The design process began with an observation of the need to provide a sense of privacy and retreat to apartment typologies. Changing the status quo, observers are able to peer through most building façades and gain a glimpse into the personal lives of the building’s occupants, compromising the notion of home as a sanctuary.

As a critique, Podium looks to turn the façade of the building inside out. The design presents a fortified treatment to the street, thus preserving the sense of retreat. The layout of each dwelling wraps around a courtyard presented as a cantilevering pod. The pods provide an outlook from bedrooms and living areas, multiplying the functionality of a typical balcony.

The suspended pods are arranged to form a chequered collage of podiums that in turn become a longitudinal articulation of elements in its overall composition. The placement of podiums and enlarged horizontal bands erode the scale and height of the building and was viewed favourably from a planning perspective.

Photographer: ODO