Competition for a model house design for the Mieszkanie Plus programme

Housing estate on Janusz Korczak Street in Katowice

1ST PRIZE EX AEQUO IN THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION, 2017

Design team: Mateusz Gierszon, Ewelina Siestrzewitowska, Antoni Surowiak

energy standard: compliant with the Technical Conditions (WT)

additional: a participatory system of designing and building flats

IDEA:

The competition design of the residential building presented here is intended to show the principles that guide, and to present the aims set for, the

PARTICIPATORY MODEL OF CONSTRUCTION

of residential buildings based on prefabrication and the partial involvement of residents in the construction.

Involvement in the construction of the estate is possible in at least two legal and organisational models applicable to the MIESZKANIE+ programme: municipal housing and social housing within the framework of a Social Housing Association (TBS):

a\ Model of basic resident participation:

Thanks to the elimination of structural walls within the residential module and the location of the installation risers on both sides of the flat, along the transverse walls, it is possible for residents to freely shape the interior spaces using lightweight partition walls. As a result, residents can participate in the construction in the following scope: building partition walls, internal installations and finishing.

In addition, the prefabricated elements used in the investment and assembled by a professional crew (the lightweight framed wall SZ1, the connections between individual residential modules) make it possible to later change the functional layout of the flats and to change the geometry or location of the windows.

The model of basic resident participation can be applied, for example, in the TBS model: this model assumes that the scope of resident participation (labour and material costs) will not exceed 25% of the construction costs, and that this will be counted as their participation in the costs. The flats of people who did not decide on this form of contribution will be built by a professional crew.

In the municipal model, on the other hand, it is possible to carry out such a scope of resident work in exchange for participation in the design of a given flat, an out-of-queue allocation of a specific flat, and a temporary reduction of rent for the resident (calculated on the basis of the man-hours on site and the cost of materials). It is possible for a resident to extend the rent-reduction period by working on the construction of other flats: flats for elderly and disabled people or sheltered flats (here the investor already pays for the materials).

This model has a number of advantages: it lowers the cost of the investment by the price of building the partition walls, internal installations and finishing, and by the residents' work on site (at the price of a temporarily reduced rent); for residents, on the other hand, apart from the rent reduction, it provides influence over the investment, training and experience, and the seed of a local community (working together).

b\ Model of extended resident participation:

The model of extended resident participation assumes that: the underground garage, the staircases and galleries, and the prefabricated structural elements and their insulation, the installations and the development of the courtyard are carried out by a professional crew. The residents build: the framed partition walls, the framed curtain walls, the intra-flat floor slab and the stairs in two-storey flats, as well as the internal installations, and they finish the flats. Such an investment model is possible thanks to the timber technology of building partition walls and external curtain walls, which is favourable for residents.

The extended scope of participation is possible, for example, in an extended municipal model. In this model the local authority is the investor and the flats are the property of the city, but the future residents participate in the design of the buildings (the layout of rooms, the design of the courtyard) and are employed on the construction. After defining the needs and scope of the investment, at the first stage of the project a team to manage the project is appointed at the city hall, and then, together with the labour office, public works are launched. Within the framework of the public works, the local authority offers the municipality's residents training and employment for the duration of the construction of the houses, and additionally: priority in the allocation of municipal flats in whose construction they took part, and participation in the design of the buildings and site development. The authority also commissions external companies to carry out the works related to building the garage, the staircases, the assembly of the reinforced-concrete prefabricated elements and the installations. The residents build flats for themselves as well as municipal, social and sheltered flats for people who are unable to take part in the construction. There is a possibility for the resident-builders to be additionally trained to care for their neighbours – the tenants of the sheltered flats. Ultimately, public funds fully cover the cost of construction and the public institution becomes the owner of the municipal, social and sheltered flats. Some of the flats are allocated as rentals to the resident-builders, and the rest remain at the authority's disposal.

The residents participate in the investment through paid work on site, and therefore do not additionally receive any shares in the ownership of the building or any rent reductions. The benefits obtained by the residents, apart from payment for their work, training, the experience gained and the social benefits, are the allocation of a specific municipal flat out of the queue of applicants and participation in the design – and thus the individualisation of the space of that flat.

In addition, thanks to the small module and the possibility of flexibly shaping the layout of the flats, it is possible to involve residents in the design process not only of their own flats, but also of the whole complex: buildings composed of "blocks" of residential modules.

In view of the assumed possibility of using the participation models listed above, the choice of technology and architectural solutions envisaged in the project is based on the following principles:

– the technical and "physical" accessibility (ease of construction) of the technology within the scope of construction envisaged for the residents (lightweight timber structures),

– the choice of technologies such that work on the construction of the estate can be treated as experience and make it easier to find employment (the use of technologies popular in Poland),

– the modularity and flexibility of the structure,

– the partial involvement of residents in the design and construction process,

– financial accessibility.

The presented project, carried out in accordance with the above principles and a holistic approach to the design and construction process, is intended to lead to the fulfilment of the aims set for social housing:

– The involvement of residents in the design and construction process, alongside architectural solutions that provide a gradation of the privacy of spaces and a number of intimate spaces, is what is meant to support a sense of feeling at home and responsibility for the space, and thereby a greater durability of the building.

– The flexible layout of the flats, the possibility of combining residential modules and the choice of an appropriate curtain-wall technology are intended to lead to the individualisation of the living environment and the ability to respond to the changing needs of residents.

– The involvement of residents in the construction is intended to support the individual development of the residents.

– The whole body of work related to the communal model of design and construction, together with the layout of public spaces and the gradation of private spaces, is intended to support the development of the local community.

SITE DEVELOPMENT:

The main street of the estate is the street designated in the MPZP on the W-E axis, connecting Korczaka Street with Babiego Lata Street; the estate's main square, with services on the ground floors of the buildings, is superimposed on it. In addition, service premises are proposed in the buildings forming the frontage of the W-E street. Estate lanes branch off from the main street. The proposed layout is urban in character, arranged in blocks, with clearly separated public spaces of streets and squares and semi-public neighbourly spaces. The blocks are turned away from the public road and have their openings from the estate lanes or from the pedestrian part in the southern part of the estate. Thanks to this arrangement, despite the separation of the estate courtyards, circulation within the estate is facilitated.

In the south-eastern part of the estate, on land of shallow mining exploitation, a pedestrian avenue and estate car parks with a dog run are located. On this land, at its edge, only one development block without underground garages was located. This is treated as a compromise between the additional expenditure that must be incurred when placing a building on such land and the need for intensive use of the plot and for ensuring the continuity of the frontage from Korczaka Street.

In the south-western part of the plot, on land with a large slope, one full development block and part of a second were located. Thanks to the modular layout of the flats and staircases, introducing expansion joints into the building and freely lowering individual wings caused no additional problems. In this part, the slope of the land was used to introduce entries to the underground garages from street level, without the need to build ramps.

Two pedestrian routes were designed in the estate, linking the green courtyards of the individual blocks. These routes facilitate circulation between the playgrounds, and outdoor gyms are designed along them. In the southern part of the estate there is also an estate outdoor gym. Both routes lead to the north-eastern edge of the designed estate for several reasons:

– the location of the existing, historic water tower, which can become a local attraction and a place for locating services,

– the planned location of a park to the north of the water tower,

– the possibility of locating services such as an estate cultural centre in the form of a small pavilion, a group of buildings made of containers, etc., on the land designated for a car park in the north-eastern corner of the plot.

THE BLOCK:

The complex is composed of blocks based on the letter C, with the courtyard opening towards the south, which guarantees appropriate daylighting of the flats and of the courtyard space. The model block has the following features:

a\ The gallery-access building is placed on the northern side and from the main street (it opens onto the courtyard); the corridor buildings open onto the side streets and neighbouring plots and are lit by W and E light.

b\ Three entrances to the complex are possible: through the staircase in the gallery-access building, the gate in the building on the W side, and the fire access route on the W side

c\ Entry to the staircases is possible only from the courtyard side; the exception is the middle staircase in the gallery-access building, which ensures increased movement within the courtyard and entry to the staircases from semi-public spaces, and therefore increased safety

d\ the exits from the underground garage lead onto the courtyard; they are not assigned to the staircases (this makes it possible to serve the complex with two exits from the garage and to give equal access to the garage to the residents of the buildings under which the garage is located and those under which there is no garage)

e\ the elements separating the flats from street traffic are:

– front gardens on the W and E sides,

– trailing plants in planters under the galleries on the N side

GRADATION OF PRIVACY:

The privacy of space is graduated, providing an opportunity for meetings in semi-private, intimate, shared spaces:

a\ External public spaces: pavements around the complex, separated from the flats by front gardens (E and W elevations) and by raised planters with trailing greenery (N)

b\ External semi-public spaces: the internal courtyard with a playground and a pond. Divided into smaller parts by means of space-separating mounds.

c\ External semi-private spaces: the spaces of the staircases, corridors and galleries that serve more than 2 flats were designed so as to reduce the length of the corridors, to end them with windows, and to introduce widenings as places for meetings and casual conversations. The gallery spaces, although visually unified, are in reality divided into circulation routes assigned to individual staircases without the possibility of passing between them, and into private balconies. The division of the long circulation routes into shorter ones, assigned to specific flats, is intended to increase the sense of privacy, safety and responsibility for the given space.

d\ External shared spaces: the gallery and terrace spaces serving only 2 flats: almost private spaces, separated from the general circulation routes, spaces where one can safely keep a bicycle or a pram, chat with a neighbour, etc.

e\ External private spaces: front gardens and balconies: although private, they are still not separated to the extent that would prevent circulation and meeting with a neighbour, while at the same time being separated from the semi-public and public spaces by greenery and earth berms.

In addition, the project provides for setting aside flats for the needs of flats for people with disabilities and sheltered flats, partly in a cohousing arrangement as separate flats that are, however, provided with a shared living-room space with a kitchen facility for communal life and mutual support. Thanks to the corridor layout of the building, it is possible to set aside such spaces in other parts of the complex as well, e.g. as flats intended for elderly people.

For the needs of the community, one of the residential premises on the ground floor is set aside as a meeting and workshop room, as well as rooms in the underground garage: a workshop and a bicycle garage. No pram store is set aside, because this role is to be played by the semi-private and shared spaces. It is also possible to designate one or several premises on the ground floor for the needs of a kindergarten/nursery.

THE FLATS:

a\ The flats, based on 2 types of span, are shaped so as to create a functional layout in accordance with the principles of energy-efficient building: on the S, N and W sides there are living rooms and bedrooms, and on the N side and, in the case of corridor buildings, from the corridors, there are kitchens and bathrooms. This layout results in the installation risers being located only in the part of the flat by the entrance, along both load-bearing side walls. In this way they do not interfere with the free shaping of the flat within a single module, nor with the combining of flats, because the points of this combining are predetermined by the geometry of the wall prefabricates, while allowing freedom in the placement of the bathroom and kitchen.

b\ In most cases the kitchens are directly connected with the living rooms. In flats M2 and M2 NPS in gallery-access buildings, and in M3, M4, M5, the kitchens are separate rooms with a window; in flats M2 and M2 NPS in corridor buildings they are kitchenettes.

c\ Flats M3, M4, M5 have balconies or terraces; flats M2 have French windows, which lowers the cost of the investment. An element improving the functionality of the small balconies and, to a certain extent, compensating for their absence in the M2 flats, are the double French windows (1.5 m wide).

d\ Flats M3 and M5 have access to at least 2 external walls.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS:

In connection with the PRINCIPLE OF RESIDENT PARTICIPATION ON SITE, the choice of technology assumes:

a\ The use of a reinforced-concrete structure:

– For the basements: monolithic. The basement structure is based on a column-and-beam structure and reinforced-concrete retaining walls.

– For the structure from the ground floor to the roof (SZ3): prefabricated. The structure is based on a wall structural system transverse to the building's elevation and on prefabricated panel reinforced-concrete floor slabs. The project assumes the use of a typical wall structure and slab that can be produced by most of the concrete prefabricate manufacturers operating in Poland. To make it easier to combine flats, the internal prefabricated load-bearing walls are designed as walls with three "passages" measuring 120x210 cm, bricked up on site with silicate blocks. The prefabricated walls are insulated on site with 17 cm of EPS (the standard required from 2021).

If the extended model of resident participation is chosen, the possibility of using intra-flat timber floors is assumed

In addition, it is assumed that the structure of the galleries, balconies and staircases in the gallery-access building will be carried out as a part with an independent structure based on prefabricated panel floors and reinforced-concrete walls and steel columns. The independent structural system of the galleries, balconies and cold staircases eliminates thermal bridges. The staircases in the gallery-access part: prefabricated stairs and footings based on a steel structure

b\ The non-load-bearing external curtain walls are planned as:

– Masonry walls (SZ2), made of silicate blocks and insulated. The walls are insulated with 17 cm of EPS.

– Lightweight timber-framed walls (SZ1), made of a lightweight timber frame set within the load-bearing structure, produced either by prefabrication or on site depending on the adopted degree of resident participation. The use of a lightweight timber frame is linked to the desire to provide the possibility of flexibly changing the layout of rooms, combining flats, etc., and consequently changing the geometry and location of the windows. Therefore, in order to make this change easy to carry out, the layer that requires absolute tightness – the vapour barrier – was made of OSB boards sealed with tapes, which facilitates later interventions in the wall structure,

The internal walls within the residential module are envisaged as lightweight partition walls, in lightweight timber-frame technology.