ECO

“Eco” is a prefix meaning ”house” or “habitat” and also refers to ecology and connection to the environment. This student residence project is all about sustainability and the creation of a comfortable and smart living space without any compromise. This micro community, similar to an ecosystem, consists of interconnected containers that only make sense as a whole.

The site which we chose to implant our project on is located in downtown Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is near 3 major universities, making it the ideal location for a student residence project, located right on the corner of St-Denis, a commercial street, and Des Pins, a quieter residential street.

Centrality

Our conceptual approach and process to this whole project was based on centrality and the organization of the different objects around it. The absolute priority was the quality of living and optimization of the spatial organization. How could we make a small 40 ft. container feel as spacious as possible, without sacrificing too much of the integrity of the container, and while still preserving a sense of intimacy for the occupants?

Our exploration began by dividing the container in three equal parts along its length. We played with centrality following this grid, alternating the placement of the integrated furniture and objects on the sides, creating a void in the middle, and then placing them in the center, creating space on the sides to circulate. This allowed us to create and divide each room/areas without actually having physical barriers in the space, hence, it is possible to see throughout the entire container without any obstacle blocking the view.

Eco’s units have a strong sense of directionality inside them. The extremity of the container that serves as a living room/office benefits from a fully fenestrated wall. The other three walls of the container are covered with a high strip of windows that maintain privacy while still letting the light in. The fenestrated strip continues on the interior walls around the bathroom, creating the illusion that the ceiling is floating. This is one more strategy that allows to give the impression that the container is more spacious than it actually is.

Materials

For the material and finishes of the interior, we aspired to have an organic and minimalist look, with as little distractions for the eye as possible, so it could remain a relaxing and peaceful place to live in. Since all the furniture is integrated and we chose to isolate the containers from the inside, we opted for a Russian plywood finish throughout the entire container, walls, ceiling and furniture, except for the kitchen and bathrooms surfaces.

Since it is insulated from the inside, it was important to keep the exterior of the container true to its original industrial look, and we decided to leave it as is. We chose containers of a color reminding of the surrounding context, which in this case, is dark red brick.

Common areas

Out of the 15 containers used, 14 of them are destined for residential use. Since each unit is suited for a maximum of 2 students, we have a total of 28 people that can reside in the project at the same time. The remaining one container acts as a café/laundromat, intending to face a commercial street, and accessible to the whole neighborhood. 

Keeping space efficiency in mind for the outside was another important point in this project. We have maximized the use of the containers by stacking them on top of each other, and then shifting them so they are staggered, using a part of the roof of a container as a balcony for the one above. Out of the fifteen containers, only three rest directly on the ground, supporting the others. The play of staggered blocs ensure that each unit has a clear view which is not obstructed by another container. 

The concept of centrality is also what dictated the placement of the containers on site. The goal was to have as little impact on the ground and the lowest footprint possible.  We have achieved a 22.5% footprint on site (223.5 m2), counting the containers and the coffee shop terrasse on site. The placement of the containers automatically creates a spacious central courtyard, with a passageway that connects all the floors and units together. It was important that the courtyard was left mainly empty and with no particular program so it could be used in many different ways, promoting social interactions requiring lots of open space, for example, a yoga class. However, the use of loose furniture would be perfect in this case: barbecues, picnic tables, long chairs, and more, so the students can organise and live in the space according to their needs.

On the remaining part of the site, we suggested to create an outdoor platform with a co-working space, bringing continuity to the terrasse, as well as an urban garden installation. Since in this case we are trying to find temporary solutions, we suggested to use pervious paver such as turfstone, so the concrete slab is placed on the ground without damaging it. The plant boxes that delimit the private from the public areas also serve as benches all around the project.

Replicability

This project system could easily be replicated in many different sites and circumstances, since it is very versatile.  It could also be replicated at a larger scale, repeating each sequence of 15 containers 4 times to create another square layout. One proposition could be to make the coffee shops face each other to create a new commercial alleyway, and have the entrances face each other.