Prospectus - Ignacio Galán

8/13/2019 Prospectus - Ignacio Galn

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ABSTRACT


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THEDESIGN


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THE DESIGN

The statement of the exercise is part of the two central research topics on which the project is based: Blue

Green Future Proof Cities & Neighbourhoods.

After much reading and researching, thinking and designing, we agree with the team beyond the purely

environmental and economic issue, the project aims to develop new ways of living, new models of

neighborhood, city, that would make the life of citizens better.

This has endless ways to get it, therefore, the first objective of the exercise was to go several times to the

place, to visit, to see at different times of the day, reading, researching, see what really happens in the

neighborhood, in houses, in people, after facades. Once analyzed and understood personality, problems, and

the specific needs of a rich and multicultural neighborhood like this, we were able to propose solutions to

them.

The site where the project is located is in a suburb of Antwerp, close to an old industrial area.

The block limited to one side with the district of Marbaix, linked to the old slaughterhouse activity. Quiet

neighborhood, narrow streets and little traffic, pretty traditional houses. On the other hand, a lot of

infrastructure that are right next to the plot. The warehouses of the old slaughterhouse, now abandoned,

hosting various activities, though they dontseem to have a clear future. Old industries, some of which still

operate today, scattered throughout the years.

The ring highway around the city of Antwerp, which has been controversial in recent years, going elevated

on the neighborhood quite nearby. Similarly, a large area of railway infrastructure, roads, sidewalks and

esplanades in which once emptied, loaded and repaired trains carrying industrial goods.

The industry of Antwerp, the largest in Europe until Rotterdam was developed, fully linked to the channel

framework, which has been changing its location over the years, has also influenced in a very clear way the

urban development of all city.

Loebrokdok, as so many channels that eventually close, wait in a state of abandonment that interventions

such as MAS in the center, take advantage of its strategic location for the development of a pleasant leisure

area, in relation to water.

There is a plan made by the City of Antwerp to rehabilitate all this space along the canal definitely moving

the residues of industry which are scattered, for connecting the neighborhood, blocked by the buildings, to

the channel, and the new entertainment area.

On the other hand, precisely those buildings, which have acted as a barrier over the years, have managed to

preserve the neighborhood from traffic, noise and massive urban development.

Nowadays this neighborhood that was once home for workers, hosts many different population profiles, in a

very different economic and social conditions.

There is a large percentage of immigration, which has favored multiculturalism that is seen in the

neighborhood, and rejuvenation of it, making the average age of the area to be very low.

But on the other hand, there are a large percentage of unemployed, and the average incomes of the

neighborhood are quite low.

We quickly detect that besides the few remaining factories scattered, there are many companies and

workplaces, shops or other stores.

This may be one of the causes of unemployment, but also makes that the people who live here have to make

long journeys to reach their workplace, forcing also them to take the car, polluting and wasting a lot of time

each day.

When we visited the plot we realized that there are a large number of parks and green spaces within a five

minute walk, but in the neighborhood there are no such green areas, parks, or places where people gather tointeract, so the street itself becomes extemporaneously in those places where children play, and the

neighbors talking.

In addition, there is a lack of schools, cultural buildings, public buildings

One of the first objectives of the statement is to face the reality that the city of Antwerp grows, and

therefore, the traditional extensive model for edification, in low height cann ot accommodate as many people

as would like to. It is therefore necessary to achieve a higher density, but this shouldnt mean losing space

and quality of life.

The group proposal, in terms of urban development, poses to generate with buildings this limit that has

existed up to now and which has preserved the district of traffic, noise and people. But at the same time it

must be a permeable limit, allowing local residents to cross to reach Loebrokdok.

The proposal, therefore, must answer two different urban scales: the big city and large streets that exist in

Slachthuislaan, and the small scale of Marbaix and its terraced houses.


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THE DESIGN

In addition, we decided to cede some space land for the neighborhood, so that after the boundary that

separates the neighborhood of water, could be a public space, like a park or square became the meeting

point to which everyone around the neighborhood could go.

The ground floor is completely permeable and public, with shops, offices, daycare and other public spaces

for people.

Another problem we observed was the need to create certain spaces of transition from public to private. In

the Belgian traditional houses, the transition from the most public to the most private, from the street to the

houses, is produced in the door, giving directly onto the street, where people continually pass. You can also

see through the windows what owners do from the street downstairs.

Therefore, the fundamental decision of the project was to create intermediate spaces. Spaces from less to

more privacy that would mark the transition from the street to home.

The project aims to create an elevated plaza, separated from the ground floor, which is completely public,

and connect both sides of the plot, the two main blocks, row houses and blocks, which are totally different,

and therefore, people that live there will be also.

This elevated plaza also allows residents to enjoy a quiet location and magnificent views over Loebrok

connecting single family with blocks, which also contain community uses such as gym, reading spaces...

This way, generating the feeling of community, of trust, which is necessary for a pleasant and happy life, is

achieved.

The square connects the three residential areas:A co-housing block, designed for young students and people who share a few locations, but also have

private spaces. Located directly beside the ground floor with a large co-working space in which a person can

rent a workspace, shared with others at a lower price.

The other block consists of various habitable modules, all them passing-throughto enjoy the benefits of

North-South orientation, linked by various common spaces.

On the other side the row houses, modulated to be easily adaptable if the owners cannot use the stairs or

dontneed so much space. Some of them are directly connected with commercial on ground floor, creating

other typology or home-workshop, in which the owner can work close to home, while taking care of their

children or their parents.

Closing the plot, it is proposed to construct a cultural center, a public building that meets the needs of

district of public spaces and teaching, dominated by a tower that acts as a landmark at the corner,

welcoming visitors that arrive from other places, and noting the position of the space on the city skyline.


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TEAMWORK


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TEAMWORK


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TEAMWORK


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TEAMWORK


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TEAMWORK


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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Fotos maqueta implantacion

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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Fotos maqueta implantacion

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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Emplazamiento 500

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Roof Plan 1/1000


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Ground Floor 1/750

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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First Floor 1/750

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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Second Floor 1/750

INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Third Floor 1/750


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Fourth Floor 1/750


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Fifth Floor 1/750


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Ground Floor 1/300

First Floor 1/300

Second Floor 1/300

ROW HOUSING MODULES


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

First Floor 1/300

Third Floor 1/300

Second Floor 1/300

Fourth Floor 1/300

STUDENTS CO-HOUSING MODULES


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Ground Floor 1/300

CO-WORKING MODULES


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Second Floor 1/300

Third Floor 1/300

Fourth Floor 1/300

PASSING-THROUGH COMM. MODULES


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

Section 1 1/200

Section 2 1/200


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INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

North Elevation

Long. Section

South Elevation

DESIGN PROCESS


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DESIGN PROCESS


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From the beginning the main ideas have stayed.

Creating a public space, giving a part of the plot for the

neighbourhood.

At the starting I was still too conditioned by the Belgian

typology.

I decided to keep the gym, but soon I realized that it

was quite difficult to dialogue with it, and itsplanned to

demolish it in a few years.

The structure was also too limited to reuse it for ahigher building.

I detected soon the different conditions of front and

back streets.

The scale is also a crucial issue.

The section starts to be developed. The answer to the

environment is one of the key factors.

The courtyard starts opening to the back

I still wanted to keep the row houses in the south

faade.

I searched for new possibilities, trying to open a gap in

the main blocksground floor, the door to the district a

covered space where developing plays, or where

children could play, according to the weather in Belgium.

I got stacked, so I tried new strategies,. After a while Irealized that the logic of the previous strategy was

stronger than the new schemes, so I rethought it again,

trying to find the more useful principles.

DESIGN PROCESS


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I got back to the team principles, the need of the

district, and that together with the conditions of

each faade helped me t o start developing the

ways of living: co-housing, co-working, adaptable

housing

I tried to connect it with the idea of community

spaces, and started subdividing in privacy filters

the different steps from the street to home.

After a few weeks, I found a possible answer, that

starts looking really alike the final proposal.

It was necessary to give an answer to both

faades, while giving some free space to the

Marbaix neighbourhood.

The total permeability of ground floor is already

there.

The front side would be more public, while the

back side could be something more quiet and

safe.

I still had some problems with accesses, how to

solve the connection between both sides, and

what was it going to happen with the space in

between, its functions.

The south faade was asking for a public function,

a building in the corner, with a higher scale.

The landmark which attracted people who didnt

know the place.


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THEORETICAL APPROACH

TA_UNIVERSAL DESIGN: AccesibilityOne of the objectives that Ive been thinking of when I was designing was according to the studio accesibility For providing a Future Proof Neighbourrhood its really important as I develop in detail in the


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One of the objectives that I vebeen thinking of when I was designing was, according to the studio, accesibility. For providing a Future Proof Neighbourrhood it sreally important, as I develop in detail in the

Research Questions, to make sure that no one is e xcluded from this way of living. I t is not difficult to create a barrier-free building if you think from the beginning of the problems, rather than adapting once it

is made .

Ivechecked the project, through the Universal Design App, to confirm that the building fulfills with the accesibility goals.

For visually impaired users, one of the challenges is how to reach. The path will be marked with a pavement differentiation. The access through open spaces, suck as the park, is always made through a path,

which guides the way, and doesntlet to get lost.

One the person is inside, specially in public buildings, there is a control, reception or information point where a blind person will be oriented.

Inner rhythms are very prominent, and the entrances are clearly differentiated from the rest of the building, so they are readily identifiable and easy to learn.

The stairs will be always built with handrail, according to the measures,.

about the module designed for disabled people, the stoves will be placed aligned to prevent a blind or a person in a wheelchair can burn.

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VISUAL ACCESIBILITY

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The building is also checked for a person using wheelchair Not only the disabled module block but the whole proposal is thought avoiding creating architectural barriers

TA


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The building is also checked for a person using wheelchair. Not only the disabled module block, but the whole proposal is thought avoiding creating architectural barriers.

Each level change that appears in the design is saved by a ramp that fulfills the measures and slopes for accessibility. Not only for wheelchairs, but for elderly people and those for which climbing a stair

represents a big effort.

Thereby it is also achieved that handicapped people do not have to go to a different access than normal. The same occurs in the auditorium, where the access can be produced through a central level,

handicapped donthave to sit in the front row

Near each main staircase there is at least one elevator that also connects the different floors.

The inner dimensions, specially in the disabled module are designed to move to move without problems in a wheelchair.

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WHEELCHAIR ACCESIBILITY

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The building is located next to different public transport stops, making possible to people to arrive, but also letting old people get to the city center without needing to drive. Its also important for avoiding

TA


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The building is located next to different public transport stops, making possible to people to arrive, but also letting old people get to the city center without needing to drive. It salso important for avoiding

them to get lost.

The access to the building is produced through a park, in which they can sit if they are tired after a walk, or they can sit on sunny days to also enjoy the company of other people. Thatsreally important to

avoid loneliness, specially in elderly people.

As for visually disabled people, differentiating clearly the entrances is important for old people to remember the way home and dontget lost.

Itsnecessary to avoid small steps that are not easily seen, or other surfaces where they can sl ip and fall.

The bathrooms are adapted for making their daily routines easier.

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS

RQ1_PUBLIC-PRIVATE: Transition and Meeting Spaces


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One of the aspects that caught my eye when I came to Belgium was the fact that while I walked inmy street I could see all my neighbours in their living rooms in ground floor, eating, watching TVOther houses, especially those which have been divided in several flats, and that are usually forstudents even have their bedrooms facing to the street.The contradiction appears when I see that they also try as much as possible to have a private backyard where enjoying in their intimacy.

As Ive checked in my first three months in Flanders, Flemish housing closely resembles to theNetherlands. However, the mentality, the way of living the intimacy is completely different, in so far as

Dutch live without curtains, and they show openly how their lives are, and Flemish always need to usesome elements to try to create a filter.

Belgian traditional houses are characterized by a narrow and tall faade (around 5 meters wide, and 2-3stores high), and a deep plan towards a back private garden at the backyard. Itsdifficult to find thebalance, because users need as much light as possible from the outside, but at the same time, theyneed to feel comfortable, with intimacy for them and their families.

Its also a question of way of living and urban planning. In Spain, where I come from, the urbanconfiguration in cities, with bigger buildings and a higher density, and consequently, it lets havingshops, offices or workshops on ground floors, and dwellings in floors over them. Its the medievalscheme of housing, where craftsmen had their ateliers in the low level of their own houses, combiningworking and living in the same plot. That way, it allows having the most public function in ground floor,

and the working spaces closer to the living units, keeping at the same time the intimacy of the mostprivate spaces.Itsmissed that feeling of activity, interaction between street and building. The limits of the blocks arevery clearly marked by the faades. The street level should be more permeable, as the Pianta Grandedi Romadrawn by Nolli.

Itsa question of transition spaces. There is a need of transition from the most public (street) to themost private (houses), that now is achieved through height or deepness (higher floors or facing to theback yard).In United Kingdom, or the United States, there is usually a front garden in between the streets and thehouses and the street, that generate that transition process.Itsalso common in the British and American culture those typologies in which when itsnot possibleto have that front garden (London or New York), the ground floor rises three or four steps, what isknown as Bel-Etage. In that manner, people walk on the street under the window, and dontsee whatthe inhabitants are doing inside. The stairway usually also represents that transition space that separate

the building from the street. But it also represents a problem in terms of accessibility. Row housesalways mean a problem for disabled or old people.

Ancient cultures, as the Roman structured their homes around a patio that served to structure thehouse and at the same time to create a filter between the street and the several rooms.

Other cultures as the Japanese and other Asians, use arcaded spaces as transition and hosting elementto the visitor.

Pianta Grande di Roma Giambattista Nolli Public Flowing - Bobic

Tassel House Victor Horta (Brussels) Kensington Houses (London)

Residential Suburb (Pennsylvania,USA) Residential Suburb (Pennsylvania,USA) Brooklyn Street (New York,USA)

Residential Blocks + Shops+ Offices (Spain)

Belgian Traditional Housing Privacy System

Ancient Rome Domus Scheme Dutch Housing (Amsterdam)

RQ1


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Nowadays, small and narrow streets become those transition spaces, where people meet and childrenplay near their homes. Some of those streets, as Marbaixstraat near our plot, have been even adapted,designing the urban trace to diminish the traffic speed, as well as creating safer spaces to play, sit ormeet. People need of those meeting spaces, as squares or parks, that open the streets, andinterconnect the monotonous street system.

However, this idea doesntwork in main or bigger streets, where there is continuous traffic, and peopleopen their doors directly to noisy streets.There is a lack of identity in those spaces. There is a real need of those transition spaces that filter the

privacy. Community gardens or other places where meeting can happen, and that would create adynamic interaction between neighbours, generating at the same time a certain feeling of control andtrust. Its more comfortable to live in neighbourhoods where people can rely on others, whereeverybody knows and where there is a real feel ing of community.

Itsreally uncomfortable to open the house door and see somebody that you dontknow. Thatsmaybethe reason why people dont know themselves in their own street. The problem gets solved bygradations in the levels of intimacy. Subdividing the neighbourhoods into smaller communities thatshare a common entrance, garden, or yard, instead of groups of individual private units, creates a feelingof trust, identification and fellowship with the people you live next to.

Those meeting or community spaces should act as transition areas.

IIn some years, city centers will grow, the population will be higher, and wellneed a higher density toanswer to the cities demand.Itsdifficult to vary an urban fabric and a typology so deeply rooted as the Belgian, but itspossible toadapt it to get better living spaces.From my point of view, the backyards are not being used with all their potential.As the traditional medieval block system, each block was divided into narrow plots to the faade (thefaades were the most expensive areas), and also conditioned by the constructive limitations of thewooden beams (from 6 to 8 meters long each). The central yard of the block was divided into privateplots which belong to each house. In that space there is not any interaction between neighbours, each oneowns their piece of land, and use it for private activities.It would be much more enriching for providing a better quality of life if the system was reversed, andthose yards would become at the same time the common meeting space where children could play anddevelop different activities, and that transition space needed to create privacy, and avoid connecting thehouses directly to the street. They could balance the lack of green areas, becoming parks that would

improve the spatial and the air quality.Those inner community spaces could also contain some useful elements, such as working spaces, schools,libraries, or other facilities that would make life easier.

Marbaixstraat, Antwerp

Casa de las Flores, Zuazo (Madrid) Kiefhoek, Oud (Rotterdam)

Lexington Terraces, Wright (Chicago)Siedlung Halen, Atelier5 (Berna)

Streets Around the Plot, Antwerp

Schemes of relation between the stret and the buildings

RQ1There are some successful examples in Gent, that Ivevisited, in which this has happened.


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Backyards have become public space for residents or for other people who come to visit theneightbourhood and meet and interact there. At the same time, it represents a quiet area, that acts asa filter between the more noisy and crowded streets to the houses, and makes the place spatially andqualitatively richer.

The decision of turning the scheme of privacy, giving private space for the enjoyment of the entirecommunity has ticked these projects and may represent a way forward in the development ofexisting urban areas in Flanders.

Housing Hollainhof, Gent Neutelings Architects

The central yard is a semi-public area developedas a garden that connects and gives access to

different conditioned housing typologies (rowhousing, apartments, duplex) where people ofdifferent social classes meet and interact.

The building itself doesnt work in terms ofprivacy for the Belgian mentality, but the urbanstrategy is brilliant. It also includes a kindergartenwhere not only the residents, but the wholedistrict can bring their children to.

DEC 100 Houses, Brussels Urban Platform

This project is again an example of conversionof a traditional closed block into a moreinteresting scheme.In this case, the ground floor is occupied by acenter for elderly, who can enjoy the yard thesunny days, while children play next to them.That interaction also generates a kind of socialcontrol.The act of entering from the back yard to thehouses also represents a filter of quietness andprivacy from the street.

Housing in Pannestraat, GentIn this project the limits of the plot to the mainstreets have been built, with different

typologies, according to the scale of it,

generating a buffer, behind which a new row

of houses has been created. The differentstreets and small squares that connect thosebuildings are only accessible for pedestrians andparking area for residents. The main pu blic squareis a quiet space that faces the private backgardens from which its possible to access thehouses. This strategy, that has improved thequality of the whole district could be used inother blocks in the whole Flanders.

RQ1From the beginning in our proposal as team, we detected that need of creating a sequence from thestreet to the houses.


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Itsalso necessary to give public space to the rear street and neighborhood.

In my design, I took the decision to raise the building, leaving the ground floor for shops, offices,daycare, and other uses for public, so that the building was completely permeable, full of activity andmovement. At the same time, the problem of privacy on ground floor gets solved. The possibility ofhosting small work or shopping spaces provides two benefits to the neighbourhood. It maxes thedistrict functionally richer, therefore people donthave to go shopping by car to a big supermarket farfrom there, keeping the character of the Marbaix as a car-free district. It also allows creating jobs closeto all the neighborhood, some of those premises even connected directly to the house, as an atelier.That makes life easier for people who live around and donthave to spend much time daily to go totheir workplace. At the same time, the economy of the district gets improved, attracting people fromother places and making it more socially mixed.

In that way, you can also generate two facades with noise conditions, privacy and activity, completelydifferent.Those two parts, one in the back street and another facing the canal get connected through a elevatedpark that belongs to the community, and where very different people wil l meet, interact and enjoy.

Saved the first privacy level, the row houses are designed to be visually closed on access l evel, makingan inner courtyard that filters the intimacy and also provides light to the spaces in the middle of thebuilding. A new typology appears: the artists atelier, in which the ground floor is a space for exhibition,connected vertically to the workshop floor, the first. The house for the artist is in the second floor,over it.

In the students module, in which young people co-live, sharing some facilities, such as kitchen, diningroom, relax and conversation spaces, computers room, library They can choose between being ingroup, or staying alone in their own room.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-BOBIC M., Between the Edges.-PREZ IGUALADA J., Manzanas bloques y casas-SCHEERLINCK K., Depth Configurations

RQ2_ACCESIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY


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One of the problems that I realized when I got to which is going to be our house during this year, isaccessibility.In my design, I wanted to face this problem from the beginning.The traditional Belgian row houses are usually narrow and deep, and structured on several floors one overthe others, normally connected through a narrow and steep stairs, which means a problem.It also easy to find, as itsbeen treated in the RQ1, talking about privacy, a kind of typology where theground floor is lifted around a meter from the street to stand over the people who walk on the streetand get more intimacy. But it implies that there is also a small staircase to get to the ground floor, whatsknown as Bel-Etage. That makes those houses absolutely inaccessible for disabled people.Nowadays, falling down the stairs represents the leading cause of home accidents in Belgian homes.From my experience these months, Ivechecked that this fact is a reality. Itsalso difficult to carry bigand heavy objects through them, and at the end, theyrenot functional.This problem gets much bigger when the user of the house is a person with a disability, or an old personwith mobility problems.

It means that when a family ages, the children usually go out of home, leaving free space that is not goingto be used, and when the couple gets older, and gradually lose movement capability, they cannot use theupper levels. They need to adapt the house to live only on the ground floor, wasting the space of theupper floors.

Nowadays, the new houses that continue being developed as row housing, usually are designed to leave

whatscalled a survival module. They are built from the beginning with the minimum facilities that the userswill need if they get old and cantuse the stairs anymore, such as a bathroom, a kitchen and a bedroom. Inother cases, itsnot built from the beginning, but the installations and ducts are created from the start, soitseasier to adapt it if itdbe necessary.Anyway thatsa weak solution, because in a few years the demand for housing in cities w ill be much higherthan the current, so the use of the space will need to be more effective.Itsalso important to provide neighbourhoods in which future generations can continue living in their houseswithout having to move due to physical problems or aging, or spending such a so big amount of moneyinto works to adapt it that makes more profitable to move to a new one.The goal that we need to achieve is to provide typologies of housing in which we can supply an accesswithout architectonical barriers, for wheelchair or movement disabled users, also ensuring that the ramps donot exceed the maximum slope, while generating community spaces without losing privacy or spatialquality.

Itsnecessary to think in new ways of living, new typologies which could adapt to the existing urban tissue,increasing the current density, and improving the quality of life of the neighbourhoods.That means thinking in block constructions, with communication cores with lifts or ramps, which justify theeconomic invest that those mechanic elements involve.

As the statement of the project demands, the objective is researching of ways of living and typologieswhich would provide comfortable, functional and accessible housing for the future generations.

New Belgian Family House Plans: it keeps having the same accessibility problem than the traditional ones

Disabled Accessible Areas and Elevators Location

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RQ2


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One of the typologies that I propose for the back street, facing thetraditional Belgian buildings from Marbaix district is an adaptable row-housing, combined with work spaces.Itspossible to keep the row housing structure, with individual staircases ineach, because for economic reasons, itsnot worth to build an elevator foreach house. But in that case, we need to design in advance, assuming fromthe beginning that the users will get older, and they wontbe able to use theupper levels. Therefore, the houses should be designed to be easily adapted,divided in several apartments with a minimum intervention, always keepingthe privacy of both houses.It may be interesting, creating situations such as a building in which oldpeople can rent the upper floor to young families or students that could lookafter them. That feeling of community, control, and protection is importantto provide a trustful place to live.

Families grow, and it would also let the children live next to their parents incase they get married, keeping their own space, independent one to theother, but connected.It could also be connected to the premises under the house, becoming, asthe traditional craftsmen houses, a typology where the workspace is directlyconnected to the house, letting the families leave the children or old peoplewho need constant care at home alone. If one day, they retire, the house canbe disconnected from the atelier, becoming and independent premise.

The other building that I propose, facing the Loebrokdok asks for a bigger scale.Itsformed by two blocks that get connected to the other side by the elevatedcommunity platform, which is also accessible for disabled.

Again, the idea of those blocks was generating good quality housing, whichwould face both orientations (North and South), while avoiding creating anelevator for each two houses per floor (which is economically non-viable), andrespecting the privacy of the owners, while creating transition spaces to promoteinteraction. Itsformed by several modules, connected through those interactionspaces along which itspossible to walk along the whole building, with just twoelevators cores, promoting the horizontal circulation that lets handicapped peopleenjoy the building as the rest of people who live there.

There is also a module designed for disabled, according to accessibility measures,to which any resident of that building could move in case it would be necessary.

The other block, which is formed by co-housing modules, search for theobjective of being adapted with a minimum intervention to be used by differentusers: individual or a couple.

Adaptable Row Housing Modules

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-SENADIS,Universal Design Chilean National Service for Disabled-UPV Politechnic University of Valencia Universal Accesibility and Design for All: Architecture and Urban Planning

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Adaptable housing + working

These modular row housing are designedto be divided in two apartments, with aminimum intervention. Some of them arealso connected to the ground floor, theateliers, linking life and work spaces, andmaking life easier to the inhabitants.

Adaptable housing

These modular row housing are designedto be combined to one next to it,creating a bigger typology, making itmore versatile, and letting host a widerrange of users.

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Module for disabled people

These modules are designed for oldpeople, disabled, or anybody withmobility problems. It fulfills the necessaryminimum dimensions for making lifeeasier for handicapped users, that canalso move from one of the othermodules once they get old or need it.

The division is very clear: living area(cooking area, eating area, sitting areaand terrace) and sleeping and sanitaryarea.

Module for students (Cohousing)

These modules are designed for

students or young professionals, thatshare a certain amount of facilities, ingroups not bigger than 10 people, butthat also have the chance of staying ontheir own private space if they want to.The module should lets combine andadapt easily to have a single or doublebedroom, to let have both couples andsingles, according to the needs.

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RQ3_FUNCTIONAL NEIGHBOURHOODS: MixingThe neighbourhood where the plot is placed is characterized as other residential districts in Belgium by


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The neighbourhood where the plot is placed is characterized, as other residential districts in Belgium, bytotal dominance of housing, and a lack of other services, that tend to group in certain areas of the city,creating a kind of specialized urban tissues, instead of a balanced mixture.In Marbaix neighbourhood, there is a marked lack of workspaces. The fact that the streets are exclusivelyresidential makes it a quiet neighborhood with little traffic, but at the same time it means that people, asthe graphs show, have to spend a quite big amount of time on going each day to their workplaces.It also represents the need of driving each time they need to buy groceries, to accompany their childrento school, or just to visit the doctor. All these displacements generate traffic, noise and pollution, andtake away valuable time to the inhabitants.

There are some big supermarket, and big industries, but with low diversity. There is as well a lack ofbasic services required, such as childcare, a hospital or ambulatory and cultural spaces for theneighborhood.

As we could verify in our several visits to the site, its necessary to create more public space formeeting, where children can play safe, and where other public activities can be developed. We detectedthat the big sport and green areas which are at a distance of five minutes on foot around, are not enoughfor a district as Marbaix.For providing a future proof neighbourhood, its necessary to solve this problem, to also create ahealthier, richer and safer environment where children and future generations can grow and live. For us,Green Blue City and Future Proof Neighbourhood means providing several facilities that make life easier,generating a more mixed environment.

During the development of the design, Ivebeen researching several examples of utopic proposals that posed

the way of living, as big communities equipped with all the facilities needed to dontdepend on other places.They seem interesting to me, because in spite of the individuality of the Belgian traditional housing, thoseutopic ideas promote the social mixing, and a certain feeling of trust and fellowship.

Vertical cities could be a good example of it. In terms of scale, itsimportant to densify the area, and thosemodels propose a more compact way of living, achieving a better land use.There is also a high level of immigration in the district. It runs the risk of becoming a neighborhood in whichonly people from one nationality live. Its necessary to create integration, relation, and that can be got byestablishing communities of people of different ages, backgrounds and conditions.But on the other hand, they sometimes become too isolated from the outside world, and because of theirhuge size, they lose the human scale. Itscrucial to avoid creating dehumanized spaces.

The communities, especially those who share some facilities (co-housing) shouldnt be formed by groupsbigger than 10 or 12 people. But the goal is achieving the sensation that those smaller groups, also participate

of more common spaces that belong to the whole community, and where they can also meet other people,probably more different that the ones they live with.When I studied the co-housing models, which each day more and more people join, I realized that most ofthem are thought for extended growth and low rise. They usually establish their communities among nature,there are not many integrated in the city. They work almost as religious communities, closed in themselves,but with a very positive goal: living as a big family, or group of friends, sharing some spaces.The beguinagesinBelgium could be studied as a kind of multifunctional community integrated in the city,organized around a courtyard that connects the different elements.

Green areas: distances + usersCurrent work spaces + commercial + industrial analysis

Unit dHabitationLe Corbusier

The Units dHabitation representedat the first quarter of the 20thcentury a revolutionary idea. Consistof vertical cities of social housing,containing other functions, making itself-sufficient in many ways. Peoplelive in a kind of community, wherethey share common spaces, such askindergarten, gym, swimming pool,terrace

Robin Hood Gardens Smithsons

Peter and Allison Smithson proposedanother model of vertical city, wherethe acceses to the houses are donethrough an outer corridor that theycalled the steets in the air. Theyrespaces where children can play, andwhere interaction happens. Bothmassive buildings also generate a

buffer, embracing a quiet park.

Models of Co-Housing

The typology that I propose could berelated to the extensive and thecompact strategy. Until now there arenot many examples of compact co-housing, in vertical. Most of them aredesigned for detached or terracedhouses. The most important elementof them are the common spaces,which are usually connecting them. DISPERSED GROUPED EXTENSIVE COMPACT Kinds of Common Spaces

RQ3From the beginning of the design I detected the need of connecting the neighbourhood to the


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From the beginning of the design I detected the need of connecting the neighbourhood to theLoebrokdok, a future possible area of development that will become an entertainment zone. Thatconnection will activate also the Marbaix district, specially the back street of the plot, which is nowa little static. The strategy of raising the house to get privacy, leaving the commercial premises,ateliers and the kindergarten still promotes this idea further.

The fact of having very different conditions at each side of the plot lets giving various answers tothe same elements. The back street, at the west, is quiet and narrow and with not much traffic. Inthat street itspossible to propose ateliers, studios, or small offices or shops, not as public as theothers, directly related to the Marbaix district. Its calmness would make it perfect for having the

entrance to the kindergarten, directly related to the park, to which people from the streets aroundcan get walking, and where at the afternoons and evenings people can meet and children can play.The interaction between the both sides of the plot happens.

The north blocks, facing Slauchthuislaan and Loebrokdok, will become a busier space in some years.It calls for a more public function, hosting on its ground floor bigger shops and commercial spaces,as well as a coworking space.

At the same time, the corner at which the two main streets intersect, claims hosting a publicbuilding, with community functions, with a taller scale which would also become a landmark,welcoming the visitors who get to this place. A very permeable space that shows whatshappeninginside, and also the activity of the courtyard. The district needs of a cultural building. There are notmany libraries, learning spaces around. In a neighbourhood with a so high percentage of immigration,

this place would become a site for the integration, where different people would meet with a sameobjective: learning.

According to the level of privacy of the users, itsimportant to divide the common areas in two:those who are public, designed for the neighbourhood or to other potential visitors that wouldcome to this place, enriching the district and making it socially more complete. On the other hand,there is a need of community spaces, meeting areas which belong to the people who live there,where their children can play, having them controlled all the time. This differentiation is emphasizedby the two marked levels.

Green areas: distances + users

GROUND FLOOR USES:

-Co-working (GREEN)-Kindergarten (RED)-Cultural Center (BROWN)-Ateliers/studios (BLUE)-Commercial premises (YELLOW)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-CIAM 4, The Functional City-Kathryn McCamant and Ch arles Durrett, Creating CoHousing


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TEEPLE ARCHITECTS

RICHMOND HOUSING COOPER TIVE-Shared spaces-Different typologies-Vertical co-housingInteresting ventilation system


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-Interesting ventilation system

WE ARCHITECTSL NDSG DE-Open courtyard-Public functions-Private-public transition_Cozy meeting space

112 VIVIENDAS MODULABLESB SILIO TOB S-Modulating spaces-Free interior configuration-Multiple possibilities uses

COHOUSING PRINCIPLESRHUS

-Modulation-Connections-Common spaces

JAVIER SANTAMARA

CONCURSO DE VIVIEND PROTEGID-Conctinuous community spaces linkinghouse modules.-All passingthroughhouses-Combining inner and outer spaces in the plot


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-Combining inner and outer spaces in the pl ot

DEC 100 HOUSESURB N PL TFORM-Open courtyard-Public functions-Private-public transition_Cozy meeting space-Trust feeling-Use of ground floor as daycare-Activity

VPO HOUSING IN MIERESZIGZ G RQUITECTOS

-Open courtyard-Private-public transition_Cozy meeting space-Trust feeling-Activity-Accesibility-Passing through houses

BUILDING IN LONDON STREET, BCNCOLL Y LECLERC RCHITECTS-Innovative way to design a block-Connection of two pieces: housing +kindergarten-How to solve an entrance in corner

124 HOUSING UNITS IN RENNES

L N RCHITECTURE-Elevated community park-Urban platform-Scale


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CONCURSO DE VIVIENDAS EN CRDOBAER RQUITECTOS-Spatial complexity-Meeting spaces-Relation inside-outside-Combination of different housing modules

ROBIN HOOD GARDENSPETER ND LLISON SMITHSON

-Massive housing - density-Vertical cities-Buffer-Inner safe park-Community meeting spaces

UNIT DHABITATION MARSEILLELE CORBUSIER-Modulation-Inner connections-Vertical cities-Density-Common facilities-Housing modules (passing through)

Prospectus - Ignacio Galán

Documents

Transcript of Prospectus - Ignacio Galán