A Condensed History of High Density Housing

a condensed history of high density housing

by Andrew wu

“The building of housing constitutes the major architectural work of any civilization.�

Lewis Mumford

In the contemporary metropolis, what we live in and how we live are largely contingent on the way our environment is designed. Outside of our place of work, our place of residence has the greatest potential impact on our lives. Because of its importance to the well-being of individuals and society in general, the architect has a professional and moral obligation to work toward a thorough understanding of high-density housing design and to hold an unwavering commitment towards improving upo n the status quo through experimentation.

What do we mean when we say “high density housing”?

There is an inherent ambiguity when we say “high density housing”. Highly dense compared to what? This is an issue of comparison and context. The form of housing that typifies a major American city like St. Louis, for example, may be considered rural or suburban at best, when compared to a context such that typifies a megacity like Guangzhou in China. To further complicate the distinction between what constitutes high-density housing, the boundaries around which to draw comparisons is also unclear. Contrasting geopolitical boundaries, while the most instinctive starting point for a comparitive study, does not bear much relevance to the density of housing. To arrive at a clear, unarbitary definition of what constitutes “high density housing”, we would have to study the relationship between dwelling units per acre, the contextual regional population concentration over a set acreage, and how the exchange of information and resources link that population to other populations.

However, a study of that depth is beyond the scope of this book and crosses over from the domain of the architect/urban designer/ city planner and into that of the geographer.

For the sake of this study, a housing development will be broadly defined as “high density” if it contains upwards of three dwelling units within a contiguously enclosed structure that occupies more than 50% of it’s property boundary and is more than one story tall.

This book does not seek to be an authoritative guide on the design of high density housing. Instead, through the examination of case studies, it functions as a sort of smorgasbord of designs throughout history. Each is intended to provoke the reader to consider alternative perspectives and solutions and to further explore on their own. This book primarily focuses on the architectural evolution of the typology as an architectural phenomenon, but it also offers some insight into the cultural and political influences that precipitated their various forms.

The concluding portion of this book offers analysis of the case studies, creative propositions, and alternative design methodologies generated by the author.

While this book functions to inform the reader, it’s ultimate intention is to incite further investigation rather than provide conclusive answers to the problems of high density housing.

PART I VERNACULAR & INFORMAL HIGH DENSITY HOUSING

PART II 20TH CENTURY REVOLUTIONS

PART III 20TH CENTURY UTOPIANISM

PART IV 21ST CENTURY EVOLUTIONS

PART V ANALYSIS & PROPOSALS FIND IMAGE

PART I

VERNACULAR & INFORMAL HIGH DENSITY HOUSING

1 2 3 4

Yanomami Shabono Earth & Cave Dwellings Roman Insulae Desert Tower Houses

5

Asian Structures

6

Informal Housing

The the beginning of civilization, was a result of the specialization of tasks related to the cultivation of agriculture, collection of harvest, distribution of resources, and the regulation of trade. The spatial requirements of these communal activities lead to the first human settlements. As people continued to aggregate and multiply, settlements became cities. The housing form that these early cities took was naturally dense (by ancient standards) and born out of necessities posed by the challenges of survival and security. Each civilization invented and refined their own unique form of housing, each adapting their structures to fit the idiosyncrasies of their environment and culture. Today, we consider their built legacy to be vernacular architecture.

Many of the contextual issues that vernacular architecture was designed to address are, by and large, outside of the modern city dweller’s concern. We no longer design our homes to repel invading hordes of bandits. The issue of heating, cooling, and lighting has been solved by electrified appliances and sealed building envelopes.

However, the wisdom of vernacular architecture could be applied to help today’s problems.

Shelter from the elements, without restricting access to sunlight and air A clearly defined, yet permeable separation between inside and outside Adaptable space for communal activities Egalitarian allocation of space Multi-generational co-habitation

A contiguous roof Shabono

Yanomami Shabono The Yanomami are an indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest along the Venezuelan and Brazilian border. Their villages are a circular arrangement of huts, called a Shabono, made of logs as columns and beams, branches as joists, and thatched palm leaves as roofing. A Shabono’s residents consist of people that share an extended family. Each immediate family unit within the Shabano, grandparents, parents, and children, are housed by one segment of the ring (nano); defined by the space between columns. The inside of the ring, the space that was cleared by the harvesting of building materials, is held in common between the members of the village and used for any number of purposes, from the preparation of food, meetings, rituals and ceremonies.

Interior space

We might consider these structures primitive, but the Shabono embodies the most essential characteristics of high density habitation in their most elemental form.

A fragmented roof Shabono

The cave dwellings of Italy are carved out of cliff faces of soft stone. Portions cut from the rock are then crafted into bricks and used for the construction of additional structures. The cave dwellings of Sassi di Matera, Italy are believed to have been continually occupied since as early as 7000 BC.

Earth & Cave Dwellings Civilizations of different parts of the world have found in common their propensity to build directly out of the earth; whether it be dirt, stone or mud. Instead of using an entirely additive method of construction that is now typical of modern construction, that is, taking many disparate parts and fastening them together, many ancient peoples have employed a combined additive and subtractive method with immediately available materials. The earth that was removed to create a the void for dwelling is also put to use in creating additional enclosure.

The ability to create more space with less work and the presence of locally available material incentivized these ancient people to live closer together and allowed the occupants to directly alter their dwellings to fit their needs. How might these qualities manifest in contemporary apartment design?

A similar building culture can be found in the Yaodong houses of the Loess Plateau in Central China. Instead of excavating for the purpose of building above ground and having the subterranean space as a sort of bonus, the Yaodong aims to be completely below ground. A large open air courtyard is dug out, and rooms are made to face inward.

The homes of the Pueblo peoples of the North American Southwest are constructed of adobe, a hardened mud plaster made by the excavated desert dirt mixed with water. The pits created by excavation can be built over and used as a basement for storage or as ritual meeting spaces, called kivas.

Complementary commerical + residential use The architecture of insulae inherently led to the seperation of social classes within the building through un-evenly priced rents Engagement of the ground level facade with the activity of the street.

Wood model of an Insula.

Roman Insulae The most common type of housing in ancient Rome was the Insula (insulae in the plural form). All citizens of Rome, with the exception of the super wealthy, resided in these apartments.

They were constructed with mud brick load bearing walls, and wooden beams, columns, and floors. Their massing was often a simple extrusion of the lot.

The elements of the modern day mixed-use apartment can be traced to the Insulae. Ground level spaces are designated for commercial rents, primarily stores and workshops called taberna. Upper floors, which usually numbered between 2 and 3, were apartments. Upper level apartments featured the lowest rent because they required occupants to climb stairs, was furthest from the public realm, and were the least escapable in the event of a fire. The top floors of insulae were usually relegated to the purpose of housing servants.

The Roman Insulae form persists into modern usage

It was during the rule of Ancient Rome that the apartment saw its debut as a widely traded commodity; open to the speculative market. The wealthiest real estate mogul of Rome was Marcus Licinius Crassus, who owned a large number of insulae across the city.

The insula adapted for modern conveniences

Shibam, Yemen. The “Manhattan of the Desert” was first described 1700 years ago. The city’s ingenious design has stood the test of time.

Desert Tower Houses The tower houses of southern Arabia originate from an era before the domination of Islam. Defense from incessant tribal warfare originally necessitated the creation of the defensive aggregated tower-form, but the typology’s inherent climatic qualities have carried over into the modern day.

The towers were usually 5 stories tall, but can reach as many as 8-9. The internal program of the towers are organized vertically, with public functions, such as storefronts, storage, and guest reception space called a Diwan, were located at the bottom, and private family residences were atop.

The clustered tower form shields the street from the intense desert sun and helps to retain humidity in the air.

The people of Shibam, Yemen designed their residences as high-density towers so that they might take advantage of the windcatchers and provide shade to the street level, creating a micro-climate more suitable for habitation in the desert.

What beneficial qualities of high density building emerge when they are aggregated? How might we intentionally enhance those qualities?

The wind catchers atop the tower houses of Iran, working in tandem with below grade pools of water, are the catalysts for an inventive combination of stack ventilation and evaporative cooling.

A shaded, hospitable street in an otherwise harsh and barren desert

Hutong of Beijing, China

Asian Structures Asia, the largest and most populous continient in the world, has also been location of the world’s most dense cities for centuries. It is not any coincidence that the first systematized architectures of high density housing can be found here.

These vernacular forms have evolved into building cultures with deep cultural roots as the knowledge of ancient peoples culminated over the course of history.

This section examines a handful of compelling vernacular typologies from China and Japan.

Interior space of a Tulou of Fujian China.

The systematized building culture of the Go-Ra of Lhasa, Tibet.

Shibam, Yemen. The “Manhattan of the Desert” was first described 1700 years ago. The city’s ingenious design has stood the test of time.

Courtyards The tower houses of southern Arabia originate from an era before the domination of Islam. Defense from incessant tribal warfare originally necessitated the creation of the defensive aggregated tower-form, but the typology’s inherent climatic qualities have carried over into the modern day.

The towers were usually 5 stories tall, but can reach as many as 8-9. The internal program of the towers are organized vertically, with public functions, such as storefronts, storage, and guest reception space called a Diwan, were located at the bottom, and private family residences were atop.

The clustered tower form shields the street from the intense desert sun and helps to retain humidity in the air.

The people of Shibam, Yemen designed their residences as high-density towers so that they might take advantage of the windcatchers and provide shade to the street level, creating a micro-climate more suitable for habitation in the desert.

What beneficial qualities of high density building emerge when they are aggregated? How might we intentionally enhance those qualities?

The wind catchers atop the tower houses of Iran, working in tandem with below grade pools of water, are the catalysts for an inventive combination of stack ventilation and evaporative cooling.

A shaded, hospitable street in an otherwise harsh and barren desert

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Hutong of Beijing, China

Informal Housing Asia, the largest and most populous continient in the world, has also been location of the world’s most dense cities for centuries. It is not any coincidence that the first systematized architectures of high density housing can be found here.

These vernacular forms have evolved into building cultures with deep cultural roots as the knowledge of ancient peoples culminated over the course of history.

This section examines a handful of compelling vernacular typologies from China and Japan.

Interior space of a Tulou of Fujian China.

The insula adapted for modern conveniences

Shibam, Yemen. The “Manhattan of the Desert” was first described 1700 years ago. The city’s ingenious design has stood the test of time.

Desert Tower Houses The tower houses of southern Arabia originate from an era before the domination of Islam. Defense from incessant tribal warfare originally necessitated the creation of the defensive aggregated tower-form, but the typology’s inherent climatic qualities have carried over into the modern day.

The towers were usually 5 stories tall, but can reach as many as 8-9. The internal program of the towers are organized vertically, with public functions, such as storefronts, storage, and guest reception space called a Diwan, were located at the bottom, and private family residences were atop.

The clustered tower form shields the street from the intense desert sun and helps to retain humidity in the air.

The people of Shibam, Yemen designed their residences as high-density towers so that they might take advantage of the windcatchers and provide shade to the street level, creating a micro-climate more suitable for habitation in the desert.

What beneficial qualities of high density building emerge when they are aggregated? How might we intentionally enhance those qualities?

The wind catchers atop the tower houses of Iran, working in tandem with below grade pools of water, are the catalysts for an inventive combination of stack ventilation and evaporative cooling.

A shaded, hospitable street in an otherwise harsh and barren desert

PART II

20th Century Revolutions

1 2 3 4

The Tenement and Its Discontents Perimeter vs Crenelated Massing Towers and Slabs The Human Scale

5 6

Legislating Density The Ideology of Modernist Housing

7

20th Century Housing Design Methods

With the advent of the Industrial-Technological Revolution and the turmoil of rapid global social change, the 20th century has seen the most revolutionary advances in the design of high density housing. The use of new building technologies such as reinforced concrete, structural steel, and architectural glass was employed to manifest the political and cultural ideologies of the modern era; Liberal Democracy, Socialism-Communism, and Fascism.

PART III

20th Century Utopianism

1 2 3 4

The Tenement and Its Discontents Perimeter vs Crenelated Massing Towers and Slabs The Human Scale

5 6

Legislating Density The Ideology of Modernist Housing

7

20th Century Housing Design Methods

With the advent of the Industrial - Technological Revolution and the turmoil of rapid and global social change, the 20th century has seen the most revolutionary advances in the evolution of high density housing.

PART IV

21st Century Evolutions

1 2 3 4

The Tenement and Its Discontents Perimeter vs Crenelated Massing Towers and Slabs The Human Scale

5 6

Legislating Density The Ideology of Modernist Housing

7

20th Century Housing Design Methods

With the advent of the Industrial - Technological Revolution and the turmoil of rapid and global social change, the 20th century has seen the most revolutionary advances in the evolution of high density housing.

PART V

Analysis & Proposals

1 2 3 4

The Tenement and Its Discontents Perimeter vs Crenelated Massing Towers and Slabs The Human Scale

5 6

Legislating Density The Ideology of Modernist Housing

7

20th Century Housing Design Methods

With the advent of the Industrial - Technological Revolution and the turmoil of rapid and global social change, the 20th century has seen the most revolutionary advances in the evolution of high density housing.

communal

crenelated

plan types

UnitĂŠ (sectional)

walk-up

flagg

tenement

cruciform

simple

slab (s)

crenelated mass

spine

partial perimeter

broken perimeter

circulation strategies perimeter

double loaded

single loaded

After studying numerous examples of high density housing built through the 20th and 21st centuries, I created a matrix of design strategies that describes their most characteristics. By selecting from each of the catergories, the designer can arrive at different combinations for their design. While the final product is left to the discretion of the designer, this matrix serves to guide the decision making of the most elemental components.

plan organizations columnar

the matrix

site organizations interlocking masses

centroidal cluster

mews & fill

cellular cluster

angled grid

grid

singular monument

in-fill

carved

punched

simple extrusion

multi-way stepping

one-way stepping

massing operations

A hypothetical high density housing design created by combining the elements designated by the above matrix .

Note the high degree of variable components in the final massing that are still left to the discretion of the designer.

Floor plan organization shorthand Inspired by the logic of chemical formula notation, I devised a shorthand system of describing the programmatic realtionships in plan. By using this system, the designer can produce more iterations in less time.

Direct Connection

This notation system is intended to be used in conjuction with the matrix. This aids the design of the programmatic relations within the housing project, while the matrix is intended to aid in the form finding of the architecture.

Corridor Connection Threshold Dead end

2

2 Windows Exit to Exterior

a3 a

Elevator Group A (3 Cars) Straight Run Stair A

a

1 Switch Stair A

a a

2 Switch Stair A 2A

3 Switch Stair A

1A

1A

1A

1A

1A

2A

2b sa

1b

1b

1b

1b

1b

sa b

a2

sa

A

2b sa

1b

1b

1b

1b

1b

sa

2b

2b

2A

Example Floor Plate Notation

1A

1A

1A

1A

1A

2A

studio units

2

3

D

MB

C

K

L

BR

2

B

Bed Room

C

Closet

L

Living Room

K

Kitchen

one bedroom units

C

D

Bath Room

MB

Master Bed

3

D

MB

K

L

BR

BR

2

3

MB

Dining Space

Example Unit Notation

SA

2

D

C

K

L

BR

2

2 1A

C

two bedroom units

BR

D

B

BR MB

C

BR

5

2

C

1B

2

K

L

BR MB

2

C

2 2A

D

B

1

K

L 4

2 2B