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First International Conference for PhD students in Civil Engineering CE-PhD 2012, 4-7 November 2012,Cluj-Napoca, Romania

www.sens-group.ro/ce2012

High density forms in contemporary architecture


Maja Bldea*1
1"

Politehnica" University of Timisoara, Faculty of Architecture. 2/A Traian Lalescu Str., 300223, Timisoara, Romania

Abstract
The continuous growth of the human population is stressing out profoundly the global resources, out of which one is physical space. It is expected that in the near future the population and especially the number of people living in the cities will continue to rise, so that two out of three people born in the following 30 years will live in cities [1]. The population growth must be provided with physical and spatial support in the form of dense urban environments and architecture with similar qualities. Under those conditions, high density architectural forms represent the most viable models for the future in general and for living environments in particular. The architectural object is a spatial system that offers support for a complex network of social relations that facilitate mutual proximity. Social crowding researches have shown that high density population correlated with environmental and architectural settings do influence the behavior patterns of residents [2]. Understanding the models of high density architecture can offer a key to successful and healthy architectural design. The main concern should focus on identifying best models for future living environments, and how they can offer a correct support for residents in relation to the crowding degree. A premise exists that the spaces that contain high numbers of population become themselves sources for variation, intensity and diversity [3]. The specific objective of the study is to generally define the concept of density in relation to the build environment [4], followed by an overview of the relations between highly populated environments and the forms of dense architecture, following especially positive models of design. The study has a theoretical component, backed up by diagrams, drawings, 3D sketch models and spatial patterns in relation to usage and spatial indices. The models of high density architecture that really work are not solely based upon physical context and the maximization of density in relation to the allotted surface and the number of residents, but they are largely based on the mix between spatial configuration and the way in which people are living inside it. The quality of high density architectural forms resides in the diversity offered by it as a spatial support for activities.

References
[1] By the Editors. Street-Savvy: Meeting the biggest challenges starts with the city. Scientific American, [2] Baum A, Vallins, S. Architecture and Social Behavior: Psychological studies of social density. 1St ed. [3] Uytenhaak R. Cities Full of Space: Qualities of Density. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 2008 [4] Roskamm N. The concept of density. GAM. Architecture Magazine 08. Dense Cities: Architecture for

Volume 305; pp. 38-41, 2011.

Hillssdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 1977. living Closer Together. SpringerWiennNewYork; pp. 132-141, 2012.

1*

Corresponding author: Maja Bldea Tel./ Fax.: 0726311007 E-mail address: maja_baldea@yahoo.com

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