arsenaløen dwellings

fall 2009[cph] andersen studio

8 [a]

arsenaløen dwellings[copenhagen, DK]

the row house

A row house can be distilled down to one singular element , the shared partition wall. Traditionally this wall acts as an inactive element that saves space and material, however, the partition wall has the potential to be expanded to play an active role in the building space. The partion wall can not only de�ne a row house, but also the spatial organization, the extended views and the the contextual relevancy of the entire project.

The site, Arsenaløen, o�ers the opportunity to examine the canal front heritage of Copenhagen and to attempt to extend that to each dwelling unit. The transition from the publicly accessible waterfront to the very private individual dwellings becomes a celebrated progression. In attempting to maintain the serene, comfortable scale of the natural site, the clusters of dwellings break down the mass of housing to allow for more solar access as well as more canal access.

The yellow brick has become the staple material for more tradi-tional social housing projects in Copenhagen, in playing with this tradition, the brick wall forms the spine of each unit, touched only by the glazing that acts in visual tension between the masses.

progression

private upstairs

semi-private downstairs

semi-public courtyard space

public green space

view orientationthe angled walls orient the view through the building. the broader space allows for more relaxing, open spaces where as the circulation takes place in the narrower space where movement is encourged.

spatial organization

walls act as an organizing spine within which circulation takes

place.

the wall concept

the wall acts as utility and ornament while the open spaces �oat weightlessly between allowing for maximized views, spatial �exibility, and light penetration.

arsenaløen dwellings

fall 2009[cph] andersen studio

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8 [b]

1. entry way. mud room2. kitchen3. living room space4. dinning room space5. front patio space6. back patio7. private back yard8. communal space9. open to below10. bathroom11. master bedroom12. bedroom13. reading room14. lower roof15. upper roof

�rst �oor plan

second �oor plan

roof plan

plans the unit and cluster

the unit design is centered around the partition wall, using it as not only a means of organization but also as a connection to the cultural and historical context of the site. the strong line created by the walls de�nes the space within the unit as well as the public and private zones around it. the brick material is used not only to relate to traditional danish design, but also as a means to establish the mass of the core of the building and the circulation systems it houses.

the cluster is based on a series of the units placed side by side. the partition wall becomes the organizing element for both units, housing the stairs for each unit. the idea of the partition wall grows from simply being the inactive element the happens to be shared, to an interlocking, active element that bonds each unit and its inhabitants to its neighbor. sun angle diagram

8 [a]

arsenaløen dwellings

fall 2009[cph] andersen studio

8 [c]

the wall [circulation]

north-east elevation and section

south-west elevation and section

arsenaløen dwellings

fall 2009[cph] andersen studio

8 [d]

�nal model_front�nal model_section side

original concept model study model

study model study model

physical models

8 [c]

study model

study model

arsenaløen dwellings

fall 2009[cph] andersen studio

8 [e]

material renderings

interior rendering [kitchen] interior rendering [view up stair corridor] [kolumba bricks]