EUROPAN, THE HAGUE
NEW TYPOLOY | INTELLIGENT INTENSIFICATION | SOCIAL COHESION
Location
The Hague
Awards
1st Price ‘Le Sauvage soigné’ – a high-class nomadic living
Completion
1989
HIGH END NOMADIC LIVING
Technological and social developments are changing the nature of housing demand. The first round of Europan, a big housing competition, called for a design vision on the influence of changing lifestyles on housing.
Mobility is inextricably linked to society today, and will remain so in the future. However, its effect is still not visible in the housing environment of the individual. In terms of contents, the current range of housing types is limited and inflexible. Posing questions about the most elementary quality of residential facilities can help in generating new concepts.
The designed building typology, the motto of which is Le sauvage soigné, or ‘high-quality nomadism’, offers high-quality living units for every length of time — from short to medium stay. The target group includes scientists, artists and expats. The concept of ‘transformosis’ — illustrated with a building on Ammunitiehaven in The Hague — reimagines the traditional form of living as a mobile alternative.
A stacked building structure provides a home base for a mobile living unit that is a combination of suitcase and house. The mobile city dweller brings belongings that can be carried to fixed, high-quality structures in stacked configurations on prime sites in various cities.
