Universal housing

A response to Affordable housing - Case study of Berlin

HOANG MINH TRAN - 2030888

I. CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
‘Poor but sexy’. It reflects the paradox of Berlin:
economically challenged but culturally rich and ap-
pealing.
Berlin is the city of low-income people. This is
the consequence of the division of the city during the
Cold War. It had left the city with significant economic
disparities, and high unemployment rates. Most major
companies and organizations avoided using Berlin for Figure 1. Intangle benefits of tenants could contribute to the city develop-
their headquarters and offices. This resulted in lower ment, which in turn be beneficial to the investors in many ways
(right), thus making housing more affordable, compared with the
average wages than most German cities, producing a traditional tenancy (left).
population that had no choice but to spend more than
half their income on rent and utility. III. DESIGN APPROACH
Berlin is a hub for creative and artistic endeav- The problem cannot be solved by a single solution
ors. The reunification of East and West Berlin also or multiple independent ones. It needs a systematic
left the city with many empty or underused buildings. approach that could be flexibly implemented in differ-
Those became a place where people could come to ent locations across the city. Therefore, the design
experiment, innovate, and express themselves freely, starts with a morphological study of Berlin.
thus making Berlin attractive to creative and artistic
individuals. III.1. Morphological study
‘Poor but sexy ... and unaffordable’. However,
Berlin is not a centralized state, it has multiple
the low incomes of the average Berlin household are
centers, which are 12 districts and each of them has
coping poorly with the price increase as a result of
an unique characteristic shaped by their inhabitants.
considerable increase of housing construction costs
Hence, the typical morphology of each district of Ber-
over time with the enactment, inter alia, of energy
lin was chosen for study (Figure 2). They were cho-
efficiency and fire protection standards. Meanwhile,
sen carefully with some specific criteria. Each of them
the gap between housing supply and demand is still
has to represent the most typical morphology of the
growing. Despite the significant demographic growth,
area and the studied area should have a combination
the rate and volume of housing construction remain
of different scale buildings from S to L, sometimes
relatively low. In addition to that, the unsuitability of the
XL: scale S (Residential or minor commercial build-
housing market as luxury homes intended for sale are
ing), M (Commercial building, school, civic center),
more appealing to investors than affordable housing
L (Major civic, institutional building, significant public
contributing to the shortage of this type.
infrastructure)as the utilization of public facilities was
The urge for affordable housing in Berlin is unde-
in mind during the selecting process.
niable because if Berlin is not an ideal place for the
The urban characteristics and architecture of Ber-
diverse demographic backgrounds, regardless of their
lin have been marked by a unique history, character-
economic condition, then Berlin will lose its essence.
ized during the Cold War by the juxtaposition of two
II. CONCEPT OF UNIVERSAL HOUSING fundamentally opposed systems of housing stock.
Eastern Berlin was influenced by Soviet Union and
I believe that in the future, the terms ‘affordable German Democratic Republic, thus, ‘Plattenbau’ or
housing’ or ‘social housing’ will no longer exist. In- housing blocks are common. Meanwhile, in Western
stead, ‘universal’ housing’ would be the best way to Berlin, architecture is affected by the urban planning
define this type of building. The reason is that it is not during the imperial period. This includes a more di-
the cost, the ‘profit’ for certain parties but the value, verse range of architectural style in the urban setup
the ‘benefit’ for the whole community and society that of perimeter block or ‘blockrand’.
housing projects should aim for (Figure 1).

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2 Universal housing: A response to affordable housing

Figure 2. Morphological study of 12 districts of Berlin. Each of them contains a satellite map and a figure-ground map to emphasize the most typical
urban setup, before classifying into 3 types: ‘blockrand’ or perimeter block, open block and hybrid.

III.2. Typical paradigm

Based on the morphological study, my design will On the other hand, the case of Siemensstadt al-
focus on developing typical paradigms as solutions lows more diverse strategies to be applied. Experi-
for two distinct urban setups: perimeter block and mental housing will be located in between the build-
open block. This provides possibilities for those par- ings in order to bring a sense of communal area,
adigms to be implemented across the city, instead of which is vague at present because of the parallel
coming up with eventual designs that only fit for some layout. Together with the third platform, they enable
specific cases. Mitte and Siemensstadt (Spandau) possibilities for the tenants to decide on the final
were chosen for case studies as they exemplify the structure of where they are going to live.
perimeter block and open block, respectively.
As can be seen from Figure 3, my strategy includes
intervention into existing buildings with extension/
third-platform and providing new built environment as
experimental housing within the neighborhood.
Infill will be used as densification strategy for the
case of Mitte because of its highly dense situation.
The third- platform will be applied on the surface fac-
ing the courtyard so it could exploit the potential to
make the place more lively and vibrant while leaving
the surface facing the street intact as a way to keep
the current urban coherence.

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3 Universal housing: A response to affordable housing

Figure 3. Proposed strategy for Siemensstadt (left) and Mitte (right). Extension / Third platform is suitable for the high density area of Mitte as it could
improve the current housing condition and (re)generate tthe social activity in the courtyard. In the meantime, Siemensstadt provides more possi-
bilities for both intervention and new built environment.

III.3. Extension / Third-platform

Extension
This is extended areas from the current buildings,
providing extra space for multiple purposes and also
working as transitional space for thermal comfort.
The extension is a secondary structure, independent
of the existing one, which makes it possible to be im-
plemented regardless of the condition of the existing
buildings.
Third platform
The space could be used freely among tenants,
making it a place for social interaction and individual
expression. In turn, it brings a vibrant atmosphere to
the neighborhood that could be beneficial to the wider
community.
Minimal intervention could bring enormous po-
tential for community-making and characterizing the
space, which makes it distinguished from the others.

Figure 4. Diagram showing the transformation of section of a typical housing building: Section of a typical building before intervention (left), section of
typical building after intervention (middle), section showing the diverse use of space after intervention (right)

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4 Universal housing: A response to affordable housing

Figure 5. Isometric view showing the transformation of a typical housing building before and after intervention. Extension / Third platform not only provides
more areas for changing needs of inhabitants but also provides better opportunities for social interaction and idea exchange as this becomes com-
mon space for tenants because of its easy accessibility. Moreover, it provides semi-public space so it could reduce the pressure on public services.

III.4. Experimental housing

It is a frame structure that could be easily modu-
larized to adapt to people’s changing demands. By
providing, in advance, the most essential parts of
a collective housing, which are vertical circulation
and technical systems, this enables possibilities for
the tenants to decide their final ideal home by them-
selves. This not only brings the freedom to its dwell-
ers but also be energy efficient and affordable since it
could reduce the redundant sources for unnecessary
purposes as the space is tailored to their needs.
Free occupancy
This is particularly important because of the di-
verse and unique demands of people, especially
those who work in the creative field. The home could
be a place to experiment and a reflection of the own-
er. Together, a community could create a vibrant and
lively environment based on the collective of different
individuals.

Figure 6. Frame structure with vertical circulation and technical systems is provided (top), this allows various spaces to be characterized reflecting their
owners (middle). As a result, the interior space is formed based on their specific needs while expressing the vibrancy and liveliness on the exterior.

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5 Universal housing: A response to affordable housing
The use of timber as the main material was also
brought into consideration as it is eco-friendly and
could be easily assembled and disassembled. There-
fore, in the future, if the model is no longer suitable
at that time, it could be removed without leaving any
footprint to the environment. (Figure 8)

Figure 7.1. Basic timber frame structure

Figure 8. Timber as the main materials for the construction of the model

Together, they provide each individual a “nest”

where they can freely express themselves, and that
“nest” itself, through time, will become a creation of
its dweller, reflect their characters, memories and
experiences. Altogether, a community will form a cul-
tural hub of their own that contributes to the vibrancy
Figure 7.2. Vertical circulation and technical systems
and uniqueness of Berlin, and in turn, brings value to
stakeholders in many ways.

Figure 7.3. Modularity enables possibilities and flexibility

Figure 7.4. Free occupancy

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6 Universal housing: A response to affordable housing
Figure 9.1. Transformation of Siemensstadt. The case of Siemensstadt allows
more diverse strategies to be applied. Experimental housing will
be located in between the buildings in order to bring a sense of
communal area, which is vague at present because of the parallel
layout. Together with the third platform, they enable possibilities
for the tenants to decide on the final structure of where they are
going to live.
6 7QX5M0 - Seminar urbanism and architecture
Figure 9.2. Transformation of Mitte. Infill will be used as densification strategy
for the case of Mitte because of its highly dense situation. The
third- platform will be applied on the surface facing the courtyard
so it could exploit the potential to make the place more lively and
vibrant while leaving the surface facing the street intact as a way
to keep the current urban coherence.