LOW STAY HOUSING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Both summer homes as housing for young people share the idea of the low stay housing on the place, the user is expected to be a dynamic inhabitant and his housing must be very flexible. In these cases, the constant is to use a exterior shell that serves as the building structure, while in the interior space the walls can be modified easily. These homes may be considered as semi-open floor plan, a single volume where the communal spaces prevail over the private ones.

Low stay housing for young people

Both summer homes as housing for young people share the idea of the low stay housing on the place, the user is expected to be a dynamic inhabitant and his housing must be very flexible. In these cases, the constant is to use a exterior shell that serves as the building structure, while in the interior space the walls can be modified easily. These homes may be considered as semi-open floor plan, a single volume where the communal spaces prevail over the private ones.

Adaptability

This projects share the idea of adaptability and flexibility in housing. They represent different aspects of how can a house being adapt or adjust to existing conditions, according to the needs of the dweller.

Communal spaces

The project of the Moriyama House in Tokyo designed by Ryue Nishizawa is a new way of private and community living. The house is designed according to the principle of “house-as-city”, which leads to the formation of urbanity on the inside of the building, a very important aim of the architect.

Participation + Neighborhood + Communal space

Today architects built the way they believe is the right one but sometimes we seem to forget the importance of user participation. The dwellers are going to live there. By asking the future dwellers’ opinion about how they want to live and see a neighborhood, you can actually create one. The use of communal spaces can create social activity. Participation + Communal spaces + Row housing has in my opinion a good chance of becoming a neighborhood.

Communal Spaces in Special Dwellings

When talking about housing, there are situations that can be considered extraordinary or differente to the usual, family housing-for-life, living space; such as temporary housing as a result of natural disasters, studies or work; or housing for the elder. In these dwellings, the communal space acquires a new, meaningful sense; as a result of dwellers' need of bonding and community sense.

TK 12_Description

Representing and Analyzing a Case of Study

The objective of this activity is to summarize the analysis of one of the two cases of study documented in OIKODOMOS Case Repository.

Energy efficiency II

As I mentioned already in my previous work, energy efficiency should be one of the most important aspects by designing buildings. Now, after studying many passive, energy efficent and sustainable projects I would like to present some of them more in detail. There are no strict rules what are the best solutions about saving energy - in this way is possible to see and study different ways and possibilities how to be friendly to enviroment and think about ecology.

Urban Structure: Brussels (II)

The proposed project for the Canal Zone in Brussels, by Gerard Corominas, who is a student of the LaSalle Urban Studio, attempts to answer three themes at different scales.

1. The current inaccessibility for traffic in our study area, inside the ring.
I propose to locate the circulation of the ring in our area on an underground level, this way a new avenue can enter the center of the city.

2. The lack of continuity between the neighborhoods on both sides of the ring.
The new ring tunnel allows a better relationship between the different neighborhoods. This way, we create the advantage to turn present parking space into green areas. The proposal to relocate the school makes it possible to redistribute the islands and to have higher continuity between the different districts.

3. The lack of relationship between the city and the canal
A pedestrian system along the channel is proposed. The borders of the canal will now meander and this way multiplies the surface on this waterfront. As this part of the city has a higher population of young people, the project wants to inject new facilities for younger people around the new canal system.

Urban Structure: Brussels

The Western part of the city of Brussels is divided socially and economically by the Canal and does not possess an order of well-structured spaces, so that, the purpose of this proposed urban structure has been to unite and equalize both sides by creating connections by means of open spaces and new urban facilities. The strategy is to create a system of three streets perpendicular to the Canal (which is repeated several times) where the central street turns into a pedestrian walk with local facilities and open spaces, to stimulate the movement of people in a transversal way, while the traffic would be transferred to both sides of the streets. Besides working perpendicularly to the Canal, a lateral tour is added that connects the different points of the previous system with a walkway (divided between the lateral streets of the Canal and a new one that is created at the level of the water). This walkway begins and ends in two rather big urban centers (Tour&Taxi and the Slaughter house) with new residential buildings and equipments that induce the movement of people. (proposal for Urban Structure by Usua Aseginolaza, student of the LaSalle Urban Studio group)

The questions to address in this assignment are the following:

- What is “vernacular” housing, today?
- What does “domestic” mean, today?
- Which is the “dweller”, today?
- What is considered to be a “house”, today?
- In which ways the sense of “belonging” can be reinforced, today?
- What are the relevant issues with regard to housing for the “architectural profession”, today?
- In which ways can “technology” be a driving force for the transformation of housing, today?
- In which way the “economic” system determines housing, today?