7 Cool Apartment Buildings That Offer More Than Just Housing

Brilliant minds in the world of architects are not constructing building that are meant to provide a solution to world's housing issues. They are doing far more than that.

MakaaniQ lists seven such apartment buildings across the world that are termed as the coolest:

25 Verde, Turin, Italy

(stefanoboeriarchitetti.net)

Look from far and it would seem like a larger-than-life vertical garden. Go closer and you could see it is a housing complex. Set in the city of Turin, this housing complex sits in the middle of a former industrial zone. This is resonated in the tree branches made of laser-cut Corten steel. The structure is designed by Luciano Pia and has more than 150 trees planted on its façade in huge planters also made of Corten steel. There is also a pond on the boundary of the structure, for which a footbridge has been created for people to cross. The housing complex also has a garden space used for social gatherings.

8 House, Copenhagen, Denmark

(Wikimedia)

This housing complex, located between the old city of Copenhagen and the international airport, was constructed to provide affordable housing to more than 1,000 first-time homebuyers. Designed in the shape of number 8, it is a mixed-use property. The shape of the structure, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, wraps in it two courtyards. To make it affordable, the structure was constructed as a prefab in a factory and then assembled on-site. It has all the modern construction elements and offers community amenities to residents that includes meeting and party rooms, a day-care facility, guest accommodation, and a roof terrace. There is also a cycle track that can take you to the 10th floor of the structure.

The Interlace, Singapore

(Flickr/Mike Cartmell)

An aerial view of The Interlace makes it look like an irregular stack of structures. The 170,000-square-meters structure is designed by Ole Scheeren and has 31 apartment blocks. There are more than 1,000 apartments here in size ranging between 800 square meters and 6,300 square meters. Each block has penthouses at the top. The residents here enjoy recreational facilities such as swimming pools, gym, tennis courts, basketball court, children playgrounds, karaoke rooms and tables for pool billiards. There are four blocks with six storeys each in one stack. Hence, each tower in the complex 24-storey high. The structure is known to provide a sustainable living to residents in a dense urban living scenario, with ample amount of sun, wind, and micro-climate conditions on site.

The Wave, Vejle, Demark

(Dreamstime)

Constructed by the Skyttehus bay overlooking the Vejle Fjord, the wave design of this housing complex makes it a perfect fit for the surroundings. It is known to have been inspired by the Sydney Opera House and the hilly landscape of Vejle Fjord. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, the complex is spread in an area of 14,000 sq ft, and has 115 luxury apartments. While during the day one can see the reflection of the white waves of the complex in the river water, during the night they merge as illuminated mountains with the landscape behind.

Joh 3, Berlin, Germany

(Flickr)

It is an under-construction housing complex that is already in news for its unique façade form. Designed by J Mayer H Architects, the structure will reinterpret the classic Berlin Wohnhaus (residential building) but with a modern twist and a green interior courtyard. The unique façade is made of suspended slats that offer privacy as well as the city of the view to the residents. These slats make the structure look like a sculpture. The housing complex will have apartments, condominiums as well as penthouses.

Also read: These Foreign Cities Turned Wastelands Into Urban Landscapes

Boréal, Nantes, France

(adsttc.com)

This is a unique housing complex especially designed for the poor. Located in the suburban area of Dervallières, it was commissioned by architecture agency Tetrarc. It is constructed replacing the 1960s block, and is now a five-storey building with 16 owned apartments and 23 rental units. What is unique about this structure is its glass façade that makes it naturally lit. It also has openable windows at the top and bottom of the structure making it well-ventilated, too.

Sky Habitat, Singapore

(Designboom)

How about swimming in an infinity pool on the 38th floor? This cool residential complex lets you do that. Located in the high-density area of Bishan, this structure promotes among its residents community, landscape, and nature. The structure, designed by Safdie Architects, rather than being a straight skyscraper is a three-dimensional matrix of homes providing each home with private terraces, balconies, and common gardens. Infact, the stepped-form of the structure is also inspired by the community living on the hills that has both living and farming. There is a lot of vertical greenery and also, sky gardens that link the two towers.