Compact Fragmentation

AAB College in Kosovo

Project idea

This work represents a reflection on current and permanent issues as concerns housing and its transformation in new ephimeral dimensions of architecture. Our project relies on Densification as the main theme, of an existing residential block in an overcrowded neighborhood “Dardania “, built during socialist Yugoslavia. Postwar in Kosovo, many housing units were affected by overbuilding, this also happened in Dardania neighborhood. It is in this part that the densification occurs in our project in controlled "Overbuilding", responding with the idea of open architecture through generic elementary units, ready to inhabit different typologies of temporary living-housing while in the meantime enhancing the existing structures.

Project description

Designing the shape of the "Cell" and connecting them together in a superstructure creates an interactive and very easily expandable habitat, made possible by the shape. The new structures are open to accommodate residential units, student dorms, senior housing, hotels, offices, etc. Each part has a separate area dedicated to social stimulation, interactions between residents and more, also indirectly this common space affects the mental health of the user. Also, these cells are connected to the common corridor that goes through all the spaces, the view offered from the corridor is breathtaking, offering you the opportunity to see many parts of the city around.
Opening the part of the ground floor in the existing buildings, but not losing the dimensions of it, enables access to the core to reach the part of the overbuilding. This "infection" of the object with structures can also be seen in the situation, as some of these structures are included in underground and are used for businesses.

Technical information

The project has a very utopic spirit, but the idea becomes feasible when the construction is understood and how the connection of new structures is done in the existing building. The connection of the cells is made through steel profiles, adapting to the existing reinforced concrete construction which carries the structural load. Their flexible form allows the primary construction not to have a standard module with the possibility to adapt to any shape that the cells have, each cell is shaped by steel profiles that consist of two pillars that support one another to form a console, and their connection to the main pillar is made through bolted and welded connections. The wrapping of these units is made of metal sheets with thermal insulation foam from polyurethane that enables a good thermal and raised floor. This type of construction enables the multiplication of residential units, but is suitable for installations between beams on the floor and also on the ceiling, all these installations are collected in a substation created on the ground floor.

Documentation

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