Social gateway – Redesigned housing and co-place

architect

Jakab Kincső

architectural consultant:
Kovács Péter DLA

Introduction

I brought the concepts of community and housing into the design program from my thesis, which was written about co-housing in Hungary. The block rehabilitation created together with Anikó Illyés also appears as a main theme. In the case of both my own building and the block rehabilitation, the primary consideration was to improve the livability conditions in the Piac-Miklós-Vásáry István-Iskola street block, as the current state is not ideal from either an urbanistic or social perspective. The consequence of the emptying of the city center is that young people are moving out of this area, the generation living here is slowly aging out, and the building stock is gradually deteriorating. In response to this, we want to create a livable environment that attracts young people and young families to the city center, provides a family-friendly environment and a variety of housing and community services. My thesis seeks to achieve this goal in the form of Redesigned Housing and Co-Place within the block rehabilitation project called Social Gateway.

Location

My design location is located at 75 Piac Street within the previously mentioned block. The plot is longitudinally oriented, and there are several existing buildings in the area. It can currently be approached from the passageway of the existing building facing Piac Street. The aforementioned building is a listed two-story residential. The ground floor is dominated by the commercial character facing Piac Street, while the first and second floors have the same floor plan, where the apartments are located. In addition to the ground floor, the building currently houses various services on the upper floors, so a mixture of residential and service functions can be observed. An important part of my concept is to restore the residential function on the upper floors, so these service units are partially removed from the existing building. In addition, most of the buildings on the site are in a dilapidated state or do not represent significant architectural value, so they will be demolished. What made me choose this plot within the block is the tight spatial situation that develops between the buildings that surround the narrow plot. Because of this, the area has a strong alley character, which is an important element of my development concept. I was also struck by the fact that due to the slight angle of the plot, the interior of the block is not revealed at first, forcing the passerby to explore the space.

Concept

I developed my concept based on the remaining state after the necessary demolitions following the examination of the block, where I wanted to restore the original atmosphere and character of the site. I placed a longitudinal building on both sides of the site, aligned with the existing buildings, reflecting the nature of the existing construction and adapting to the geometry of the neighboring buildings. At the end of the site, a new mass was placed in place of the former service building, which, together with the new construction, outlines an urban spatial wall. I connected the masses with a passage bridge and at the same time raised them from street level, ensuring free passage beneath them. I designed the building by taking into account the buildings planned within the framework of the block rehabilitation. With our site rehabilitation concept, a walkway system is formed, one of the focal points of which is formed on the upper side of the block in the form of a multifunctional urban space. Functionally, my building constructs from the community building connected to the existing building with a community roof garden, the service block connected to it, the new residential block and the multifunctional urban space formed between the buildings, which is a covered-open space suitable for hosting various events and spontaneous “pop-up” markets.

Existing building

In the existing building, I made internal floor plan changes to improve the overall comfort. I emptied the floor plan by leaving the existing load-bearing walls, and then reorganized the functions. On the ground floor, the row of shops was retained from the Piac Street side, and I created a co-working office space opening from the inner courtyard, which can be used by residents nearby. On the upper floors, instead of the existing six, less comfortable apartments, I created five, with varying floor areas. In order to make the building accessible, an elevator will be added.

Community building

The building consists of three main levels: ground floor, first floor and roof level, but the building has a partial basement, where service functions are located. The core of the community building is a two-story space that functions as a café-bistro during the day and a pub in the evening, supplemented by an event space. The consumer space extends into the external public space at both street level and first floor, and by sitting on the terrace we come into contact with the block. The ground floor is the main space for arrival and service, and the kitchen technology required for operating the consumer area is located here. Level -1 and the first floor can also be accessed from this space. In addition to the exposed concrete wall surface, the interior is characterized by darker and lighter tones of warm-colored wooden surfaces and visible suspended ceiling elements. I also wanted to strengthen the connection between the exterior and interior with the large glass openings. It was important that the space also provided opportunities for social evenings and quiz nights, and the open row of cabinets next to the stairs was designed to store the necessary items for this. At the back of the site is the multifunctional urban space, which is a mix of community and commercial space suitable for pop-up markets and smaller events. On the first floor, the consumer area can be used for a variety of purposes by arranging the tables and chairs appropriately: it is also suitable for hosting quiz nights, presentations, and smaller events. In addition, the Alkotásutca Art School, which previously operated in the existing building, received a studio, accessible from the staircase of the existing building. The equipment in the studio is usually hidden by a large built-in furniture. In the service block, the service units operating on the site are housed in a more organized system, with a separate staircase access. The roof level functions as a community garden and rooftop, which can be accessed from the staircase of the existing building. The raised bed garden is maintained by the residents, who have permanent access to the roof level. The movable furniture allows for flexible use here as well, whether in the form of dance evenings or outdoor film screenings – where even the wider urban residential community can participate in the events. The green oasis of the roof garden offers an opportunity to break away and relax in the city center, and from here a visual connection is also established with the new residential block, which I will introduce below.

Residential block

The ground floor has community and service functions, which serve the smaller residential community (bicycle storage), while the rental workshop and the community leisure space are also available to the wider residential community. The residential levels can be accessed via the staircase. I have designed three types of apartments on the three residential levels, a small one, a medium one and a larger one, which can be accessed from the covered-open suspended corridor. The thermal envelope is implemented at the level of the residential blocks, and the staircase functions as a temperature-controlled space. The staircase is also a meeting point where residents can chat and exchange books or other household items. The layout of the apartments allows for two variations. In the two larger apartments, a large connected living room-kitchen-dining room is in center, from which a second room can be separated. The small apartment has been furnished individually. The interior materials used here are also dominated by lighter and darker-toned wood paneling.

Structure - Facade

Structurally, the buildings have the same design. The facade walls are made of a core-insulated structure, the outer reinforced concrete shell is given a pigmented surface, but in some spaces (such as the staircase of the residential block) the inner, load-bearing wall also has the same surface. Thanks to the low attic design, the pigmented concrete surface continues onto the roof, and the upper “covering” of the roof layer is provided by concrete slabs. Thus, the vertical and horizontal building elements have an almost identical appearance. In the process of designing the facade of the building, I conducted a survey of the other buildings in the block. The facades of the buildings framing the block predominantly feature different shades of yellow, in plastered or tiled versions. Drawing from this, my building received a pigmented concrete surface that appears in a contemporary reinterpretation, in which the alternation of the yellow pigment and the grayness of the concrete reflects the changing shades of the plastered facades, and at the same time forms a timeless surface. The facade division is thus given by the formwork division given by the construction technology, and the rhythm of the facades is formed by the large glass surfaces. The uniform use of materials unites the building blocks with different functions, thus ultimately creating a unified architectural overall picture.