The Self-Sufficient City - Envisioning the habitat of the future

The idea of the project is to develop a building system that makes the city more comfortable, human-scale, aerial, light-weight, spatial, green. We can connect the image of the trees and the city to make the cityscape really «natural» both literally (planting vegetation) and conceptually (by using the tree image as inspiration to building design), to handle with the well-known features of a modern city: building density and lack of open (public, green) spaces

 

ConceptThe concept of a building structure (TREE) is based on the idea of free positioning of volumes in space. Stairs, elevations, shafts and columns serve as vertical supports, and the horizontal elements of a limited volume are placed with air gaps. The gaps form the voids that allow light, air, vegetation to surround the built elements, creating opportunities for unique urban spaces and experiences.  The elements of the structure are 2-3-4 story blocks that house typical city functions: dwellings and offices on the top, public and shopping spaces in the bottom volumes.

1. Less build-up areas on ground level

Creating city public spaces on ground level: parks, squares, recreation facilities etc

2. Human scale of the elements

A visible shape of each suspended element. The height of the elements is within eye extent. 

3. Air in the building volume between the elements

Creating lightweight experience, various changing views when moving or from different levels of the structure.

4. Vertical multiplication of city open spaces

Horizontal planes of the tops of the units serve to create new public spaces at different levels.

 

Implementation

The modern city building codes operate with a set of parameters that describe the possible functions, heights, FAR, sometimes shapes. New distinct features could be introduced in the regulation practice. According to the project concept, these could be: multiplication of the public areas, percentage of air (as a void/volume ratio inside the building volume), scale of the elements.

 

 

Architects: Vladimir Belskiy, Ildar Valishin

Project: 2009

​