THESIS - future living concept for students

CoHive is a future living project designed together with Saga Sigríðardóttir and Laura Rosenberg in 2015 as our final work at IED Milano.

The project consist of two parts:

First part is a cohousing concept for students. The idea of the concept is based on the growing megatrend of shared economy and it’s part of a vision to solve future living needs. It’s also based on the idea of creating different levels of privacy between private and common spaces.

Second part ot the project is interior design for shared living with efficient space and smart furniture systems. The space consists of single and double rooms and common spaces. The furniture wall system is used in the private and common areas and partly in the main kitchen.

EFFICIENCY OF SPACE

ARCHITACTURAL FORMAL CONCEPT

When speaking about future living it’s important to think about efficiency of the space.

The hexagon is the most efficient form in general, as measured areawise but also modular through its six sides. Each side gives the possibility to create connections and these connections make it mathematically the most efficient architectural shape for modular structures.

Overlapping and shifting the modular shapes provides the possibility to create more interesting constructions. It allows more variations of geometrical shapes and creation of hollow spaces.

With the hexagon as our most efficient form we can start to talk about how we can use the area inside those modules in the most effective way, with the comfort and the connection of the people in mind.

The basic requirement for comfortable living for one person is about 30 m2. For two people the minimum area is few square meters larger, mostly in the bedroom part. This space is dividable into three parts; private, semiprivate and the public.
We have created a modular system that is based on that in one module we will fit the private and the semiprivate part for one person. The public part of the space adds together with others and creates the common modules which are to be filled with what we call desires, activities additional to your basic needs.
The more people we are living together, the more common modules we will have and the more we will have to enjoy together.
The green comfort area will together create the outside modules.

Our planview, with the use of the three different modules; private, common and green comfort. This is a combination made for 9 people to live and share together.

In plan view the shape and the function of hexagon allows to create a space you can expand by opening up parts of the private rooms and breaking the division between privat and public space. When expanded to the maximum, people are able to use the whole floor area for the common space.

CONCEPT OF GREYSCALES

LEVELS OF PRIVACY

EXPANSION OF THE COMMON AREA

THE PROJECT

OVERVIEW FROM THE ENTRANCE

As you enter the CoHive you will arrive into a shared space. Behind the curtains you have private rooms that are easy and fast to open up towards the common area.Straight ahead you have the studying area and behind it is the kitchen. This space is a central gathering area of the first level.

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PRIVACY

The different levels of privacy can be achieved by closing and opening the three layers of curtains to the private rooms. When all curtains are closed you will reach maximum privacy.

The three different curtain layers of linen, metal, and mass loaded vinyl provide

transparency, security, and sound isolation. When opening all curtains you will increase the common space.

With this system you will easily deside yourslef how privite or not private you are. It is flexible and easy to change from time to time, from study time to event time.

PRIVATE ROOM - OPENING INBETWEEN

Inside the private room you can take care of most of your basic needs. Each private room has a bathroom, bedroom, kitchenette and area for studying. The furniture system is an important part of the private room. It enables personalisation and makes the private room adaptable to residents’ needs. This furniture system is also used in the common areas of the house, for example in the kitchen.

It is possible to share your private space with your neighbour by opening up in between the rooms.

THE FURNITURE SYSTEM - THE TROLLEY

The base of the furniture system is plywood panels that can be applied to all kinds of walls. With the help of metal pins and fabric strings you can attach different accessories on the walls. The furniture system provides wooden shelves and stackable boxes of three different sizes. In addition there are wooden cylinders that can be used for hanging things. The furniture system contains also big storage boxes with wheels, and foldable chairs and tables that can be hanged up on the wall when not in use.

The furniture system provides trolley for moving around your belongings. You can also use it for sitting or as steps for reaching higher places.

KITCHEN AREA - THE HEART OF THE HOUSE

The kitchen area is positioned in the center of the common area where people will naturally spend a lot of time together. It is the place where most activities occur and it is the heart of the community.

The kitchen is devided into four different zones and is designed for nine or more people, making it untypical compared to traditional family kitchens. It’s a new kind of kitchen, i.e. something between an industrial and a private kitchen.

CONNECTING PEOPLE

Due to population development and changes in people’s behavioral patterns it seems like the world is challanged. On one hand we have the imbalance between rapid population growth and the need for people to live in cities close to work and education. On the other hand we have the imbalance between the world’s limited resources and the material desires of people.

A solution to these future challenges might be a more widespread use of sharing. Especially young people seem to be eager to embrace the principles of sharing. They have already found a new reality in online – or virtual – communities. Young people have learnt that by sharing you can find new dimensions, make new contacts, and in fact get more. We would like to take the online communities into reality and cohousing.

In plan view the shape and the function of hexagon allows to create a space you can expand by opening up parts of the private rooms and breaking the division between privat and public space. When expanded to the maximum, people are able to use the whole floor area for the common space.

The modular system allows you to build any size of community and also vertically. By opening up wintergarden inbetween the floors we connect all to one big community.

OPEN AIR AND NATURAL LIGHT - ROOF TERRACE

Our building consists of three levels. From each level you can reach a terrace. On the ground floor you can find a winter garden. The roof has been taken into use and it provides a recreatinal area of the residents - like a second living room.

In the spacious main entrance and so all through the building, large windows are used to bring natural light inside.

PHYSICAL MODELS