Assignment 4 Housing Precedent Studies

To design, one must look to examples how others have approached a similar typology. There is never an exact match due to site conditions, program, budget, code regulations… but the more you research, the more solutions you may find that you educate you.

For this assignment you will be assigned (1) local housing project and (2) International projects.

There should be 1-2 sheets per project describing the fundamental issues that were addressed.  Each project should have the Architect, Location, and brief description along with drawings, photographs and diagrams. You should show diagrams (sketches or drawn over the plans/photographs of major components, circulation, entrance, lighting…) Also include unit floor plans to determine how each unit functions.

Select the drawings, diagram, images that best explain your precedent and answer the following questions:

  1. What is the approach and path of entering the building and getting to individual apartments?
  2. What are the amenities of the building – inside and outside?
  3. Are the amenities public, semi-public or private?
  4. What are the elements of the design that work well?
  5. What elements of the design do not work well or need to be corrected?
  6. How does the building relate to the site and neighborhood?
  7. Is there only housing? or a mix of commercial or institutional?
  8. How does natural light work in the spaces?
  9. What types of units are in the building? 1,2,3 bedrooms? Layouts?
  10. How do you access each unit?
  11. Do each unit feel private? or exposed?

Global Housing Typology (G)

  1. Cité de Refuge, Le Corbusier (Paris, France, 1933)
  2. Hansaviertel Apartment Hous,e, Alvar Aalto (Berlin, Germany, 1955)
  3. Guild House, Venturi Scott Brown (Philadelphia, 1961)
  4. Linked Hybrid, Steven Holl (Beijing, China, 2009) Zhenhao
  5. Gifu Kitagata, Kazuyo Sejima (Gifu, Japan)
  6. Saishunkan Seiyaku Womens’ Dormitory, Kazuyo Sejima (Kumamoto, Japan) Anthony
  7. Kanchanjunga, Charles Correa (Bombay, India) Anthony
  8. Kasbah, Piet Blom (Hengelo, NL)
  9. Madrid Social Housing, Morphosis (Madrid, Spain) Khady
  10. Habitat ’67, Moshe Safdie (Montreal, Canada) Khady
  11. UnitĂ© d’Habitation, Le Corbusier (Marseille, France)-Ousmane
  12. Mirador, MVRDV (Madrid, Spain) Adrian
  13. Yerba Buena Lofts, Stanley Saitowitz (San Franciso, CA) Rapha
  14. 14. Le Nemausus, Atelier Jean Nouvel (Nimes, FR)
  15. Hansaviertal Tower, Van den Broek en Bakerma (Berlin, DE) Saul
  16. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Kisho Kurokawa (Tokyo, Japan)
  17. Robin Hood Garden Apartments, Alison and Peter Smithson (London, England)
  18. Jacques Forte (Postal Worker Housing), Philippe Gazeau (Paris, France)
  19. KNMS and Java Eiland, Diener and Diener, Architects (, Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  20. Schots 1+2, S333 Architecture + Urbanism (Groningen, Netherlands)
  21. Silodom Complex, MVRDV (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  22. Borneo, MAP Architects with Josep Lluis Mateo (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  23. Hook at Holland, J.J.P. Oud
  24. Bouca Housing Complex, Alvaro Siza (Porto, Portugal)
  25. Nexus World Housing, Steven Holl (Fukuoka, Japan) Gassendy
  26. Funabashi Apartments, Ryue Nishizawa (Chiba, Japan)
  27. Eda Housing, Chiba Manabu Architects (Yokohama (Kanagawa), Japan) Jerry
  28. Langham Court, Goody Clancy & Associates (Boston, MA)
  29. Peabody Terrace, Sert, Jackson and Gourley (Cambridge, MA) Saul
  30. Lafayette Park Apartments Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe (Detroit, MI)
  31. Marina City, Betrand Goldberg Associates (Chicago, IL)
  32. VM Houses, BIG and JDS Zhenhao
  33. Quinta da Malagueira Housing, Alvaro Siza Jerry
  34. Housing on Lutzowplatz, O.M. Ungers
  35. Crawford Manor, Paul Rudolph (New Haven, CT) 
  1. Savonnerie Heymans – Brussels, Belgium Rapha
  2. SalburĂșa Social Housing – Álava, Spain Francisco
  3. Parc Central Social Housing – Valencia, Spain Manashe
  4. TĂȘte en l’air Social Housing – Paris, France Gassendy
  5. Sint-Agatha-Berchem Housing Project – Brussels, Belgium
  6. Le Lorrain – Brussels, Belgium Kevin
  7. Vivazz, Mieres Social Housing – Asturias, Spain Manashe
  8. Tetris Apartments – Ljubljana, Slovenia
  9. L’Astrolarbre – Paris, France Kevin
  10. Carabanchel Social Housing – Madrid, Spain
  11. Les Nids – Courbevoie, France
  12. Poljane Community Housing – Maribor, Slovenia
  13. Harold Housing Project – Paris, France
  14. Dortheavej Residence- BIG, Copenhagen, Denmark
  15. 8 House- BIG, Copenhagen, Denmark Francisco
  16. Social Complex in Alcabideche / Guedes Cruz Arquitectos Portugal
  17. 114 Public Housing Units / Sauquet Arquitectes i Associats, Barcelona,Spain Adrian
  18. BBK Sarriko Centre / ACXT, Bilboa Spain Ousmane

NYC Housing Projects (NYC)

  1. Via Verde, Grimshaw& Dattner Rapha
  2. West 57th– BIG Kevin
  3. 251 1st Street / ODA New York Khady
  4. 15 Renwick / ODA New York Adrian
  5. 56 Leonard Street / Herzog & de Meuron Fransisco
  6. Clinton Park/ Ten Arquitectos Zhenhao
  7. Beekman Tower, Frank Gehry Saul
  8. The Dillon / Smith-Miller+Hawkinson Architects Jerry
  9. 459 West 18th Street / Della Valle + Bernheimer
  10. Waterside, Davis & Brody Associates
  11. First Houses, New York City Housing Authority
  12. OlympicTower, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Ousmane
  13. Silver Towers/University Village, I.M. Pei Anthony
  14. 160 East 22nd Street / S9 Architecture Gassendy
  15. 580 Carroll Street / TEN Arquitectos   Manashe
  16. The Dunbar Apartments