'8 house' by BIG architects in copenhagen, denmark
image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: ty strange


'8 house' by danish practice bjarke ingels group, is under construction for completion
in early october this year. also known simply as 'big house', the 60,000 m2 residential project
is located in the city of ørestad, a developing area in copenhagen, denmark. consisting
of 475 units varying from 65 to 144 m2, '8 house' is designed to accommodate families in all
steps of life--big, small, growing, or shrinking.



view from the water
image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: ty strange



terrace view of residential unit
image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: ty strange



south facade
image courtesy of seier+seier



ramp to the first courtyard
image courtesy of seier+seier



image courtesy of seier+seier



south end in construction
image courtesy of seier+seier



image courtesy of seier+seier


the project is partly influenced by the classic townhouse but, instead of using the usual
block formation, the assembly follows a layered orientation: the apartments and gardens
are placed on top of commercial and trade layers, which provide services at the base of
the building. to provide each units with an individualistic quality of their own, the '8 house'
is pulled up in the north east corner and pushed down in the south west, ensuring an ample
amount of sunlight, fresh air, and views of kalvebod fælled. the figure eight configuration
of the building creates a moment of synergy as well as two distinct spaces in the courtyard.
a 500 m2 communal facility is placed at the centre of the intersection while a 9 meter wide
passageway at the same point connects the two surrounding urban spaces outside of
the residential project: the park to the west and the channels to the east.

to maximize a sense of community for the future inhabitants, the architecture weaves
the shared facilities throughout the whole building from ground level to roof. a system of gardens,
trees and paths provide a branch of access points to these programs, ending at the 11 storey-high
rooftop where you can enjoy a view of the copenhagen canal.



diagram
image courtesy of BIG architects



model
image courtesy of BIG architects



courtyard
image courtesy of BIG architects



image courtesy of BIG architects



terraces overlooking the water
image courtesy of BIG architects



rendered bird's-eye view
image courtesy of BIG architects



looking down in to one of the courtyard
image courtesy of BIG architects



walkway
image courtesy of BIG architects



rampway connecting the base with the rest of the building
image courtesy of BIG architects



north east corner
image courtesy of BIG architects



south west corner, near the waters
image courtesy of BIG architects



rendered interior view
image courtesy of BIG architects



image courtesy of BIG architects



aerial shot of the construction site
image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: dragor lufthaven



image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: dragor lufthaven



image courtesy of BIG architects
photographer: dragor lufthaven