Abstract
Everything relating to dense, urban living is constantly changing; we need to rethink housing and have a second look to past and present urban housing projects, in order to invent a more flexible design approach for now and tomorrow. For example, by designing more communal spaces in apartment blocks, and making socially resilient projects. This paper focuses on massing strategies of built projects under the light of a flexible design framework. It includes globally acknowledged buildings from Unite d’ Habitation, until today, such as Gifu Kiatagata by SANAA in Japan and La Borda by Lacol in Spain,. Each Case Study is seen under the light of spatial relationships between three basic programmatic areas / elements: Units, Circulation and Communal Spaces. The spatial relationships of the three elements (and impact on human cohabitation) are discussed and connected with theory for each Case Study. For example, the paper examines Communal Spaces in apartment blocks, as Third Places, a term coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1982). Oldenburg analyses the benefits that accrue from the utilization and personalization of places outside the workplace and the home. Through these three programmatic areas, found in the Case Studies and almost every apartment block, the paper outlines a flexible design model for the massing design phase of any apartment block. The conclusions discuss the common qualities of the Case Studies from Unite in 1952 until today, and pin point their characteristics as flexible design models, allowing easy readjustments during the schematic design phase.
Presenters
Simos VamvakidisAssistant Professor, Architecture, University of Patras, Greece, Attiki, Greece
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Design Across Time
KEYWORDS
Apartment block design, Flexible Design Model, Human cohabitation, Massing phase
