Wooden Construction as a Housing Estate Design Model

Abstract

The program challengers “Timber in the city” Urban Habitat Competition entrance to imagine new possibilities for the future and urban living in New York in the district Queens – the relationship between the individual dwelling and the collective aggregation of units; the use of timber and wood is leveraged to create living spaces that are connected to natural systems. The article presents the main principles of the residential flats which are founded upon a concept that reflects the construction of boxes that fit harmoniously together - inspired by the traditional Japanese art of joining wood consisting of minimal participation of mechanical connectors, enabling the construction of a single modular segment consisting of both columns and beams, merged together. This universal system design would support the recommended natural insulation of the adobe wall. Locations of the windows and door openings are not restricted, allowing for an ambient lightening of apartments. The exterior finish can be flexible, depending on the context of the environment in which the building is made. In alignment with the competition’s needs, we decided to finish the brick with natural bricks as a reference to the traditional, distinctive facades of New York tenements houses. The article shows contemporary challenges in the design of housing estates with the use of wooden construction. The design of the residential part started with the elaboration of functional and spatial systems of apartments, based on an established modular system, followed by putting the blocks together, creating a heavily fragmented piece. The free spaces between apartments are meant to be a featuring characteristic, designing an open space – with the intention of development of neighborly relations and bonding local community. The system has been developed on recurrent, modular apartments that are universal and flexible enough to replicate – anywhere, with consideration given to the immediate surroundings. This flexibility of the system and freedom of shaping a building’s piece enables the avoidance of monotony, despite the recurrence. The conclusions may be useful for architects, urban designers, academics in the field of architecture and urbanism.