Housing Alternatives
A series of specifically dimensioned structural walls define movement. Inhabitants move perpendicular to the wall and strategically placed openings allow them to move from one side of the wall to the other. Units are arranged with public spaces along the X-axis and private ones along Y. A singular staircase provides vertical circulation. Outdoor recreation spaces happen on top of some units. All services are contained within the walls. The housing alternatives project was further developed to meet the requirements of the Infinite Strip competition 2006. It involved an exploration of the strip as a formal design device. The two adjacent buildings are treated as “mass generators”: one creates a solid strip that knits its way through the site and welds itself to the other. The “infinite strip” is not only continuous within itself but is infinite within its urban context. The walls provide a basic structure that supports the strip as it winds through the site. Wall openings allow the strip to be read as continuous and therefore infinite. The winning entry could be found under Infinite Strip competition (3rd honourable mention - Asia) at the Arquitectum website .