Social Housing, Making Small Seem Large

Sponsored Links

Social Housing, Making Small Seem Large
Image Source: Wikipedia

This semester’s design class is about social housing, before we jump into the design stage, we need to understand what is social housing? I bet 9 out of 10 people would have projected an image of a stripped-down subsidized housing.

House, be it for the poor or rich must bestow on its inhabitants a sense of dignity, a sense of belonging, having said that, social housing should fits comfortably into the community, allowing it to assimilate into the surrounding community.

Social Housing, Making Small Seem Large
Image Source: Ofis

Slovenian architects Ofis have completed Tetris Apartments, a social housing development in Ljubljana.A little bit of text from the architects:“The building stands on the edge of the 650 apartments development which was finished year ago.

The challenge is, can small be beautiful?

I’m looking into the concept of ‘making small things big’, this would generally requires a fluid space and good lighting that can make even a small dwelling seem free and open, rather than confined and oppressive, energy efficiency is also important and last but not least, creative use of bricks. Why bricks?

Currently I’m looking into Glenn Murcutt’s work for its energy efficiency and quality of space.

Dana Cuff suggests that social housing is all about simplicity within complexity. I’ve been googling and searching for books on creative social housing and the outcome is somewhat disappointed, is affordable housing significant architecture?

What do you think of this post? (Please vote, no registration required)
Interesting (0) Useful (0) Boring (0) A waste of my time (0)



Author: . This entry is filed under Architecture Rumbling and was updated on May 19, 2012.

 




Architecture and Humour Wiki:


Wordpress Tags:


  • housing
  • social housing
  • social house
  • social houses
  • small housing

Citations And Footnotes:


  • ^ Architecture - Architecture (Latin architectura, from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων – arkhitekton, from ἀρχι- "chief" and τέκτων "builder, carpenter, mason") is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements.
  • ^ Architect - An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings, that have as their principal purpose human occupancy or use.
  • ^ Pritzker Architecture Prize - The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture".
  • ^ - Le Corbusier, Towards a New Architecture, Dover Publications(1985). ISBN 0-486-25023-7
  • ^ - Rondanini, Nunzia Architecture and Social Change Heresies II, Vol. 3, No.

Comments:


  1. SAWimp
    1

    You should take a look at boats, particularly sail boats. They cram all the essential elements for living within a very small space often in very clever ways.

  2. nick
    2

    beautiful, simple and economical. love it.

  3. ronald butaran
    3

    i really love using bricks in my designs,, it has so many benefits

  4. Pol
    4

    Hi,

    I just found myself in your situation! Looking for examples of…”creative social housing and the outcome is somewhat disappointed, is affordable housing significant architecture?”. This is going to be a theme for my studio project and I must research the subject before I begin. Since you have been though this already – do you any data for me? I would love to help back if you need some info as well.

    Thank you, Pol.

  5. folake fadahunsi
    5

    Looking to design mass/low cost housing in Nigeria……. Interesting but somehow didnt give me any clues

  6. St Jamestown
    6

    The picture on the top is of st. jamestown. There is only 3 maybe 4 buildings out of all of them that are social housing the rest are rentals.

  7. Akin Savage
    7

    Well done Folake

miragestudio7 admin
:-)

Thanks for commenting. Do visit the Humor Category for more funny and interesting stuff.

Leave a Reply