ADAPTIBILITY
We believe that architecture should be able to adapt to different uses and spatial requirements during a buildings’ lifetime – thus prolonging its overall life span. To achieve this we design our projects to meet a variety of potential scenarios. Structure, plan layout, floor heights, façade, materiality, technical infrastructure, circulation etc. are then chosen and organized in such a way, that all of the chosen scenarios can be realized.
FLEXIBILITY
The strategy that we apply most often in this context is that of flexibility – meaning that within a fixed load bearing structure space defining elements can be moved, added or subtracted.
Walls can be added in an apartment building in order to create more individual rooms as families grow, curtains can be drawn or stored by the users themselves for new spatial arrangements on an everyday basis, in office buildings floor plates can be taken out at predefined “soft spots” in order to create exciting spaces and larger units – to name a few possible application examples.
Likewise a whole residential building can be turned into an office building through rearranging floor plans and thanks to pre-installed technical equipment or a hotel high rise can be adjusted to a residential use.
VARIABILITY
Spaces that can accommodate varying uses help to create more diverse environments and also extend the life span of their buildings. To achieve this, dimensions and proportions of each room are carefully chosen and tested for different usage scenarios.
Multifunctionality
Especially for public and large typologies we apply the principle of multifunctionality. Spaces are planned in size and equipment in order to be flexibly used for different occasions during the week, a year or even throughout one day.
A learning space can be used for yoga lessons in the evenings or for instrumental rehearsals in the afternoons. This way we need less space and our buildings are used more frequently, which provides identity and cohesion within communities.
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