Apartment Block Design: Massing Matters

Author:   Simos Vamvakidis
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9781032608150


Pages:   204
Publication Date:   21 July 2025
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
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Apartment Block Design: Massing Matters


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Overview

This architectural design book focuses on massing studies for multi-unit housing projects; namely apartment blocks. It provides a fresh look at architectural synthesis for architects, students and architecture curious readers, focusing on multi-unit housing projects. The book re-examines the apartment block as a design model, for today and tomorrow, through a simple, flexible and explicit design approach. The innovation of this book lies in the idea that any type of apartment block can be designed and understood using three basic fundamental elements: Housing Units, Circulation and Communal Spaces. The book demonstrates clearly and explicitly, multiple combinations for the three elements, in order to design multiple multi-unit housing projects. Through the examination of twelve globally acknowledged apartment buildings (seen as Case Studies), the book explains some of the numerous possible combinations between these three design elements / programmatic areas, during the massing phase of schematic design. This approach allows multiple design solutions, instead of a single proposal. All Case Studies are examined and analysed using diagrams, drawings and photographs. A conclusion at the end of each chapter outlines the main knowledge acquired. Beautifully designed and illustrated with over 150 full colour illustrations, this book is essential reading for any architect, student or reader interested in apartment block design.

Full Product Details

Author:   Simos Vamvakidis
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.453kg
ISBN:  

9781032608150


ISBN 10:   1032608153
Pages:   204
Publication Date:   21 July 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

PART 1: THEORY 1. The Book Methodology 2. A closer look at the General Frame: A way to combine Housing Units, Circulation and Communal Spaces 3. What is an Apartment Block? PART 2: DESIGN 4. Housing Units in a large, single block (and its variations) Case Studies: Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie Party Walls by Papalampropoulos Syriopoulou Architecture Bureau Robin Hood Gardens Estate by Alison & Peter Smithson 8 House by BIG Mirador by MVRDV Parkrand by MVRDV Sluishuis by BIG & Barcode architects Gifu Kitagata by SANAA La Borda housing cooperative by Lacol Hansen by AREA Ibiza housing by RipollTizon Estudio de arquitectura Polymonokatoikia by Yannis Aesopos 5. Massing Matters and Living Together

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Author Information

Simos Vamvakidis is an Assistant Professor for Architecture at Patras University, Greece. He has been teaching design studios as a Lecturer / Year Leader and as an Assistant Professor in the UK, Greece and Lebanon, since 2008. He founded SVstudio in 2006, an architectural office that has won prizes in international architectural competitions. His latest built project is the eight holiday houses in Kea island, Greece. He is interested in any architectural gesture that negotiates / poses questions related to the way we experience public and private spaces. He is the author of two monographs: Innovative Architecture Strategies (2016) and Composing Architecture and Interior Design (2018). He holds a PhD in architectural design from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), funded by the Onassis foundation, and the National Greek Scholarships Fund (IKI). He holds a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from UWA and a Diploma in Architectural Engineering from NTUA, graduating within the top five in 2003. He is an alumni of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Architecture, MArchII, funded by the Fullbright foundation. He has made numerous conference presentations.

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