Undergraduate student work
Capsule Housing
The hybrid capsule tower typology provides a variety of different units to suit individual needs and preferences. The vertical farming, commercial, cultural and exhibition spaces, market and workshop spaces and the housing capsule tower enter into a dynamic interdependent relationship. This creates a self-sustaining, vibrant community and encourages production which challenges the notions of a contemporary consumerist society. The units are closely integrated with internal semi-private spaces which are strategically placed and shared among the internal community. Each unit was individually designed in order to maximize the beneficial effect of passive solar heating by means of natural daylighting. The complex shape and layout of the capsule tower arose from the desire to give each unit the best possible orientation, to optimize the amount of solar radiation penetrating the structure and to allow the stacked units to share service cores. Integration of the market space and cultural, exhibition area creates a narrative spatial progression. A continuation of the visual langue of the residential units above the cultural, exhibition area and the market space ensures that the spaces underneath are perceived as a whole. Vertical circulation is expressed on exterior as an interconnected movement network. Seen from afar the building appears to be a solid but visually dynamic landmark, but when viewed from up close the composition becomes fragmented, a poriferous structure broken up by seemingly disconnected walls, atrium light shafts created by the stacked horizontal circulation walkways, louvered exterior veranda spaces and the independent concrete vertical support structures. The different units are not separated and exist in a dynamic relationship with each other on each level. This allows social interaction to transcend age, class, gender and race differentiation in order to establish a strong sense of community.