Reside in between

The good thing about not having identity is the possibility of creating a completely new one. The project is seeking to formulate a new housing model for the "in-between" zones, in this case, the space between the city centre and the suburbs of the North-American city Charlotte.

In a time when everyone is designing complex places and buildings with complicated names, uses, users and regimes, I wanted to explore a very ordinary theme, something that has much to do with everydayness. I felt almost obligated to investigate what does collective housing mean in the 21st century. There were several subjects which I dealt most with in the project: What kind of public spaces can housing typology generate in the "in-between spaces". on the treshold between the city centre and the suburbs of a large american city? Exploring suitable housing typologies for the north-american context, a housing model that would bring together best elements of living in the suburbs (large private outdoor spaces, frontyard and backyard) and best from living in the city centre (richness and diversity of public spaces and city content). I always had a strange fascination towards north-american culture and lifestyle so dependant of the car. Context of the USA seemed as an ideal one for questioning the housing typology consdering the fact that there are two dominant housing types, suburban houses and downtown condominiums. And I wondered shouldn´t there be more to offer in a country with so many different cultures,beliefs and habits. And then, there was also a hidden agenda. North Carolina is well known for it´s fast growing luscious tall trees because of ideal temperature and moisture relations. I was always fascinated by trees as much as I was with architecture. Maybe it´s a naive thought, but who wouldn´t want to live among the trees. The relationship between the two combined with neveraging theme of housing was the one that kept me throughout the project.