Located on a 50m x 50m standard building lot, this design features a diagonal backbone around which blocks of differently-sized apartments are situated. A typical house is designed to be five-stories high with twenty-nine flats divided as follows:

• 2 one-person flats
• 5 two-person flats
• 6 three-person flats
• 3 three-person flats, duplex type
• 3 four-person flats
• 8 four-person flats, duplex type
• 2 five-person flats, duplex type

The modules of differently-sized flats - including duplex-type apartments - may be set back or cantilevered forward by 2.40m from a structural mesh.

This L-shaped layout enables sheltered common spaces in an internal garden, while the ground-floor flats can make use of a private garden of at least 6m that surrounds the house.

At the vertex of the diagonal, there is a common, triangular hall of about 90sqm, which is completely isolated from the apartments (there are no flats located above, below or across the space). This area could be used for tenants to socialise, for children's games, as a common tuition room or as library.

Its right-angle triangular shape allows this common area to be turned into a double, triple or quadruple space, forming one, two, three or four buildings side-by-side at their vertices. This common space may be created on ground-floor or on top floors, thus increasing the area of the house. Its position at different heights allows each single building to acquire its own personality from the viewpoint of space, even though all buildings in the area have the same features and design. A central heating system and solar panels are located on top floor.

Staircases are used as a hinge to alternate "house blocks" providing better exposure to the sun and improved ventilation of the flats, particularly for bathrooms and kitchens. From a typical staircase landing, access is allowed to one, two, three or four apartments according to the design chosen for the apartment.

Using the building lot's diagonal as the generating axis of the house allows parking areas to be grouped in one single structure, while expanding the common green space within the development.

This facilitates sports areas for adults, playgrounds for children, and cycle tracks which do not interfere with the parking areas and can develop through the common green spaces and under the terraces.

In addition to using plasterboard, the internal flexibility of the flats is evidenced by positioning all systems and ducts that branch off along the vertical wall cavities under the floor panels. Heat insulation, sound-proofing of the wooden floors and external natural wood fibre curtain walls will result in lower maintenance costs and increased tenant comfort.

Construction information: Steel structural system

The design is characterized by the development of a modular steel structural system. This system permits the initial mounting of the structures, columns and floor panels on the ground, with the final positions erected by a crane.

To reduce construction times, the modular steel elements will be assembled with non-welded connections of simple design.

Each module (composed of uprights, beams and floor panels) would be joined on the ground and then lifted into their final position using a crane for the purpose of:

• Operating safety;
• Easy movement of the components
• Ease of control
• Speed of execution
• Elimination of the main structural components, such as columns, beams and floor panels at height.

Environmental Sustainability

This design demonstrates environmental responsibility with the use of a centralized gas heating system, solar panelling to heat sanitary water, wide modular windows to maximise sunlight, and a green roof bearing a perennial lawn to encourage rain water collection.

The primary use of steel and timber in this design present a solid, comfortable, and light-weight building that can be disassembled (no welding) and recycled after its lifespan. The exposed wooden planking - used as an intrados for each floor - will assist in sound-proofing.

The structural mesh allows "on ground" construction of beams and piers as well as floors, optimising safety and increasing building efficiency.

The tenants can enjoy large private gardens and terraces, as well as sheltered common spaces.

Ventilated walls combined with different types of covering sheet metal (such as pre-coated aluminium of any colour; copper, zinc-copper-titanium alloys or solid wooden laths treated for outdoor use) are to give each house a different identity and personality.