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Competition: Modular Timber Housing – Outsider – revija, ki presega meje

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The world is facing the challenge of climate change and loss of biodiversity, and there is a widespread shortage of affordable housing in the face of urbanisation and changing living standards. This raises the question of how to build quality and affordable housing efficiently and quickly in a way that does not create new environmental, social and health problems.

The buildings of the future will have to be based on environmentally and user-friendly materials and technologies. Wood is one such material. Smart technologies will help us to optimise construction processes, making the best use of resources, and construction more affordable and faster.

New building solutions will have to follow the values of sustainable development and strive for ecologically sound materials, minimal environmental impact and good architectural and engineering design, which will allow for fast and efficient turnkey construction, affordability, energy efficiency, liveability and reusability.

 

How can modular timber construction be used to respond to the contemporary housing crisis?

How to achieve the greatest architectural variety with the fewest building elements possible?

Purpose of the competition

The competition aims to find innovative ideas for a universal modular timber building system. The ideas must be based on real needs, with an eye to the future.

We want to redefine the construction industry as the production of standard elements and create a new, more efficient construction system that is both durable and sustainable.

We are looking for design solutions for basic prefabricated modules that allow the greatest possible variety of housing units and typological adaptation to different locations.

The basic building block is the panel, a wall whose basic material is wood, and the term is thus exclusively hereafter. The panels developed by Modular Timber™ will be fully prefabricated from the inner to the outer layers. The starting point of the competition is the development of a basic set of panels and an architectural typology based on this set.

Competition brief

We seek the best design of an innovative modular system for timber panel construction. The solution consists of the design of a modular panel system, the architectural design of different housing units and the demonstration of the housing typology on a fictitious site.

1. Panel system

A set of basic panels needs to be developed. A basic panel is a fully prefabricated wall panel with a defined composition and architectural openings. The aim is to achieve as much architectural and typological diversity as possible, with as few different wall panels as possible (from 5 to a maximum of 12).

Ceiling/floor panels and inner walls are also part of the panel solution, and must comply with the same gross dimension limits.

Consideration should also be given to stand-alone modules whose functions could not be satisfactorily addressed by a basic set of wall panels for reasons of efficiency and quality. At the same time, the modules should be compatible with the basic panels. These modules are:

Sanitary facilities: provide the dimensions of one small (WC) and one large (family bathroom) sanitary unit. Take into account the standards for people with reduced mobility.

Vertical circulation: elevator shaft, internal staircase, common staircase.

Additional features: balconies, terraces.

2. Basic housing units

Show five different floor plans made from basic panels and modules: studio apartment (one person, 30 m²), two-bedroom apartment (two people, 45 m²), three-bedroom apartment (a family with one child, 60 m²), four-bedroom apartment (a family with two children, 80 m²), and duplex apartment with internal staircase (a family with three children, 120 m²).

The net floor area values are recommended, with moderate tolerances (±5 m²) allowed.

3. Building typology and spatial application

We want to encourage sustainable, dense urban living, so the focus of the competition is on the typology of a multi-apartment building. We are interested in original typological ideas that can influence ways of living together in the society of the future.

Using modular panels, design 1 (one) multi-apartment building on a given fictitious site and present it with all the necessary means of presentation.

The building should be four storeys (G+3) and should be comprised of all the previously designed units. The number of dwellings is left to the competitor, but an equal number of dwellings for each kind of unit is required (a difference of up to ±1 unit is allowed).

For example: 3 studio apartments, 4 two-bedroom apartments, 3 three-bedroom apartments, 3 four-bedroom apartments and 2 duplex apartments. In the example given, the average number of dwellings for each type of housing unit is 3.

The contestants are invited to choose the geometry and type of building on the proposed fictitious site.

The ground floor has a public or commercial programme and is not subject to detailed treatment. Show load-bearing walls and common circulation as part of the proposal.

Timeline

• 20/01/2023: opening of the call for proposals and receipt of applications
• 15/02/2023: end of acceptance of questions
• 20/02/2023: publication of the answers to the questions on the website (all registrants will be notified by email)
• 31/03/2023 at 23:59 CET: deadline for submission of solutions
• 28/04/2023: announcement of the results.

Jury

Špela Videčnik, architect, OFIS architects; lecturer at Harvard GSD, Boston, MA, USA; and the Architectural Association, London, UK

Rok Oman, architect, OFIS Architects; lecturer at Harvard GSD, Boston, MA, USA; and the Architectural Association, London, UK

Gregor Turnšek, architect and partner, JKMM Architects, Helsinki, Finland

Marko Hozjan, Modular Timber™

Dr Iztok Šušteršič, expert in sustainable construction with renewable materials

Peter Pavšič, architect

Matevž Granda, architect and executive editor of Outsider magazine