Main Architecture and Design Superlofts – Made from the Blank Canvas

Superlofts – Made from the Blank Canvas

Marc Koehler Architects (MKA) designs Superlofts - a flexible design co-created by an active community of residents and development framework merging hybrid urban programmes. Tapping into the open building movement, Superlofts offers its residents the freedom to design and/or self-build their homes from scratch incorporating any hybrid function and co-create the shared spaces as a community.

Resilient buildings can adapt and evolve to a city’s ever-changing programme and the lifestyles of the people who inhabit them. Unfortunately, as older building stock becomes obsolete this results in wasted empty or under-utilised space. For example, in the Netherlands, the estimated total building vacancy is five times the number of new buildings constructed annually. Moreover, buildings that are unable to adapt to changing needs have to be demolished, creating enormous waste and pollution. Estimates suggest that buildings are responsible for 36% of C0₂ emissions and 40% of energy consumption in the EU.

Superlofts follows the Open Building approach, utilising a flexible and open framework that easily adapts to changing cycles of use and maintenance to facilitate a circular and resilient way of building. Its building systems can be updated in independent cycles without wasting materials or demolishing the building.

Full content of this issue you can read here

The full version of the article can be read in our printed issue, also you can subscribe to the web-version of the magazine