28SOMA

This project looks to propose an alternative to the monotonous regularity of developer driven mid to high-rise urban residential typology. How can architecture systematically break the horizontal and vertical repetition dominating urban dwellings, while making living spaces with architectural quality that are flexible to contemporary life, without losing relative economic viability?

The solution proposes a modular architectural system with intrinsic complexity that references an interlocking 3x3x3 unit solid dissection puzzle invented by Danish polymath Piet Hein. The base module translates to a micro-unit at the architectural scale, and can be combined to form a variety of classic unit types. The system empowers architectural variety at the unit scale (double-height volumes, corner units, floor-through units), while increasing efficiency by simplifying and consolidating plumbing walls, utilities, and circulation corridors, thus increasing leasable area and reducing construction costs. All 7 units on all three levels can be accessed by a single corridor increasing floor plate efficiency by 10%. Also, the center modules in the 9 square grid on all three floors house the bathrooms and laundry, consolidating the plumbing fixtures to the area with the least natural light and reducing the linear square footage of costly “wet walls” by 30% compared to the standard stacked double-loaded corridor residential buildings. The utilities within the units, like tables and beds, can fold away within the thickness of the walls to leave as much area as possible unobstructed allowing for actual flexible uses of space. The unit type variety and intrinsic flexibility, accommodate to a diversity of incomes and uses like: live+work, student living, families, and people looking to live alone.   

S. 2019 5468796 Studio

The same 3x3x3 organizational strategy of the cluster resonates to the scale of the overall building, with the cluster now acting as the base unit. Clusters can be removed to create courtyards and multitiered exterior public spaces. The clusters are rotated when aggregated horizontally and vertically to create variety on the facade intrinsic to the system. 

The vision is for a standard of urban housing that can match the complexity and variety of contemporary everyday life that requires different and unpredictable things of our built environments, without neglecting the financial aspect necessary to realize budget driven buildings.