Commonly the architect sets out to understand the relationship between the pre-existing city and future architecture as a continuous and balanced dialogue between old and new "substance". Here in Vallastaden, a rather new-born neighbourhood in Linköping, the recently built becomes both old and new when its placed in a context of cultivated land and construction-sites for future residential. So instead of rather seeing what there is today the architect has to envision the future surroundings.
In an apartment building we can create a new relationship between the different apartments as well as a relationship between the entire building block and the surroundings. It is about how to connect the outer shape to the city, so tenants feel where they are living.
The site of the proposed residential building is shaped half square and half angled. Its also one of the bigger plots offered to be built on in Vallastaden. According to the template the building is to rise six to five storeys up without any proscription about headroom other than 3.2 meters at the ground-floor. Therefore its envisioned that these north corners of each block should manifest themselves vertically, perhaps as watchtowers over Vallastaden.
I wondered if it's possible to make architecture that resemble living things. Life has its own generating principles and thus a strong basis for continuation. At the same time, life is fragile. The aim of modernism is to make a homogeneous space independent of its surroundings. To get beyond this style of architecture, we need to come up with a new principle. I wanted to make an alternative relationship, rather than a new architectural concept or form. The object of a discovery is not important; it's the act of discovering that counts.
By creating a 6 storey apartment building there is room for vertical and horizontal elaboration of the space and light in not just the apartment but the building as a whole. In the stairwell space I tried to not only make use of direct light but also a softer variant: reflected diffuse light that evokes the effect of light shining through and to create different distances between the person and the light source. By adding for example a vertical opening nested above the stairs at the ground floor, it becomes a spatial force of direction from the ground to the upper floors. Meanwhile on the upper floors the window is still seem vertical but also horizontal in a way as it aligns in level of the floor itself.
A house or apartment building should look independent and at the same time it should involve its surroundings. By placing the balconies on the streetside rather than the backyard the connection between the resident and surrounding street life is ensured.
There are four apartments per floor; spanning from 35, 60 and 85 square meter per apartment. In the smaller flat the structure is modular, easily implemented and flexible. There are two apartments per floor in which the bathroom, kitchen, storage, closet and bedroom space are organized in a "furniture" format, as a piece attached sideways to the larger space. The specific programs take advantage of the 3 meter height and provides a large volume of air to the dynamic area of the room. The plan is completed with two larger units, governed by the same organization criteria, although in this case the "furniture" is configured to exploit the more favorable formation.
People have to discover its physical perimeters by themselves. This action blurs the border of space. And most important, this kind of living space doesn't force the people to live in a particular way. If architecture can fix its form according to the climate, instead of social rules of what we call "house" or "family", people will be much better off. In the end, all we want is the effect of enlarging the every limited space of small plot.
In an apartment building we can create a new relationship between the different apartments as well as a relationship between the entire building block and the surroundings. It is about how to connect the outer shape to the city, so tenants feel where they are living.
The site of the proposed residential building is shaped half square and half angled. Its also one of the bigger plots offered to be built on in Vallastaden. According to the template the building is to rise six to five storeys up without any proscription about headroom other than 3.2 meters at the ground-floor. Therefore its envisioned that these north corners of each block should manifest themselves vertically, perhaps as watchtowers over Vallastaden.
I wondered if it's possible to make architecture that resemble living things. Life has its own generating principles and thus a strong basis for continuation. At the same time, life is fragile. The aim of modernism is to make a homogeneous space independent of its surroundings. To get beyond this style of architecture, we need to come up with a new principle. I wanted to make an alternative relationship, rather than a new architectural concept or form. The object of a discovery is not important; it's the act of discovering that counts.
By creating a 6 storey apartment building there is room for vertical and horizontal elaboration of the space and light in not just the apartment but the building as a whole. In the stairwell space I tried to not only make use of direct light but also a softer variant: reflected diffuse light that evokes the effect of light shining through and to create different distances between the person and the light source. By adding for example a vertical opening nested above the stairs at the ground floor, it becomes a spatial force of direction from the ground to the upper floors. Meanwhile on the upper floors the window is still seem vertical but also horizontal in a way as it aligns in level of the floor itself.
A house or apartment building should look independent and at the same time it should involve its surroundings. By placing the balconies on the streetside rather than the backyard the connection between the resident and surrounding street life is ensured.
There are four apartments per floor; spanning from 35, 60 and 85 square meter per apartment. In the smaller flat the structure is modular, easily implemented and flexible. There are two apartments per floor in which the bathroom, kitchen, storage, closet and bedroom space are organized in a "furniture" format, as a piece attached sideways to the larger space. The specific programs take advantage of the 3 meter height and provides a large volume of air to the dynamic area of the room. The plan is completed with two larger units, governed by the same organization criteria, although in this case the "furniture" is configured to exploit the more favorable formation.
People have to discover its physical perimeters by themselves. This action blurs the border of space. And most important, this kind of living space doesn't force the people to live in a particular way. If architecture can fix its form according to the climate, instead of social rules of what we call "house" or "family", people will be much better off. In the end, all we want is the effect of enlarging the every limited space of small plot.
