This project is about high density suburban housing in urban contexts, that is internally varied through a customized kit of parts. It accommodates emerging social classes clustering around public space.
In China, Chongqing, there is currently rapid regeneration with a mixture of classes living in close proximity. Its ongoing policy to completely erase its own history has resulted in new social classes emerging. The cities are being taken over with an homogenous single housing tower typology, loosing all connections to public/communally used space. As a result Suburban housing is becoming the desirable option. However a Chinese model of an appropriate suburbia that fits within the context hasn’t yet been found. And there is a danger of the urban sprawl.
This project is capturing peoples right to open space through a design which combines this within high density scenarios, and gives the freedom for these emerging social classes to choose there own style of living.
This project is a vertical suburbia which attempts to give people the kind of qualities that are embedded within suburbia, while also providing the user with areas that can be used for communal activities and grouping them around the type of lively public space which are culturally embedded within China, Chongqing.
This is achieved through the improvement or simplification of a generic kit of parts. Initially studying a component which incorporated all axis and therefore integrating walls, floors, columns and beams into one piece. This piece enables the possibility for people to customize the 'kit of parts' system and to have a freedom for variability within context. The component is cast in a simple mould system which is about simplifying the complexity while also providing greater flexibility for customization. Simply by inserting foam pieces into the casting machine between solid volumes it is able to produce a catalogue of different components which connect together to make clusters. Therefore producing a file to factory method with a simple way of translating the initial design to a casting method that allows for complexity to be incorporated at the same cost as a repetitive piece or kit of parts.
