Block 1101

The project includes two semi detached houses for two families with the potential for further additions on the third floor. The requirement by the two families to divide the plot into two equal part that had equal exposure to the street shapes the outline for each of the two residences. The proposal attempts to create introverted exterior spaces that offer privacy at all times of the day. The living spaces wrap around the exterior spaces allowing the two to programmatically function as an extension of one another. The exterior spaces are open above and offer shade where the upper floors extend beyond the ground floor. Sliding exterior doors around the edges of the building are made from perforated metal sheets and when closed they reinforce the feeling of privacy and safety from the neighborhood. Vertical louvers extend along the façade bordering the street, offering visual privacy but allowing for cross ventilation and south light to heat the interior spaces. The entrance and communal spaces level is raised 1.2 meters from the pavement allowing for natural light and ventilation into the spaces below. Consequently the change in elevation from the street level to the lower level is small enough for the basement to be accessible by car through a small ramp. Windows at forty-five degrees on the west façade allow for the winter sun but shade from it during the summer months. Some of the windows in the bedrooms have large overhangs on all sides allowing for natural light but also offering privacy and shading from the sun. Others are shallow allowing the winter sun to penetrate the bedrooms.

Location

Location