Yards and Bricks

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Architecture

Project idea

Living in a community is nothing new, yet it is hardly widespread in our environment. It brings social, economic, and ecological benefits, but also several risks. The vitality of a community depends largely on its members. But could this way of living really work for us? Is it possible to cross the boundaries between cooperative housing, urban cohousing, or community housing? How much space do we need to maintain our privacy? And can we call eight square meters a room? By designing the house, itself, in this case the block, we can support the creation of social interactions between its residents.

Project description

The project presents a deconstructed town block that offers housing for diverse groups of residents, be it single parents, singles, families, seniors, or students. The nuclear family is a survival. In its essence, it is not so much a matter of housing as a lifestyle that increases the quality of interpersonal relationships. The courtyard provides a place that supports intergenerational interaction and is friendly to children and the elderly, as fragile members of our society. It offers a safe place for spending free time and meeting or observing the events from the safety of the courtyard gallery. All of this can be a prerequisite for a high-quality neighbourhood in a town environment. The spaces on the ground floor of the block offer commercial use, but also a place for community activities. You can find a place for a shared kitchen, gym, studios, offices, or a children's group.

The structure of the house is designed as a series of four inner and two outer courtyards that loop through the entire block. The outer courtyards are public and create a free space at the corners that serves as a meeting space. The southwest corner near Vršovická street is designed as a small square, while the northeast corner near the sports hall is designed as a small park. The inner courtyards are composed to form semi-enclosed corners.

The individual apartments are designed to be as transparent as possible. In each of them, there is an extra room of minimal dimensions that can serve as a room for sleeping, a study, or a storeroom. The bedrooms are oriented outwards to provide privacy for their occupants. The size of all bedrooms in the individual apartments is approximately the same, so that the apartments offer the greatest possible variability in living. Courtyard gallery offers sufficient width for imaginary expansion of the apartment outside, e.g., with the help of a shoe rack, hanger, or flowerpots.

Technical information

The building is designed as a monolithic reinforced concrete structure with a facade made of facing bricks. The construction of the courtyard gallery is designed from coloured concrete.