Domestic Revolution

This submission is based on a studio design project of two architecture students at Toronto Metropolitan University. The theme of the studio course was the connection between architecture, nature and health, which led us to this competition. We understand that the aim of this competition is to upgrade the suburban patio to a space that is frequently used and an important part of the house. Currently, patios hold a lot of unused potential, as they take up a significant amount of the property’s area but at the same time are not used as much as a conventional enclosed living space. This is due to multiple factors like thermal comfort and sun exposure. The same situation also applies to the urban balcony of condo buildings, which is the scenario we worked on. So although it does not meet the exact outlines of this competition, the core problem of making private outdoor space a more desirable living area still remains the same. In our opinion, a revolution of the urban balcony is even more urgent, as outdoor space in a dense urban environment is very limited but important to our health and wellbeing. The proposal includes two main elements: Planters along the entire outer edge of the balcony give the occupants the opportunity to grow their own vegetables. The second intervention are shading devices consisting of wooden louvers that can be rotated by the occupants. Different angles of the louvers cast different shadows and thus the ability to rotate them allows for more flexibility and manageability. Each shader can also be moved along the balcony to give the residents control over which areas of the balcony are shaded and which are exposed to sunlight. Additionally, the shaders may also be used to hang plants or ferry lights to further personalize the space. These interventions require relatively low financial and construction effort but achieve a much higher quality of the balcony space at the same time.