A student development idea in the New Żerniki Estate in Wroclaw, in line with the idea of cohousing.

Ola Skorupa

27 of May '24

Cohousing on the New Żerniki Estate in Wrocław

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w skrócie
Students from the Faculty of Architecture at Wrocław University of Technology created a project for a multi-family housing development in the New Żerniki estate in Wrocław. The authors emphasized cohousing and a friendly place for residents. The project fulfills pro-social functions with spaces such as shared laundry rooms, work rooms and a roof garden. Pro-climate strategies (including a Trombe wall and solar chimney) were used here For more interesting information, visit the home page of the AiB portal

w skrócie

Students from the Faculty of Architecture at Wrocław University of Technology created a project for a multi-family housing development in the New Żerniki estate in Wrocław.
The authors emphasized cohousing and a friendly place for residents.
The project fulfills pro-social functions with spaces such as shared laundry rooms, work rooms and a roof garden.
Pro-climate strategies (including a Trombe wall and solar chimney) were used here
For more interesting information, visit the home page of the AiB portal

Students of the Faculty of Architecture at the Wrocław University of Technology - Klaudiusz Sobieniak and Miłosz Brdys - designed a multi-family housing development in the New Żerniki estate in Wrocław. The main goal of their work was to create a resident-friendly space. The project aims to integrate the local community, promote a communal lifestyle and create conditions conducive to establishing and maintaining interpersonal relations.

axonometry

resident-friendly place

The main idea of the project was to create a space in the spirit of cohousing. The authors envisioned spaces for various physical activities and meetings of residents as a response to the problems caused by the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. At first glance, the buildings mimic the cuboid forms of existing structures, fitting into the neighborhood canon. However, thanks to the procedure of rotating the modular apartments by 45°, the block received an original appearance. In addition, an entrance space was thus obtained on the north side of the apartments from the gallery, and terraces were spontaneously created on the south side. This created a semi-private buffer zone for each apartment and a large outdoor space.

elevations

pro-social functions and pro-climate strategies

The project has been enriched with a variety of pro-social functions aimed at integrating residents and creating a local community. There is a community center, shared laundry and drying facilities, additional work and guest rooms, a café and bookstore, as well as entertainment spaces such as an outdoor gym and a chess field. A vegetable garden for residents on the roofs of the buildings is also an important feature.

functional diagram

An important aspect is also the use of various pro-climate strategies to protect the environment and improve thecomfort of residents. Solutions such as the Trombe wall and solar chimney help ventilate rooms, while green roofs protect against excessive sunlight. In addition, a corrugated facade was used, which heats up less compared to a standard flat wall.

visualization

design challenges

The main design challenge was the lack of an immediate surroundings that could determine the direction of the buildings' space, despite the close proximity of an existing housing estate. In addition, the concept had to be considered in both present and future contexts, in order to fit the development into the dynamically developing surroundings and to foresee its functioning over the years. It was also important to prove that community housing, such as cohousing, can effectively support coping with the challenges posed by the pandemic, especially in terms of human interaction.