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Movable Aluminum Panels Defining Flexible Community Living Spaces

Authors:
Bastian Wibranek, Lorena Navarrete
Movable Aluminum Panels Defining Flexible Community Living Spaces

Project in-detail

Movable aluminum panels create adaptable living environments that prioritize community interaction while offering flexible residential options in an urban setting.
5 key facts about this project
01
Movable aluminum panels allow for customizable exterior configurations.
02
Rotated side towers create communal spaces that foster interaction.
03
Apartment units are strategically oriented for optimal natural light.
04
The design includes a rooftop that serves as a shared gathering space.
05
Five floors are aligned to true north, enhancing spatial organization.

The project "Visual Filters" is located in Toronto, focusing on residential use while emphasizing interaction and adaptability. The design integrates connections, rotations, and extrusions of rectangular forms to create a building with various apartment units. The aim is to enhance emotional engagement, social interaction, and overall living experiences for residents.

Design Concept

The central idea behind "Visual Filters" is its ability to adapt to its urban setting and cultural context. Movable aluminum panels play a significant role in this design, allowing residents to engage with their surroundings actively. These panels not only provide practical benefits, such as shelter from winter weather, but also improve the overall visual appearance of the building.

Spatial Arrangement

The building features a central tower with side towers that are rotated 180 degrees and angled towards the center. This arrangement defines the building's shape while encouraging community interaction. By removing certain apartment units in the side towers, the design creates shared spaces that help foster a sense of community while still offering privacy.

Interior Configuration

The geometry of the building is based on manipulating simple rectangular volumes, resulting in angled and rounded walls. This approach reduces sharp edges, contributing to a cohesive look. Each apartment unit is carefully oriented for optimal views and natural light, which improves the living experience. The layout consists of five floors aligned with true north, presenting various floor plans that support both one- and two-bedroom units.

Design Details

The main tower includes two identical floors, followed by two rotated floors and a final floor that mirrors the first. This design decision creates an interesting southern facade with balconies, while the northern facade offers a varied mix of residential and communal spaces. A sectional view of the building showcases different apartment configurations and includes prominent staircases that enhance internal movement, encouraging social interaction. The design emphasizes enjoyable living, providing a responsive residential environment within the urban landscape.

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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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