The design of apartment buildings modified the territorial study of the KT architects studio and thus created a row of apartment buildings with an East / West orientation, following the character of the urbanism of the given locality. This spatial system gave rise to four apartment buildings, each of which is divided into two units with a separate entrance. Between the houses there is a wide pedestrian zone separated from the road, thus participating in quality public spaces. These pedestrian zones form axial passages to the new area and allow convenient access to apartment buildings for both residents and fire units, etc. The ground floor apartments are complemented by tree-lined gardens, complementing the character of these pedestrian zones.
From the very beginning, the spatial expression of the building was focused on disintegrating the large mass of the adjacent housing units and emphasizing important parts of the building. A bay window protruding into the street area emphasizes the entrances to the building from the access roads, and forms a roof for the tenants. Great efforts were made to break the stereotype of the otherwise traditionally blind modular walls of the northern and southern sides of the buildings. In their place, an avant-corps is created, the mass of which, showing the beginning of transverse streets and pedestrian zones, is supported by loggias with adjoining balconies on the upper floors. These level the mass of the bay windows above the entrances to the building and thus form a complete perimeter of the intersecting parts of the building. On the east side, facing the gardens and pedestrian areas, a more formal grid of balconies on the last two floors is used, which connects to the balconies of the loggias, thus closing the wreath of overhanging structures.
The buildings have five floors, one of which is sunk into the ground by half a floor. This allows direct light into the areas of cubicles, utility rooms and rental cellars, while raising the floor sills to the ideal height to ensure privacy. All floors of one unit, comprising 6 apartments on one floor, are served by a centrally located communication core with a straight staircase illuminated by a longitudinal stairwell.
Expressively, the objects reflect the internal modular division of the building. The west access facade is considered more representative and is therefore decorated, in addition to smaller cellar openings, mostly with large Chicago windows, in some cases with a lowered windowsill. The eastern façade has a more regular grid of double-casement windows, on the upper floors French windows with access to the balcony are also used. On the first floor, double-casement French windows opening onto the gardens are used. The façade thus also reflects the economic division of housing units.
The materiality of the houses is based, as in most of our projects, on the reflection of traditional pre-war residential architecture. The first floor is separated from the rest of the house by a smooth plaster, contrasting to the rough plaster to show the purpose of this part of the building. All details of the facades, including window frames and railings, are then made in a brass shade of champagne, completing the atmosphere of the whole area. The quality of the materials should also be reflected in public spaces where granite block paving will be used.
