Nominated for the Mies van de Rohe European Architecture Award, 2015
Completed 2014
Block 0704 attempts to challenge conventional architectural typologies of the apartment block. The block can be reinterpreted as a collection of ‘suburban residences’ that include two levels of spaces offering a separation of common areas and private spaces, a more immediate and effective relationship with the outside, a large covered outdoor area, and the use of natural elements as deciduous trees to moderate the microclimate of each space. The relationship to the street becomes secondary with the arrangement of the spaces suggesting a more introverted experience that also encourages the modern dwellers to maximize use of the space and the relationship between indoors and outdoors. The traditional protruding verandas of the typical apartment block are reintegrated into the main mass of the building becoming an integral part of the interior/exterior spatial experience. Consequently the apartments attempt to satisfy contemporary desires which require flexibility, privacy, and a more inclusive relationship with the outdoors.
To allow for all interior spaces to benefit from direct sunlight, and to isolate the more private spaces from the more public ones in each apartment, the units are arranged in two levels, with the bedrooms being on a different level from the living and kitchen areas. The sleeping areas of the smaller units are on the lower level while in the larger units they are situated on the upper level. As a result the common areas from each unit are arranged around the outdoor verandas making them an integral part of the spatial experience of each unit.
Photos by Marios Christodoulides