RED GAP (Bumusa Competition)

Add To Collection

Other Projects by if Atelier

Add To Collection

Tan-ha Villa

Add To Collection

Absence (Pilgrims Heaven Competition)

RED GAP (Bumusa Competition)

Firm

if Atelier

Type

Residential › Multi Unit Housing

STATUS

Concept

SIZE

100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft

Residential complexes often establish a rigid, vertical boundary between themselves and the surrounding city. This project site, situated at the juncture of the urban fabric and the sea, challenged this conventional approach, as it threatened to disrupt the existing flow between the urban and the sea.
What if this definite vertical barrier could be transformed into a horizontal plane, fostering seamless ground-level connectivity while preserving the autonomy of both public and private areas? By elevating the residential platform, we created a dual ground level: one for the city and another for the residents.
This decision allowed the project to integrate with the urban network, becoming an integral part of the city itself. It also provided a semi-open, adaptable space for diverse public activities, such as retail, commercial, and sports facilities, childcare and educational spaces, and cultural spaces.
Subsequently, we introduced strategic gaps between these two zones, aiming to soften their rigid boundary and facilitate interaction between the public and private areas. This blurring of lines extended to providing some residential units with direct ground-level access, enhancing both the convenience for resident business owners and the general security of the complex during off-peak hours.
Within the residential section, the units were arranged and interconnected via elevated alleyways, ensuring that each unit possessed at least one private open-air courtyard. A modular system was employed to organize the units, offering several advantages. The uniformity of structural grids across the project streamlined construction and provided flexibility for future occupants. This allowed for the selection of preferred residential layouts during construction or easy modifications and expansions post-completion.
In the project's initial phase, all 122 residential units were designed with private rooftop access, empowering residents to expand their living space vertically or add independent rental units in the future, while maintaining connectivity. This adaptability was further emphasized in the project's details, such as movable shading elements (Shanasheel) and retractable partitions between courtyards.
In other words, the project is a major, suspended platform that bridges the gap between city and residence, inviting the city and its people to engage. At the same time, by the creation of gaps on its own surface, it fosters dialogue between these two areas.