STATUS
COMPLETED
CLIENT
Udvikling Danmark A/S
TYPOLOGY
Residential
SIZE M2/FT2
745 / 8,019
SHARE
In recent years, the number of students in Denmark has grown substantially. As the number continues to grow, additional student housing is needed to accommodate them.
In 2016, BIG introduced Urban Rigger, a building typology optimized for harbor cities and a housing solution that keeps students at the heart of the city. After much excitement from the students, Urban Rigger expanded from a prototype to an entire community on the waterfront of Refshaleoen in Copenhagen. 12 apartments on each of the 6 Riggers currently house a total of around 100 students.
CONTAINERS
— When engaged for the project, BIG started stacking containers in two layers: in straight lines; in parallel stacks; in links; like bridges; like Jenga. The regimented nature made it feel unfriendly.
CREATING THE COURTYARD
— BIG then circled three containers to frame a central courtyard which allowed to minimize the footprint of the pontoon, while opening views to the water.
CREATING CONNECTIONS
— By detaching the containers slightly, a hexagonal courtyard with open corners formed.
MULTI-LEVEL CONNECTIONS
— Another layer of containers completed the circle, forming a hexagon of overlapping entities.
INTERNAL COMMUNITY
— By enclosing the gaps with greenhouse glass, thermal exposure is minimized, enclosing the largest possible amount of space with the minimal amount of surface.
OUTWARD VIEWS
— The hexagons combine in a variety of ways to form different communities, always with views towards the sea.
The idea is simple: by stacking 9 container units in a circle, BIG creates 12 studio residences on each Urban Rigger. The residences frame a centralized garden, which is used as a common meeting place for students.
The modules are powered by a photovoltaic array and use a heat-exchange system that draws upon the thermal mass of water to warm and cool the interiors.
Ultra-thin NASA-developed vacuum-packed aerogel is used to insulate the containers on the inside without wasting valuable space while retaining the raw colorful exterior of a painted shipping container.
The units are experiments in communal living. While each resident has their own bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, they share amenities like a courtyard, kayak landing, bathing platform, barbecue area, and roof terrace. Decks and staircases connect the apartments. Inside, the units are well appointed with modern finishes and ample daylighting; floor-to-ceiling windows let the students take in panoramic views.
The housing is buoyant, like a boat, so it can be replicated in other harbor cities where space is limited but affordable housing is needed.
Bjarke Ingels Finn Nørkjær David Zahle Jakob Lange Andreas Klok Pedersen Jakob Sand Jesper Boye Andersen Raphael Ciriani Viktoria Millentrup
AWARDS
Buckminster Fuller Challenge Catalyst Program Project, 2017
Danish Design Award Finalist for Clean Solutions, 2017
Hovedstadens Forskønnelses (Beautification of the Capital) Award, 2016
COLLABORATORS
Danfoss A/S
Grundfos DK A/S
Hanwha Q CELLS Ltd.
Miele
NIRAS A/S
Dirk Marine/House on Water
BIG Ideas
