URBAN LIVING 01 – Social staircase

URBAN LIVING 01

Urban Living aims to make it attractive for cities, residents, and housing organisations to create compact homes for multiple target groups in urban areas—and to invite more people into the community.

Together, we rethink a unique Danish tradition of living closely with social consideration.

The Venligbolig was originally conceived to address the significant influx of refugees experienced primarily in 2016.

This pressure has since decreased, and it is therefore natural that we now focus on the major challenge facing larger cities:

“Providing homes that people can and want to afford.”

There is a particular need for housing for singles with or without children, students, young couples, and seniors who struggle to find suitable homes in today’s market.

At the same time, we want to revisit a unique Danish tradition of high‑quality housing with social awareness—helping maintain a diverse and vibrant city.

With the compact Urban Home, private developers, pension funds, and housing associations can now build homes for sale or rent at a truly reasonable price level within a sustainable construction concept.

Flexibility

The basic unit consists of 37 m² of living space plus shared areas, stairs, etc.—a total of approximately 50 m².

We have prioritised what matters most in a home:

A well‑lit, easily furnished living space with a small kitchen and access to a balcony/terrace, a functional bathroom, and a well‑designed bedroom—possibly with a suspended sleeping platform.

As shown in the illustration, the home can be expanded by borrowing space from the neighbouring unit.

The larger kitchen and living room for birthdays and gatherings are located on the ground floor, together with the shared laundry facilities.

On the roof, there may be a shared orangery and rooftop terrace, as well as additional rooms for overnight guests.

Community

We present a new housing concept where homes are built with fewer—but smarter—square metres in each unit.

Instead, the home is supplemented with shared functions and communal spaces that increase the real value of compact living through community and flexibility.

Everything is light, simple, and modular. The homes are built as prefabricated timber boxes of up to four storeys.

If construction above four storeys is required, steel and gypsum will be used. The “Urban Home” is envisioned from the smallest annex to a 7–8‑storey housing community, all based on the same recognisable building block.

This creates good and affordable homes for city residents and helps ensure a socially mixed urban environment.

The project is envisioned as smaller clusters—or communities, if you will—ranging from 3 to 8 storeys.

The cubic form makes the Urban Home easy to place within the city and easy to clad with different exterior materials depending on context and budget.

Click here to download the brochure

Idea and concept by ONV Architects