Robur Valley regards three specific groups who are affected by the housing crisis and tends to solve this with a CLT-driven design. In suburban areas, small households live in spacious family homes. With their children having moved out, this group is called empty nesters. Their homes often feel oversized for their current needs and are further away from friends and…
Robur Valley regards three specific groups who are affected by the housing crisis and tends to solve this with a CLT-driven design. In suburban areas, small households live in spacious family homes. With their children having moved out, this group is called empty nesters. Their homes often feel oversized for their current needs and are further away from friends and family. With enough energy and interest in various activities a house closer to a bubbly core would be beneficial.
At the same time, young families are searching for homes that better suit their needs—spaces large enough to grow into, located close to schools and work. Yet, the current housing market makes it difficult for them to afford such homes.
Similarly, single professionals starting their careers face barriers, as their incomes often don’t meet the requirements for mortgages or city rents.
Using two of these groups the CLT-based project aspires to promote the benefits of a subtle housing transfer in such situations.
The first target group is single starters: their profile is social and outgoing and with a flexible lifestyle, they avoid traditional choices like homeownership. They value strong social connections with family and friends and are pro-active in making and maintaining these bonds. Because they value that connectivity more than private space, on the levels with compacter housing that fits their income, there are larger and more common rooms.
The second target group is empty nesters. These couples often work parttime or recently retired and focus on hobbies, travelling and their social life. They priorotize physical and mental well-being and are aware of challenges that come with aging and retirement. The empty nesters have a close relationship with their friends and adult children. This group enjoys time outdoors and practicing sports. However, there should still be sufficient private space to echo their previous housing form. Therefore the larger and more expensive appartments are on the higher level with less shared ammenities.
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The organisation form of this building requires participation of the people interested in living here and exists on a voluntary basis. A pre-decided group – ‘the board’ – will take up most of the responsibility for setting up and running the process. Nevertheless, residents are included throughout this timeline with involvement and participation sessions where the core values are established, elaborated and secured.
Adding value for the municipality, a deal for a long-term lease is struck which ensures stable housing prices. Additional fees per resident pushes the quality of the housing and realises its organisation.
Robur Valley is like a hybrid. Similar to a canyon it has enclosed caves to hide, and extended platforms to lookout from. Below, it has a green centrepoint – like a riverbed flowing through the valley.
The walls of the canyon are layered and serve multiple purposes; housing, shared ammenities and public facilities.
Having two themes – culture and sports – divided over the buildings, different activities give reason to cross the valley and explore.
The transparent extensions and more private corners are a translation of the functions within: the music room is outward and exhibited whilst the tea-room is inward and reserved. When you pass each level, the housing gets more spacious and the common rooms less emphasized. This configures with the housing type and it’s target group.
This project aims to create better suiting housing for single starters and empty nesters. In line, larger families can find suitable housing for their household size. It also aims to create bridges, financially and socially, between empty nesters, single starters and eventually their surrounding included, by offering them a home with a strong core.