'on edge' by tiago barros
all images courtesy tiago barros


architect tiago barros is one of the five winners of the total housing 01: apartments competition
in new york.

'on edge' project envisions to question the concept of boundary between the interior
and the exterior of an apartment unit. a new element – a diving board/chaise-longue is
introduced and becomes the center piece of the space. this element comes as a continuation
of the floor plate, extending beyond the limits of the building. it is carefully place in between
the confined and the open spaces. the thin line that divides these two spaces becomes a new
space - an edgy space – a new thickened boundary. the way it is setup allows the three
spaces – open, edgy and confined - to be linked and to be experienced in a new radical way.

imagine being on top of a diving board with no pool underneath or to be lying on a chaise-longue
cantilevering out the building. how would you feel?



view into the apartment from the exterior


the competition asked architects and designers to develop concepts based on the typologies of apartments.
new york is resurgent after years of suburban supremacy, but new technologies and socio-economic shifts
have made traditional models for urban housing obsolete. total housing 01: apartments is the first in a
series of competitions, looking for residential projects that address the incongruity between outmoded
ideas of domestic space and contemporary urban lifestyles.

an exhibition showcasing the five winning entries, elected from nearly 400 submissions are currently on show
at the storefront for art and architecture in new york until january 22nd, 2011.





see our previous article on nabito architects' 'a desert green' which was another one of the five winning entries.







floor plan



section view