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Layered Terraces and Roman Brick: Revitalizing Abandoned Spaces for Communal Living

Authors:
Sara Mountford, Eric Anderson
Layered Terraces and Roman Brick: Revitalizing Abandoned Spaces for Communal Living

Project in-detail

Retaining the historical façade of the San Giacomo hospital, the design incorporates layered terraces and sustainable materials like Roman brick to create a flexible co-housing environment that fosters community engagement while respecting the surrounding urban context.
5 key facts about this project
01
Retains the historical façade of the San Giacomo hospital.
02
Incorporates layered terraces that enhance urban greenery.
03
Promotes flexible living through movable sliding panels.
04
Integrates communal areas with private spaces for residents.
05
Utilizes sustainable materials that respect local heritage.

The Elysian Co-Housing Project offers a thoughtful solution to the housing issues currently faced in Rome. Located in previously abandoned buildings, it aims to create spaces for communal living while maintaining the peace and privacy of individual residents. This initiative seeks to blend with the historical context of the city, focusing on the adaptive reuse of structures with traditional courtyard layouts. By doing so, it provides a modern approach to urban living that encourages social interaction and environmental harmony.

Architectural Concept
At the core of the design is a vision for revitalizing underused spaces. By transforming abandoned structures like the San Giacomo hospital, the project seeks to enhance functionality while preserving historical features. The design incorporates layers of landscape within courtyards, helping to bring nature into the urban environment. This relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces encourages community life and interaction among residents.

Space Organization
The arrangement of spaces prioritizes flexibility and adaptability. Each unit allows for customization, thanks to sliding panels that offer the choice to open or close areas as needed. This design approach is intentional, promoting a mixture of communal activities and private moments. Shared kitchens, lounges, and workspaces are arranged to encourage interaction while ensuring that individuals can find space for themselves when desired.

Material Selection
Materials used in the project include raw concrete, Roman brick, galvanized steel, expanded metal mesh, chestnut wood, and insulated glazed glass units. These materials are chosen for their compatibility with the historical fabric of Rome. This selection helps to ensure that the renovation respects the city’s character while meeting modern living needs. A focus on sustainability guides these choices, supporting the environmental aspirations of the project.

Outdoor terraced courtyards filled with local plants enhance the overall living experience. This greenery is not just decorative; it plays a role in fostering community connections and encouraging healthy lifestyles. By integrating nature into urban life, the design addresses the needs of both residents and the environment, offering a clear example of how thoughtful planning can reshape urban living.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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