Abstract
This project was developed from the desire to create affordable housing in Rome, as well as address the issue of the large quantity of uninhabited buildings in the city. An abandoned hospital was used as the base to inform the design of a new building system, creating a multi-purpose living space sited on the outline of the original building. This living space is constructed within a three-dimensional steel grid which overlaps the exterior of the hospital and builds off of it as a way to respond to the architecture of Rome. The core element of this project is self-construction. This is a system in which residents can design their own living spaces to best suit themselves, as well as their neighbors. Guided by the creation of a set of rules for construction, this model guides residents on how to build within. This creates a sense of community, and the way in which residents can choose to open or close of spaces allows that community to be by choice. This allows for variation in the interior appearance, as walls can be erected or removed, and spaces can be opened or closed off. Because of the system of construction, which uses the steel grid as a base with slots or tracks, walls can slide in and connect with the base structure, all of which is elevated above the hospital. This allows residents to customize their space within the grid to encourage collective living and community through the structure of the new building.
Recommended Citation
Boud, Sean
(2019)
"Domus Commune: Modular Flexible Co-Housing in Rome,"
Kean Quest: Vol. 2:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanquest/vol2/iss1/3