Eccentric Housing, Spike Liu, Mark A. Santa Ines, SCI-Arc, residential block, city block, multi-level units, innovative proposal, hinged bar

The project of Eccentric Housing is done at SCI-Arc, as a research on an object integrated in a city block. The aim of the authors, Spike Liu and Mark A. Santa Ines was to develop a unit interlocking strategy which would integrate in section, composing neighborhoods within a hinged bar, but coming as a massing that would still remain undefined as a housing project.

In order to overcome standard issues of a typical bar-shaped building in a city block, the design promotes the dynamic and improved single massing that is contorted into the site in both plan and section. In plan, it contorts into a courtyard with one end of the bar penetrating it while in section it contorts over and below itself diagonally, producing an irregular mass that still manages to adhere to none of its edges. Therefore the access to light and air is enabled on the east and west.

The units of the proposed building are multi-leveled, allowing for circulation level with access throughout and another private one, therefore all the units are organized into at least two primary zones. The apartment units are designed as self-interlocking. Architects wanted to create a system in which the units would be wrapped around the infrastructure, allowing uniform access to utilities from every unit.

Vertical circulation is provided by primary cores, allowing direct access to every other level. Secondary circulation or “social” circulation is provided through the courtyard vertically, disrupting the rhythm of the clear, primary one. On the inner side, the units are exposed to the secondary circulation, while on the outer side a structural skin is setback from the units, therefore allowing for balconies and brise-soleils.

Eccentric Housing, Spike Liu, Mark A. Santa Ines, SCI-Arc, residential block, city block, multi-level units, innovative proposal, hinged bar

Eccentric Housing, Spike Liu, Mark A. Santa Ines, SCI-Arc, residential block, city block, multi-level units, innovative proposal, hinged bar

Eccentric Housing, Spike Liu, Mark A. Santa Ines, SCI-Arc, residential block, city block, multi-level units, innovative proposal, hinged bar

Eccentric Housing, Spike Liu, Mark A. Santa Ines, SCI-Arc, residential block, city block, multi-level units, innovative proposal, hinged bar

 

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