A four-storey apartment block with six apartments was designed to create a pleasant living experience while optimizing construction and maximizing material and energy savings.
The compact central volume of the cube-shaped block is juxtaposed with lightweight metal structures that are the suspended balconies for private mainly outdoor use.
The compact block includes a high level of insulation aiming to leave a small ecological footprint and be economically efficient. Shadings for the edifice and solar, power-generating, panels were placed to maximize the building’s orientation.
The structural system used, a strong core and columns only on the perimeter of the building, allows flexibility in floor plan design. Two two-bedroom apartments were created on each floor for the first two floors while two different three-bedroom apartments were created on the 3rd and 4th floor that serve the different needs of the users while following the urban planning regulations.
The ceiling of each typology was designed independently so that the functional, aesthetic and structural needs of the building are served.Special attention was given to the floor design of the apartments, a combination of materials tends to unify the spaces disregarding the separation walls.
The roof is organized to a roof garden that acts as a common recreation area through lightweight structures which are covering up the mechanical floor, adding to the building’s overall aesthetic.
Structural approach:
Computational optimization techniques were applied to determine the structural system of the project in order to minimize the impact of seismic activity. This led to a decrease in the amount of reinforcement needed for the construction, given the small cross-sections of the structural elements.
Additionally, the waffle slab system was chosen to reduce the cost for the formworks and to lessen the total weight of the reinforced concrete structure. The cantilevered balconies are metal hinged additions that don’t affect the sturdiness of the rest of the structure.
