The building is located at a focal point in the heart of Engomi, a rapidly developing area with a unique character which derives as a direct consequence of its uses. The University and the surrounding campuses have turned the area into a local centre with a strong youthful, outgoing, and dynamic character. The city in this area has now been transformed into a meeting center for the occasional users who are in the area for as long as their needs dictate (their studies). The city as a temporary area of living and the speed of alternations of the dwellers, gave a lot of inspiration for the project and the for the client’s perspective about this building. The intention to convey this character of the neighborhood led to a concept of boxes seemingly stacked on top of another in an effort to accommodate the sudden influx of residences. At the same time the building itself appears to be constantly in motion, just like its residents. In this context, the ground level of the building becomes a place of interaction and socialization, an intermediate space between public and private, an extension of the city of sorts.
