GRADSKI STAN SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT

The ‘house,’ the starting point of architecture, shapes our ways of living while continually being redefined by social change. From agrarian society to the industrial era, housing and urban typologies have transformed slowly yet fundamentally. Today, however, the pace of change often produces unplanned and monotonous urban fabrics that overlook the human scale, neighbourliness, and landscape.

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Typology

The project seeks a housing model that is qualitative, inclusive, and sustainable within limited resources. It explores a typology that maintains the human scale, strengthens social interaction, invites landscape into the building, and remains economically efficient. The proposal builds upon two existing typologies, comparing their advantages and limitations to form a synthesis:

1. Type A (High-density typology):
   This is the most common housing model. A central circulation core organizes the floor plan, with residential units arranged around it. This configuration is economical in terms of circulation area per dwelling. However, it does not offer high-quality shared spaces on each floor.

2. Type B (Low-density typology):
   Here, dwellings line only one side of a semi-open corridor. Both façades of each unit open directly to the exterior. This typology provides rich spatial relationships in terms of human scale, neighbourliness, and landscape; however, it is not economical due to increased circulation area per unit.
    

The project proposes a hybrid block configuration (A+B+A) that integrates these two typologies. This approach achieves the required density while organizing the dwellings around a semi-open circulation system that enhances spatial richness. Circulation areas on each floor open directly to the atmosphere and views of the garden, creating shared niches and strengthening neighbourly relations.

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Typology and site arrangement

The proposed hybrid block is placed in an L-shaped configuration on the plot. This allows the commercial units to wrap the street, activating the ground floor. At the same time, the inner garden—enclosed on two sides—gains privacy. Ground-floor communal spaces open directly onto this garden, which connects to the street through two pedestrian passages.

By arranging the L-shaped blocks around the perimeter of the site, a large central courtyard is created. This generous scale enables a more public, shared landscape area to be designed among the smaller, more private gardens. At the triangular corner of the plot, two facing L-shaped blocks define an interior commercial axis strengthened by landscape.

Storage units, technical rooms, and parking spaces for residents are organized within a single, unified basement level. Additionally, communal spaces are located around an inner courtyard that receives natural light from the garden level.

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Flexibility and Efficiency

To support social diversity, different dwelling types are mixed on each floor. Vertical structural elements are positioned along corridor and façade axes, enabling flexible layout possibilities. At the same time, to ensure continuity of wet areas and technical shafts, floor plans are aligned across all levels within each block. This establishes a balance between “variation,” which enriches social life, and “repetition,” which reduces construction costs through technical efficiency.