FLOTTWELL ZWEI - Heide & von Beckerath Architekten

The apartment building meets the need for sustainable and urban dwelling. The distinctive exterior corresponds to the internal spatial concept based on a split-level. Irrespective of their actual size, the apartments offer individual and at the same time flexible living spaces. The symbiotic relationship between private and collective space characterises both the apartment type and the building. The project was realized in Berlin between 2008 and 2011 as a builder-owner collective. The 418 sqm site is situated westwards to the Park at Gleisdreieck, one of the large urban landscapes of the inner city. Its location near Potsdamer Straße and Landwehrkanal is remarkably central and the building is well connected with public transport. The given east-west position with its optimal daylight conditions led to an apartment building with a depth of 16 m. The structural design of the building allows for different apartment configurations on one, two or even more levels that have individual entrance doors. The slender balcony areas with their customized seating and spacious floor-to-ceiling windows with textile sun shades (half of which are designed as moveable sliding doors) determine the quality of the living areas, as well as the relationship to the urban environment.

Photo by Andrew Alberts. Published on September 20, 2013.

The respective layouts of the apartments are based on three inner zones and segmented sliding doors. Individual adjustment with regard to the number of rooms, their size and location, the kitchen and bathroom and the surface treatments of walls, ceilings and floors is possible. The furnishings such as a simple modular kitchen and inbuiltclosets were designed to engage in a direct dialogue with the building and meet usability. The fine detailing of the communal areas, such as the foyer, the stairwell, the garden, the water-basin and the roof terrace, was a major objective of the project. A small studio unit on the ground floor with steps for seating to the sidewalk supplements the program. The building aims to discuss density, diversity and sustainability within residential architecture. It can be seen as a new model typology for urban housing that is cost and space efficient while offering a maximum potential capacity for individual adaption and flexibility throughout lifetime. Social, cultural, economical and ecological aspects have been considered equally to define a contemporary sustainable approach. The limit set by German Energy Saving Regulations (EnEV 2009) was reduced by 30%.