As a winning entry on invitation-only competition for developing four apartment blocks from 125 to 140 meters in length, the client chose the proposal for the economy offered with more marketable floor space on the predefined urban set-up. The scheduled time for preparing plans and resolving the building work was very tight: a 650 apartment project in less than eighteen months meant literally to build one apartment a day. The budget was also extremely limited: the aim was to build low-cost apartments and to bring the final production cost in at around 500 €/m2. Bathrooms, windows and façade panels were designed as prefabricated units to simplify both planning and construction. Each building is divided into four identical modules, each with its own vertical communications core and each module contains all types of apartments from the brief. There are 42 apartments in each module, varying from small 30 m2 studios to 60m2 1.5-bedroom apartments on four identical floors, and larger duplex apartments from 85 to 105 m2 on the top two floors. The module is repeated four times with slight variations at the far ends of the building. The façade is designed in two layers, the inner façade and outdoor space being formed by items such as glazed loggias, balconies and terraces. A second skin is constructed with precast wooden panels, glass and metal rails. Each apartment owns at least one balcony and loggia connecting the outdoor and indoor space. Like the modules, the façade layer is also repeated four times, but given the geometry of the different elements of the repetition, it passes virtually unnoticed. There are two parking levels beneath the site. The landscape provides a contrast to the geometrical façade through the use of gently curving rails and completely organic features. It breaks up the sight lines through the complex, creating a difference between public and private space. location Ljubljana, Slovenia status project 2003 construction start 2004 completion 2006 program apartments, parking, commercial details 4 buildings of 42 apartments each, underground parking, 3 floors, apartments, 2 floors: duplex-penthouses type affordable housing blocks client Gradis G Group d.d. area 54.700m2, housing 47,400 m2, underground parking 42,000 m2, commercial areas 400 m2 cost 36,750,000 € materials concrete, plaster, HPL wooden panels, glass, metal structure concrete wall structure system project team Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik Martina Lipicer, Nejc Batistic, Neza Oman, Marisa Baptista, Karla Murovec, Neli Ouzounova, Florian Frey, Ana Kosi technical team Structural engineering: Elea IC d.o.o. Mechanical and electrical engineering: Biro ES d.o.o. photo@ Tomaz Gregoric