Housing on the edge of the city

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

The topic of the task is to design a substandard apartment house on the eastern edge of a district Brno-Líšeň on an outside corner of Ondráčkova and Zlámanky Streets. Currently there are alloted gardens on the plot. The architecture design was processed to architecture study level. It respects the surrounding development context, the link with the Valley of Líšeň, the Nature Park Říčky and the water tanks. It solves spatial and volumed continuity to a current building structure while respecting transport services of surrounding streets. The principal function is housing only whilst the functional, typological and normative correctness was kept. Five apartments were designed, four of them are 150 m2 (3+1) and the fifth is 220 m2 (4+1). Each flat pertains two parking space in a group garage and one cellar. There is one barrier-free parking space in the garage and five standby parking space out of the building.

Project description

URBAN SOLUTION
The plot is located on the North slope by the Valley Říčky. The camber on the eastern side of the plot along the Zlámanky Street is 4,4 m. Alongside the eastern plot line there are high-voltage overhead lines. The protected zone was settled by the distance 2 metres from the outer wire to both sides.
It was decided to preserve five grown birch trees located on the plot by the Ondráčkova Street. The designed building is in the second plan whereby it creates a space for greenery and a playground. From this space it is possible to enter the flats. It is considered to use a municipal communication on the western side to enter the plot. To overcome the hight difference between the communication and the group garage inside the building a bidirectional car lift was installed. Perpendicular standby parking space are located on the East from the building available from the Zlámanky Street.

ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTION
A longitudinal block was divided to three height levels and the top two thirds were protruded to front. This simple volume was retracted to sloping terrain so that under the console would be placed the entrances and on the opposite southern side the protruded bottom third would even up the slope. Five flats were placed in the block, each one through all three floors. The entrances are on the North side and living rooms and terraces on the South. Under the terraces in the ground floor there are cellars and group garage, from which it is possible to enter the flats too.
The flat arrangement is free and it opens to both north and south directions. On the north side the building is reaching the tree crowns and on the opposite side it opens to the southern sun using wide windows. The transverse structural walls do not stop by the windows and they continue further so that they create a sun protection from the summer heat and small balconies with sunk plant stands. Plants together with steel rods create natural railing which can be part of the whole.

DISPOSITION SOLUTION
Every apartment stands on the same principle of separating the social, quiet and service zone by the storey. In the ground (service) floor there is the entrance from the street to the door space and the entrance from the garage through the laundry. Both rooms are connected with a hall and a staircase. The first floor is a social zone. On the north side there is a kitchen and a dining room with access to the North balcony and on the South there is a spacious living room that can be opened to the terrace. Opposite the staircase a bathroom and WC can be found. In the second (quiet) floor on the north side there is a parents room with closet and a kids’ room on the opposite. Both rooms have the access to the balconies. Opposite the staircase again there is a bathroom and WC.
Two outer flats on the East and two outer flats on the West stand on this principle with axial width 6 metres. The middle flat with axial width 8,5 metres offers more generous space while it separates an office from the living room using a TV storage unit and in the second floor there are two kids’ rooms.

Technical information

The construction system is composite. The interflat walls, ceilings and roof are reinforced concrete monolithic, the outer walls are from ceramic blocks POROTHERM 24 Profi with thermal overcladding from mineral wool 150 mm thick. Multi-layered glass walls with doors are implanted to steel frame of black colour. The facade is from panels of graphic concrete 100 mm thick. The terraces have timber floor, above the cellars there is a green roof which makes a transition from the terrace to the gardens.