Architecture as

Production from Culture

Ideas on Place Making in
High Density Multi Level Housing Design

Prepared by
Lim Gim Huang
http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html

Italian Clothes Hanging Eisenman’s House IV

2011 © Lim Gim Huang
 Theory
“theory is a discourse that
describe the practice and
production of architecture…”

(Kate Nesbitt, 1996, )

Philosophy Case Study

Issue
an important topic or problem for debate
or discussion
(Oxford dictionaries)

Theory Building &Summary

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Structure of the presentation

What is High Density Housing?

High Density Housing

a group of people living in the same place or
having a particular characteristic in common.

(Oxford dictionary)

High Density Housing

Mass per unit Houses
volume Dwelling units

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Definition
 High Density (multi level) Housing
No absolute definition on high density housing but
there might have some common in place.

An apartment, or flat, is a self-contained housing

unit that occupies only part of a building. Such a
building may be called an apartment building,
especially if it consists of many apartments for
rent. Apartments may be owned by an owner/occupier
or rented by tenants.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_density_housing

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In a more humane and concrete sense

High Density (multi level) Housing

Mathematical definition (Quantitative)
Compact living within one plot of land.

(Conceptual)
Condition of living when you have many neighbors.

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Definition
 Pruitt-Igoe Urban Housing Project, Architect Minoru Yamasaki’s Vision
U.S. city of St. Louis, Missouri

1954

1960 Poverty, crime, decay…

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html History
 1972 14 years later…

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High density Housing, Hong Kong

We are being
treated as one
same group They disregard
our culture,
belief, way of
living

This tower
own by no one

How do we get sun light?

Who’s our neighbor?

We are being
treated as
one same
group

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html History
What is Community?

Sports Housing World

Community Community Community

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Definition
 Community
a group of people living in the same place or
having a particular characteristic in common.

(Oxford dictionary)

Culture
Origin:
Middle English (denoting a cultivated piece of
land): the noun from French culture or directly
from Latin cultura 'growing, cultivation

(Oxford dictionary)

A way of living within limitation of

climate, topography, geography,
context etc.

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Equal but Different

Individuality Individuality

Individuality

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Question

How does architecture response to heterogeneity

and idiosyncratic of individual in mass housing
design?

To what extend can architecture provides

framework for individual to express their own
culture and creativity in dealing with their
environment?

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html
 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

Location:Calle de los Morales 25,, Madrid, Spain

Size: 21,999 gross sq m
Program: Public housing with 141 two-, three- and
four-bedroom units Design: 2002 - 2006
Construction: 2006
Type: Residential

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Case Study

 Sense of Place 1

Dwelling Unit
Ownership
Territorial Claim
- Oscar Newman. 1996. Creating Defensible Space.

Residential Area
Neighborhood
Importance of face to face meeting
- Herman Hertzberger. 2005. Lessons for Students of Architecture.

Town
Characteristic of place
Landscape
- Christian Norberg-Schulz. 1980. Genius Loci.

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 Scale of Project respectful of traditional dwelling
customs, and flexible enough to be
updated and altered as needed or
desired. Changing the typology of
housing is a slow process; however, it
is faster and more effective than
changing an entire New Town
configuration.

Same language
Scale
Small openings
Ventilation shafts
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 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

Basement Parking

Low-rise
high-rise

Dwelling units

Floor Plan

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 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

Circulation Microclimate
Territorial Claim
Defensible Space
Ownership

Program Pergola
Mixed social group

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Case Study

 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

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 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

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 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis

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 Social Housing, Madrid by Morphosis
“Complex urban forces shaping its context, and
reciprocally shaping its content.”
Thom Mayne

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 Medical Faculty Housing, University of Louvain, Belgium,
from 1970-76 by Lucien Kroll

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 Sense of Place 2

Dwelling Unit
Visualization, Complementation, Symbolization
- Christian Norberg-Schulz. 1980. Genius Loci.

Participation
Diversity
Adaptability
Flexibility
- Lucien Kroll. 1986. An Architecture of Complexity.

Residential Area
Territorial Claim
- Oscar Newman. 1996. Creating Defensible Space.

Town
Difference

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 Medical Faculty Housing, by Lucien Kroll

1 Design Process
Community Participation

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 Medical Faculty Housing, by Lucien Kroll

2 Grid

3 Wandering Columns

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 Medical Faculty Housing, by Lucien Kroll
4 Complicated Spaces

Flexibility

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 Medical Faculty Housing, by Lucien Kroll
“Industrial architecture
5 Modular without industrialist.”
Lucien Kroll
6 Traditional 7 Diversity

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 Summary

Dwelling Unit
Ownership
Territorial Claim
Participation
Diversity
Adaptability
Flexibility

Residential Area
Territorial Claim
Neighborhood
Importance of face to face meeting

Town
Difference
Characteristic of place
Landscape

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Theory Building

 Ideas on Place Making in
High Density Multi Level Housing Design

Architecture as
Production from Culture

Climate, Topography, Geography, Context

Social spaces

Culture

http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html
 Thank You
http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com/p/testing.html Prepared by Lim Gim Huang