What is the minimum standard of a living space? How much room do one need to properly dwell? To what extent can the interior be narrowed down and still provide a quality of life. Conversely, how to make more room? What metamorphoses can increase the inner space. The operations of pressing together and of spreading out are fundamental in the dynamics of space. Yet another significant aspect lies in the way the dwelling-forms are distributed in space, in their relative positions to each other, their patterns expressing measures of distance and proximity. The proposed project for this semester will explore these three moments into 2 different projects. It will be an opportunity to experiment on form and pattern, to investigate the notions territory and neighbourhood, and to reflect upon the conditions of privacy and the intrusion of technology.
The first project envisions the house as an extension to the body and will tackle the design of a habitation restricted to a very small area. The project will come as a response to an extreme case scenario proposed by each student that will define particular activities to be catered for within the unit. The inner volume target will be 20 cubic meters but some exemptions will be accepted if necessary for the scenario.
The second project starts with an investigation of a deserted building whose facade will be considered as a continuous “ground” that will be populated by affordable units. The vertical plane will be looking at a scenic view over the water on one side and masking the deserted core of an old building on the other side. The plug-in units have a standard dimension of 2.6 x 2.6 x 8.2 m perfectly fit to slide into the existing punctures (2.6 x 2.6m) of the façade. The units will be configured in couples and their design will be subject to a set of strict rules and parameters.