Village in the air by Epitész Studio

… I must confess that Budapest-based Epitész Studio's (Architects Studio) proposal for the A101 Urban Block Competition is the most impressive and fascinating project, in particular the organization of the buildings on site. Epitész Studio's proposal consists of a series of connected buildings which forms a decorative pattern, as if the agency tries to explore the possibilities of organisation of housings as a new type of thinking construction of collective housings today.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on evolo.

This geometrically organisation creates a type of P-hex (planar hexagonal) mesh formed by buildings on site. This results in a hexagonal grid which contrasts with the surrounding building all organised in a common rectangular block.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on evolo.

The idea of this proposal is to create a spread-out village as the largest and best way to group people residentially. These low density buildings are composed of three to four stories and 150 apartment units on an total floor area of 15,000 square meters.

This can be considered as a new housing typology. The agency uses the honeycomb structure which resembles a p-hexagonal mesh, having the maximal rotation possibility. By opting for this organisation, Epitész Studio obtains double-sided flats as the diagram below shows.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on archdaily.

Buildings are connected to create a series of Y-type which, then, are connected to form this p-hex mesh organisation, or honeycomb structure, as the plan below shows.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block — Second-floor plan 1 to 200, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on evolo.

These buildings are raised on stilts making this residential block a 'floating village'. Hence it is named "village in the air". They contain green roof which participate to the contrast with the surrounding buildings. This strategy provides various uses of the ground such as courtyards.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on evolo.

These green roofs connect the building tops with the ground underneath in addition to providing environmental benefits.
These planar hexagonal faces are converted into atriums and courtyards which help to create small pockets of neighbourhood so that disturbance within the neighborhood is avoiding.

Village in the Air — A101 Urban Block, Epitész Studio, Moscow, Russia, © Epitész Studio. Originally appeared on evolo.

Daylighting is possible with a East-South-West orientation so that sunlight penetrates easily the 'floating village' providing a maximum level of natural light within the block and inside the apartments. This orientation also permits to protect the block from wind.

Who are They?
The Architects (Epotész) Studio Ltd was founded in 1990. Its main profile is architectural design and consulting. The architects establishing the Studio (Ferenc Csagoly and Sandor Palfy) have decades of professional experience, and were senior colleagues of famous Hungarian design companies before establishing their own enterprise.

Project Data
Project: Village in the Air
Programme: Residence
Competition: A101 Urban Block Competition
Architect: Epitész Studio
Location: Moscow, Russia
Total Floor Area: 15,000 sqm
Site area: 9,375 sqm
Flats: 150
Number of stories: 3-4 stories + Grand floor

Credits
Renderings, plans all © Epitész Studio
Renderings, plans all originally appeared on evolo and archdaily.