The Veil is the final project from my 2A studio. The topic of the studio was the Grand Domestic Revolution, challenged students to create solutions for modern problematics through design. This projects specific challenge was to employ a +/- technique; we had to remove part of a traditional program from the residential units and add something that would challenge a standard housing structure. Another requirement was to make the building more diverse by integrating secondary programs into the residential structure of the building.
The strategy behind The Veil was to create a simple modular housing structure. Three simple unit design were created: a single, a double and a family unit. Employing a variety of unit structures creates a draw for people from different walks of life, and creates a mixed community within the building. Living space is removed from the unit and left empty, allowing for the individual residents to program it however they choose. It could be turned into an office, a place to get homework and the days tasks done, a studio or production space, or a traditional living room could be reinstated.
Three additional programs, a gym, kindergarten and laundromat, are added to the project with the goal of making the building more permeable to the public. The gym and laundromat are easily accessible by the residents from within the building, and by non-residents from additional entrances. The kindergarten is mainly separate from the other programs in the building, but overlook and the integration into the structure of the building give it a visual connection to the rest of the project.
The final move that was made in this project was to enclose the entire structure in an amorphous glass roof. The main purpose of the "Veil" is to enclose the large skip-stop corridor that services the double and family units, especially in the instances where it opens up to multi-height spaces. This creates an airier circulation space, allowing it to act as an "internal street". The second purpose of the form of the roof is to give something back to the single units. The single units are very small to make them more affordable, and the Veil is there to create a unique draw for potential residents and to keep the small units from feeling cheap.
The single units also share a kitchen, which is available to the other residents of the building as well. There is a large shared dining room under the Veil to encourage communal meals, and this in combination with the additional programs in the lower levels of the building aim to create an architectural ecosystem that would appeal to people of any age.
