WE Architecture + Erik Juul have been awarded a commission to transform a vacant lot at Jagtvej 69 in Copenhagen into a urban garden and housing structure that could provided temporary accommodation for homeless people, helping them to turn their lives around.
The architects describe the project as a place “where housing and green gardens [create] a platform for the meeting between locals and homeless, and a path for a new beginning.”
To facilitate this interaction between the community and its homeless members, the design takes the form of an armature housing a series of modular containers, each designated for its own specific activities. In addition to bedrooms, the containers would provide a wide range of activities such as kitchens, dining spaces, offices, living rooms, and even a yoga studio.
The architects believe surrounding the temporary community members with these activities will help to them to improve their professional and social standing by improving communication with authorities and allowing them to take care of their physical and mental health. With the addition of community gardens and semi-public event spaces, the proposal provides the neighborhood with a new social meeting place that everyone can use.
Based on a simple scaffolding system, the concept is for the structure to be flexible, with the ability to add new features and change according to new needs. In the future, the project could be completed dismantled, and moved to a new site that needs help.
"The project will have a positive visual contribution to the neighborhood – a landmark people can relate to with social and environmental sustainable initiatives," explain the architects. "The visibility aims to raise awareness of the initiative, in terms of attracting new users to the neighborhood, but also volunteers and current residents."
News via WE Architecture.
Architects
WE ArchitectureLocation
Jagtvej 69, 2200 København N, DenmarkCollaborators
Vendepunktet, UBA studio, Erik JuulDesign Team
Marc Jay, Julie Schmidt-Nielsen, Barbara Drud Henningsen, Alicja Szczęśniak, Josefine Rita Vain Hansen, Thea Gasseholm, Corrado Galasso, Eleonora Giovannardi, Alexandru PavelType
Temporary Homeless Housing and Urban GardensArea
2000.0 m2Project Year
2017Photographs
Courtesy of WE ArchitectureArchitects
WE Architecture's Winning Proposal Combines Green Space with Social Housing in Aarhus
