BIG architects: 8 house under construction

‘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 waterimage 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.

diagramimage courtesy of BIG architects

modelimage courtesy of BIG architects

courtyardimage courtesy of BIG architects

image courtesy of BIG architects

terraces overlooking the waterimage courtesy of BIG architects

rendered bird’s-eye viewimage courtesy of BIG architects

looking down in to one of the courtyardimage courtesy of BIG architects

walkwayimage courtesy of BIG architects

rampway connecting the base with the rest of the buildingimage courtesy of BIG architects

north east cornerimage courtesy of BIG architects

south west corner, near the watersimage courtesy of BIG architects

rendered interior viewimage courtesy of BIG architects

image courtesy of BIG architects

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

image courtesy of BIG architects photographer: dragor lufthaven

image courtesy of BIG architects photographer: dragor lufthaven