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Spiral Pathways Enhancing Community Interaction in Urban High-Rise Living

Authors:
Zhan Ran, Xiaohan Ding
Spiral Pathways Enhancing Community Interaction in Urban High-Rise Living

Project in-detail

The integration of a spiral plane and a distinctive co-shaped pathway transforms how residents engage within the urban high-rise, fostering community interaction while providing diverse living experiences.
5 key facts about this project
01
Spiral pathways enhance movement and engagement among residents.
02
The co-shaped facade promotes social interaction through design.
03
Situated above Google headquarters, it reflects modern media culture.
04
User perception is prioritized through an immersive spatial experience.
05
The design aims to counteract information cocoons in urban living.

INFOTOPIA is located in New York City and aims to address the challenges of traditional high-rise living. The design revolves around encouraging social interaction among residents while providing various lifestyle experiences. By changing how individuals connect in an urban setting, it rethinks the typical high-rise layout, which can often feel isolating.

Spiral Plane Integration

The design features a spiral plane within the tall structure, which is an important part of how people move through the building. This spiral allows residents to navigate across multiple levels in a new way, promoting a sense of community. By facilitating movement, the design invites occupants to explore and engage with one another in shared spaces.

Enhanced Tenant Interaction

Another notable feature is the "co" shaped path on the building's facade. This element helps create opportunities for residents to interact. By breaking away from a straight path, it encourages people to come together in communal areas. This design strategy focuses on enhancing relationships, making it easier for residents to connect.

Sensory Engagement in Urban Living

In addition to promoting interaction, the overall strategy prioritizes user perception. The layout allows for an engaging experience where individuals can easily move between private and communal spaces. This balance ensures that residents can find both solitude and social opportunities, ultimately improving their quality of life.

Visual Connection to the Urban Environment

Although specific materials are not mentioned in the presentation text, the design suggests a focus on transparency. This might include the use of glass and lightweight materials. Such choices would support a visible connection between the inner spaces and the lively city outside, strengthening the relationship between residents and their urban surroundings.

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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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