Urban infill: homes without new land
Rooftop extensions, gap sites and courtyard buildings: three routes to new homes in existing fabric.
by Jonas Weber
Every new development on the edge of town consumes land that never comes back. That is why we are interested in the city that already stands. Three strategies have proven themselves in our projects.
A rooftop extension uses load-bearing existing floors for one or two additional storeys, usually in lightweight timber. It makes sense when the stairwell and services are being renovated anyway. A gap site, in turn, demands precise floor plans because often only a few metres of width remain, but it rewards you with infrastructure already in place.
The third route is the courtyard building. It is the most demanding, because daylight, access and the rights of neighbours all have to be resolved at once. When it works, it produces quiet homes in the middle of the neighbourhood.
All three share a starting point: a careful survey of what is already there. Understand the existing building and you will almost always find more capacity in it than expected.