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Three Cores Redefining Community Living in High-Density Environments

Author:
Eric Yuen
Three Cores Redefining Community Living in High-Density Environments

Project in-detail

With a layout emphasizing three distinct cores to enhance communal living, the design offers a fresh approach to high-density housing that prioritizes social interaction and individual needs within the urban fabric of Hong Kong.
5 key facts about this project
01
Three distinct cores promote community interaction and efficient space usage.
02
Each core serves a specific function: common, circulation, and service.
03
Unit designs accommodate diverse household types, enhancing inclusivity.
04
The project is tailored to narrow lot sizes typical of urban Hong Kong.
05
Strategic placement of amenities fosters social engagement among residents.

The tower with three cores presents an innovative approach to the challenges of urban living in Hong Kong. Situated in a context that demands efficient land use, it merges functionality with community-oriented design. The structure features three distinct cores, each fulfilling a specific purpose, which redefines the typical apartment tower while enhancing the overall experience of its residents.

Core Configuration

The design centers on three cores: a common core, a circulation core, and a service core. The common core serves as a shared area that includes essential amenities like an outdoor laundry space and a balcony/lounge. These shared facilities are intended to encourage interactions among residents, addressing a crucial element of community life in densely populated settings.

The circulation core focuses on improving vertical movement within the building. It allows easy access to the various residential units while promoting opportunities for neighbors to connect. This design choice enhances the experience of getting around, contrasting with traditional apartment layouts that often isolate residents from one another. The streamlined flow through this core brings together mobility and social interaction.

The service core is designed to consolidate necessary services and storage spaces. By stacking these elements vertically, the design maintains a compact footprint, maximizing usable living area. This arrangement ensures that essential functions are accessible without disturbing the overall layout. The project responds thoughtfully to the typical narrow lot sizes found in Hong Kong, roughly 4 meters by 10 meters, making good use of the limited space.

The tower offers a variety of unit types aimed at accommodating diverse households, including singles, couples, and small families. This variety supports different living arrangements, creating a more inclusive environment. The focus on communal spaces reinforces the idea that urban living can foster connections among residents.

Overall, the design blends practicality with opportunities for social engagement. It emphasizes the significance of shared spaces in improving urban living experiences. In doing so, the tower moves beyond conventional high-density housing and showcases how thoughtful design can enhance quality of life through collaboration and connectivity.

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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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