student housing

with Joanna Klimczak

3rd semester - winter 2017/18
Prof. Verena von Beckerath
Chair of Design and Housing
Bauhaus-University Weimar

Having examined different types of domesticity in the first part of the third semester, our studio concluded with the design of a new dormitory in Weimar. The architecture of this proposal is largely influenced by the imprint of a square grid in the floor plan, rotated by 45 degrees.

The diagonal – according to the Pythagorean theorem — is a line which is always longer than the side segments it connects by √2. The challenge of planning the floor and the housing units on the diagonal of the boundary setback guided the consecutive design steps. The main load-bearing structure is a timber framework rotated by 45 degrees, rendering the use of the square shape a structural necessity. However, the ground floor and the staircase from reinforced concrete differ in nature, acting as the plinth and the core of the building respectively. The framework construction allows for flexibility in the organization of every floor (due to the use of non-load-bearing walls) and the modularity of the suggested dwelling types.

This proposal accommodates the diverse needs of its inhabitants, as it supports the possibility for varying rental costs across the years, while it also reinforces an open-ended involvement in the public and community spaces of the dormitory.

In the interior, diagonality is perceived in the visual axes that become apparent when moving between the doors or the balconies. The square module of the floor plan declares its presence in the exterior of the building by shaping its façade. The diagonal open-air passage cutting through the building – namely, the staircase that accommodates the level difference between the west and the east side of the plot – remains open to the public, while the private entrance for the residents of the dorm is situated aside.

The creative themes I engaged with throughout the semester, such as the concepts of diagonality in space, the modularity of dwelling types, the flexibility of the floor plan – or, more pragmatic challenges, such as the relationship between the private and public sphere in residential projects and the strict minimum of amenities in affordable housing without compromising good living standards – are ones I am eager to continue exploring in my future work.