15 m². These efficient dimensions enable great flexibility and versatility. Several interconnected rooms, instead of a single large space, allow for simultaneous situations typical of a cluster layout. The scale of spaces—from bedrooms to the ground-floor common room—adapts to collective practices and multi-layered domesticity.
Construction: The infrastructural part—comprising staircases and the central strip—differs from the transverse room divisions (frame + infill). Self-assembly systems are conceivable for these partitions. This would give users control and the ability to make changes over time. Small spans make the structure easier to optimize, making timber construction feasible.
Sustainability: The proposed continuous living layout ensures sunlight for every apartment and promotes cross ventilation (increasingly necessary in future climate scenarios). Reducing energy demand by reducing the heated/cooled surface area per person. The presence of common areas throughout the building with different orientations offers varied situations throughout the year. Common spaces function as climate shelters (intensively used areas that allow for optimized heating or cooling strategies).
