The flexibility of small and large square footage from {tag:pracownie}
Van B is a new apartment building where modest studios sit side by side with huge three-story lofts. According to the developer of the building, which opened last year in Munich, the flexibility of residential spaces has become more important than their square footage. UNStudio's designers met these wishes by developing a system of modular furniture, capable of transforming a study into a bedroom in a minute. But will such a solution really replace the comfort of spacious apartments?
The Van B apartment building in Munich was designed with changing demographics and diverse family models in mind. Thus, the realization by UNStudio and developer Bauwerk included apartments, apartments, multi-level lofts and penthouses. In the smaller spaces, the designers used highly flexible modular systems that can make a 40 m² space seem like a 60 m² loft.
During the day, the bed can be folded down while creating a vertical wall
Photo credit: Evabloem | © UNStudio
where exactly in Munich is Van B building?
Located at the intersection of the trendy Kreativquartier and Olympiapark, Van B houses 142 separate living spaces, whose tenants have 81 underground parking spaces at their disposal.
Connecting residents to nature and the effect of extending the apartments with outdoor spaces were key goals of UNStudio's architects. The seamless permeation between the planes was achieved by pushing the interior outside and pulling what's outside inside. In view of this, the apartment building is full of gardens (both shared and private), balconies and distinctive bay windows on the facade. Residents can also enjoy an inner courtyard with fitness and relaxation zones.
The living room in the Van B apartment building in Munich.
Photo: Sorin Morar | © Bauwerk, UNStudio
Van B's design expresses architectural ideas of the sharing economy and creating inclusive communities, so users of the building can enjoy co-living spaces for remote working or socializing, a parcel locker system, car and bicycle sharing, e-vehicle charging stations and bicycle repair.
Ben van Berkel, founder of UNStudio: "Social connections are crucial to our well-being. As architects, we see that many people want and need to meet regularly with family, friends and neighbors. However, in order to establish neighborly connections, a friendly, shared space is essential. Architecture can create a framework that enables meetings and the formation of neighborhood communities."
A solution widely used in new construction, i.e. gardens on the first floor separated from the street by a metal fence
Photo: Evabloem | © UNStudio
does Van B prefer quality over square meters?
Although the building's living spaces vary significantly in square meters (from 33 m² to 168 m²), Van B challenges the old conventions of fixed space layouts, opening up residents to more flexible living.
UNStudio, in collaboration with Bauwerk, designed a system of adaptive partitions and furniture based on "plug-in" modules that can be installed in all apartments in the building. The system makes it easy to change a room in seconds, transforming a spacious office into a cozy living room or bedroom. It consists of a set of nine optional modules that allow residents to adapt their dwelling to their current needs, allowing them to arrange the space according to the rhythm of the day.
Ben van Berkel: "Flexibility has become more important to people today than the sheer size of apartments, because the individual spaces in our homes need to be multifunctional, serving simultaneously as offices, gyms, living rooms and bedrooms. We need to develop new residential concepts that meet changing demands."
The use of balconies on bay windows maximizes the use of the facade
Photo credit: Evabloem | © UNStudio
Residents can choose an individual configuration of plug-in modules based on the available catalog. Regardless of which elements the apartment owner chooses and how he or she arranges them inside the apartment, the modules will work together.
Ben van Berkel: "What really sets Van B apart is that it offers a whole new form of intelligent living. This is not intelligence in the traditional sense of technological integration of home appliances; instead, we have reinterpreted ideas from the digital world in service of the physical spaces we live in."
The bay windows give the building a sculptural three-dimensionality in concrete and copper-colored metal frames. With glazed facades, the lofts with galleries facing the courtyard on the first floor encourage residents to open their doors and extend their living rooms into the garden. These three-story apartments with separate addresses function like single-family homes in the middle of a residential block.
A cross section through a three-story apartment
bloomimages | © Bauwerk, UNStudio
The project also includes "Van B Editions": ten individually furnished rooftop apartments with private terraces, which were decorated by ten top German interior designers.
Jürgen Schorn, Managing Partner, Bauwerk: "As Van B offers a variety of apartment types, many young singles and couples from all over the world have found a place to live here and breathed life into our project."
Van B meets all of Germany's stringent sustainability standards. Parts of the foundation and basement structure from the previous building were reused, and the walls of the old basement were reinforced. This made it possible to save building materials and speed up the construction process. A roof garden helps cool the building, and bay windows are oriented to optimize daylight in the apartments.
Ania Kociucka
[based on description provided by architects]
