M Flats is a compact rental residence constructing in Medellín, Colombia, designed by plan:b in 2023. Set mid-block within the Provenza neighborhood, the challenge turns the constraints of an extended, party-wall lot into a transparent sectional association, with one residence per flooring and open areas positioned at every finish to herald air, gentle, and shade.
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About M Flats
M Flats sits inside the dense city material of Medellín’s Provenza neighborhood, occupying a typical elongated lot between celebration partitions. Quite than treating these constraints as incidental, the challenge makes use of them to outline the constructing’s part, its facade depth, and the sequence of open areas that form every dwelling.
The lot’s slender principal faces look east and west, the place photo voltaic publicity is strongest. In response, the constructing locations a single residence on every of 4 higher flooring and makes use of intermediate exterior areas at each ends, together with balconies, terraces, and gardens, to assist cross air flow, pure gentle, and shaded outside areas.
At floor degree, this system is split between entry and commerce. The primary flooring incorporates the foyer and vertical circulation, alongside a double-height restaurant related to a technical basement. Above, the residential plan repeats with a transparent inner order: social areas to the east, bedrooms to the west, and the kitchen held on the middle.
That association provides the residences a legible home construction whereas taking advantage of the lengthy footprint. The narrower facet elevations stay extra closed, with small home windows that comply with native city laws, so the challenge depends on the deeper entrance and rear facades to carry openness and reduction.
The primary facade is outlined by six exposed-concrete structural arches. Collectively they produce a measured sample of rectangular and curved openings, giving the entrance elevation each rhythm and depth with out departing from the constructing’s structural logic. The rear facade takes a special strategy, expressing the concrete body extra instantly and utilizing that depth to type substantial balconies.
These balconies are fitted with perforated steel flooring and planter methods, extending the residences outward whereas sustaining a way of enclosure. The highest residence provides one other layer to that sequence, opening to a non-public terrace with pergolas and a distant view of town.
What stands out in M Flats is its directness. The challenge works with a well-recognized city lot, a compact program, and strict facet situations, then turns facade depth, open-air rooms, and uncovered construction into the constructing’s defining parts.
Images courtesy of plan:b
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– by Matt Watts
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