Moshe Safdie: How to reinvent the apartment building

TL;DR

This content discusses the need to reinvent apartment buildings to achieve a sustainable and desirable living environment amidst urban density.

Transcript

When, in 1960, still a student, I got a traveling fellowship to study housing in North America. We traveled the country. We saw public housing high-rise buildings in all major cities: New York, Philadelphia. Those who have no choice lived there. And then we traveled from suburb to suburb, and I came back thinking, we've got to reinvent the apartmen... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏢 The design of traditional public housing is not sustainable, and there is a need to reinvent apartment buildings to provide the qualities of a house to each unit.
• 🌆 Urban areas around the world, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and São Paulo, are experiencing high-density living and congestion due to the proliferation of high-rise buildings.
• 🌇 Habitat design principles, such as incorporating light, sun, nature, and fractalization, can create a better quality of life in high-density areas.
• 🌳 New models of affordable housing, such as economy models and housing membranes, allow individuals to design their own houses and create gardens.
• 🗺️ Rethinking urban development in cities like New York, by reconfiguring building areas, can create permeable, community-focused spaces with abundant light and open space.
• 🌞 The importance of sunlight in housing design can be seen in examples like Qinhuangdao, China, where a bylaw mandates that every apartment receives three hours of sunlight during the winter solstice.
• 🏙️ The design of the public realm in cities with high-density living, like Singapore, can incorporate outdoor and indoor spaces, contact with nature, and public gardens and open spaces at every level of a structure.
• ♂️ High-rise buildings can become building blocks in creating a city and contribute to the public realm, as seen in the example of Singapore's sky park, which features jogging paths, restaurants, and the world's longest swimming pool.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main concept behind Habitat and why was it created?

The main concept behind Habitat was to reinvent the traditional apartment building in order to provide the qualities of a house to each unit. The designer wanted to create a living space that focused on gardens, contact with nature, and streets instead of corridors. Habitat was designed to be prefabricated to achieve economic efficiency and has become a desirable place to live, although it did not proliferate as expected.

Q: How has urban development in China and other cities led to issues such as congestion and loss of mobility?

Urban development in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and São Paulo has led to high-density living, with many high-rise buildings consuming the low-rise environment of the cities. As a result, congestion has become a significant problem, affecting mobility. The rapid growth of these cities has led to an imbalance between the number of people and the available infrastructure, causing issues with transportation and overall quality of life.

Q: How did the designers rethink Habitat to make it more affordable and adaptable to prevailing densities?

The designers of Habitat recognized the importance of light, sun, nature, and fractalization in improving the quality of life for residents. They came up with models that were more compact and cheaper to build, allowing for more affordable housing. Additionally, they introduced the concept of membranes of housing, where people could design their own houses and create their own gardens. This approach aimed to make Habitat more adaptable to the densities that are prevalent in urban areas today.

Q: How did the design of tall high-rise buildings in Singapore contribute to creating the public realm?

In Singapore, the design of tall high-rise buildings aimed to integrate outdoor and indoor spaces, creating a seamless connection between the two. The concept involved promenades and parks that were integrated with intense urban life. Every level of the structure featured public gardens and open spaces, including the roof of the podium, the towers, and the sky park on the roof. This design approach contributed to the creation of a vibrant public realm where people could enjoy contact with nature and various recreational amenities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the 1960s, the speaker traveled across North America and realized that apartment buildings needed to be redesigned to provide the qualities of a house and more contact with nature.

• The speaker also observed the rapid urbanization and high-density living in cities like Beijing and Hong Kong, which led to congestion and loss of mobility.

• In response to these challenges, the speaker and their team rethought the concept of Habitat, focusing on affordability, light, sun, and nature. They developed models for more compact and customizable housing, and redesigned areas in Manhattan and other cities to incorporate open spaces and permeability. Real-life projects have been implemented in Asia, including areas in China, Singapore, and Colombo.