Competition, 2022
Our proposal aims to interpret the new social housing model as an 'urban villa'. This building type, also known in Italy as 'palazzina', descends from both the suburban villa and the bourgeois multi-family house. The most common features of the building are the compact cubic shape, the abundance of balconies and openings, and above all its medium size, i.e. being neither a small nor a large building.
The proposal is organised as a series of layers from the internal stair core, to the living unit, to the balconies. This layered approach offers a degree of environmental gradation from the naturally ventilated public circulation to the shaded and ventilated living unit to the flexible private space. All units enjoy similar amenity.
The scheme is constructed out of a combination of concrete frame and CLT slabs, a construction that draws on the local trade experience of working with in-situ concrete, provides an important thermal mass, and utilises mass timber where feasible.
