If you are interested in contemporary housing development and co-housing in Germany you cannot overlook zanderroth architekten. Since they were founded in 1999 they have developed and implemented numerous housing development projects in Berlin.

One of them is the apartment buildings in Christburger Strasse. For the development of this gap site zanderroth architekten were awarded the renowned architecture prize “best architects 16”.

The co-housing development project was managed as a joint building venture in which 27 parties (singles, couples and families) joined to form a private company that carried out the construction project on its own responsibility, under the guidance of SmartHoming. The advantages are great individual freedom of design and lower costs combined with high architectural quality.

The apartment buildings have flexibly divisible floor plans. The use of ceilings with long spans made it unnecessary to fix the floor plans in any way. There are no load-bearing walls or supports within the apartments, allowing the floor plan distribution to be determined freely. The only fixed elements are the position of the shafts and the elevator, which provides direct access to the apartments.

Due to fire safety requirements for the emergency exits, a special accessing system was developed that used continuous balconies on the buildings’ rear sides to turn the stairs into fire escapes. These balconies also act as protected, spacious open areas. By contrast, the front sides are the buildings’ showcases, with enormous, elegant fixed glazing that dissolves the boundary between inside and outside.

Despite the modern character of the materials, the façade is not an alien object, instead representing a contemporary building block in the city. Decorative elements such as offset window bands, horizontally running ledges and the color tone are reflected in a translated form in the shimmering color of the anodized coating, the profiles of the post-and-mullion construction and the shadows created by the sculptural elements of the opening casements.

The different façade concepts and their contrasting usability meet in the courtyard. On one side, the continuous balconies with raw fair-faced concrete balustrades ensure privacy even as far as the exterior space. On the other, the perfectly smooth aluminum and glass façade allows residents to decide whether to present themselves or retreat behind curtains. The entrance area is recessed slightly, allowing the key zone of contact between public and private areas to be more permeable, weather-protected and paved with street slabs.

Location:

Christburger Strasse 19, Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg

Co-Housing Project Data:

• Architect: zanderroth architekten gmbh, Berlin
• Client: Christburger Straße 19 GbR
• Landscape Architects: herrburg Landschaftsarchitekten, Berlin
• Structural engineer: Ingenieurbüro Leipold, Berlin
• Planning/Construction: 2009 – 2013
• Performance stages: 1 – 8
• Residential units: 27
• Storeys: 7
• Parkings: 17
• Costs / Cost group: 100 - 700 incl. VAT – 9.7 Mio. EUR
• Costs / Cost group: 300 - 400 excl. VAT – 1,445 EUR/qm
• Floor area: 3,708 sqm (40,000 SF)
• Living space: 2,872 sqm (30,913 SF)
• Site occupancy/Plot ratio: 0,55 / 3,42

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We recently spoke with Jim Zack, founder of Zack/de Vito Architecture + Construction, an expert in design/build development. His practice’s projects cover residential, restaurants and small commercial sites, but also takes on their own residential developments.

But vacant parcels of land that offer a clean slate for development are rarely available in San Francisco. Committed to finding opportunities to design and build in one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city, the development team of Zack/de Vito Architecture + Construction have proven that vision and creativity can address this challenge.

Inspired by a standard city RH-2 parcel with a modest cottage positioned at the back of the lot on the popular Church Street corridor, the development team recognized the potential. While lot coverage of this sort cannot be created on vacant land, this existing dwelling was ripe for change. The large flat front yard offered a footprint for a new structure. And by working imaginatively within the envelope of the existing structure, the designers could create two urban homes in the heart of the City.

In 2014 the team unveiled two of the most innovative modern dwelling designs in San Francisco. Two unique, freestanding condominiums share a single lot while maintaining their individual architectural identity. Maximizing the function of a 7.6-m/25-foot wide lot, both homes are accessed from a common courtyard, a deviation from the traditional street-front entry. The unapologetic modern design is planned for maximum spatial efficiency with unsurpassed attention to detail and craft, expressing handmade quality at every turn.

SteelHouse1

Occupying the front of the lot, a new, ground-up townhouse, with an impressive modern façade, stands out from the more traditional buildings along this urban corridor. Clad with Corten steel, fiber cement siding and stucco, this building encompasses two full floors of light-filled living space accommodating three bedrooms and two full baths.

The dramatic open floor plan is enhanced by clean lines and sophisticated modern finishes, including industrial structural steel complimented by warm oiled-oak floors and custom walnut cabinetry. The master bedroom boasts a private roof deck illuminated by its desirable western exposure. The ground floor includes one car parking and a private office space, nicely isolated from the main living levels.

SteelHouse2

Occupying the back of the lot, the fully renovated, two-story structure has been transformed to fit perfectly into this modern context. This building also encompasses two full floors of living space, with the entertaining spaces positioned at the top level.  The open floor plan is enhanced by extraordinary light with modern steel and wood details that visually connect the two floors.

This building accommodates two bedrooms and two full baths on the lower floor, with a third bedroom with en-suite bath at the upper, main living level. A private south-west-facing deck is directly accessed from both the kitchen and the upper bedroom at this level. Finishes include walnut stairs, oiled-oak flooring, custom rift-cut white oak cabinetry, and composite quartz counter-tops. One car parking is provided for this unit in the front building.

Both buildings incorporate green design which includes radiant floor heating that is zoned for efficiency; state-of-the-art thermal-rated windows; material selections that are driven by sustainability; and mechanical and structural systems that are ‘solar ready’.  The two modern buildings live like single-family homes, while offering a unique opportunity for an extended family or single owner to enjoy the entire compound.

Location:

Church Street, San Francisco, CA, USA

Project Data:

• Architect: Zack/de Vito Architecture
• Architects team: Jim Zack, Lise de Vito
• Client: Zack/de Vito Architecture
• Structural engineer: Don David
• Planning/Construction: 2012 – 2014
• Residential units: 2
• Storeys: 2 and 3
• Parkings: 2, one for each house
• Floor area of the lot: 232 sqm (2,500 SF)
• Net saleable/rentable area: House 1: 270 sqm (2,900 SF), House 2: 167 sqm (1,800 SF)

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We introduced zanderroth architekten to you in this article presenting five successful architects as developer firms. Since they were founded in 1999 they have developed and implemented numerous housing development projects in Berlin.

One of them is the ensemble of six apartment buildings in Liebigstrasse, Berlin.

The development project was managed as one of the biggest joint building venture project in which 144 parties (singles, couples and families) joined to form a private company that carried out the construction project on its own responsibility, under the guidance of SmartHoming. The advantages are great individual freedom of design and lower costs combined with high architectural quality.

The free-standing buildings are positioned at a distance of 15 m from each other and are open in all directions. A distinction is made between two different building typologies: 2 x VI-storey, 4 x VII-storey, and also between 6-7 different apartment types including a garden apartment.

The principle of individual residential buildings is applied in the flexible combination of their floor plans. They can be added or divided. The flexible floor plans enable small residential units for singles and couples, as well as – after merging – large units for families. Two apartments with a floor space of 52 m2 and 64 m2 can be individually used or combined to create a large 116 m2 apartment.

This follows the principle of a flexible building, since it is not dictated by load-bearing walls and building elements. Demands change depending on different stages of life and the floor plans can adapt flexibly to the living conditions and requirements of the people.

See for yourself:

Location:

Liebigstrasse 1 – 1E, Berlin, Friedrichshain, Germany

Project Data:

• Architects: zanderroth architekten gmbh, Berlin
• Team Architects: Elisa Gersdorf, Tilman Heiring, Anne Kaiser, Dirk Müller, Anne Müller-Reitz, Ann-Sofie Paternoster, Christian Roth, Nils Schülke, Michael Spieler, Sascha Zander
• Client: Baugemeinschaft Liebigstrasse 1 GbR
• Landscape Architects: herrburg Landschaftsarchitekten, Berlin
• Structural engineer: Ingenieurbüro Leipold, Berlin
• Planning/Construction: 2010 – 2015
• Performance stages: 1 – 8
• Residential units: 144
• Storeys: 8
• Parkings: 76
• Costs/Account group 100-700 gross: EUR 29.5 million
• Costs / Account group 300 – 400 net: EUR 1,605/sqm
• Gross floor area: 6,691 sqm (72,021 SF)
• Net saleable/rentable area: 9,431 sqm (10,1514 SF)
• Site occupancy/Plot ratio: 0.24 / 1.78

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ASH NYC is a company that blends the world of interior design with property development. In addition to being designers/developers, they are placemakers, and they take their role in impacting the urban environment very seriously: “We are only interested in projects that we feel improve their host community, that make a positive impact on a neighborhood,” said Co-Founder and CEO Ari S. Heckman in an interview with Archipreneur. “We are drawn to renovations of historic buildings, often ones that are vacant or have some kind of undesirable. We find that people really enjoy connecting with a well-adapted historic building.”

I am sure you will connect with their latest conversion – 32 Custom House. The building is a historic landmark erected in 1875 and was acquired by ASH NYC in November 2014. Its bronze ground floor storefront, rope moldings and strongly accented facade demonstrate its High Victorian Gothic architectural qualities, and give it great distinction within the historic district.

ASH NYC has completely re-imagined, developed and designed the residential building, in partnership with Kite Architects and South Coast Improvement Company.  Now it comprises 10 apartments and one retail space on the ground floor. Unique amenities include a virtual doorman, private penthouse roof terrace, city and water views, and original historic details throughout – like two historic stairwells.

“We are our own client on our development projects”, Heckman continued in the interview, “which means that the design team has an equal seat at the table when major decisions are being made.”

And here are the designs, all images © ASH NYC:

Location:

32 Custom House St, Providence, RI 02903, USA

Project Data:

• Architects: ASH NYC
• 1,115 sqm (12,000 SF)
• 5 floors
• 10 apartments, 1 retail space
• includes two historic stairwells, one elevator

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