Aleksandar Stosic Atelier


title: Residential block "KG299"

location: Kragujevac, Serbia

program: Residential-commercial

year: 2013.

status: Master thesis


Residential block "KG299" is located in residential/commercial area of the city of Kragujevac, Central Serbia. The rectangular building site has approximate dimensions 130 x 80m ( 10400m2 ).

The development consists of two buildings, one nine storey and other twelve storey building, with a common ground floor. Continuous variations in the height of the buildings are forming a striking cascaded volume. Subtraction of cubes of different sizes from the established volume, further defines a very unusual and specific composition of the structure. Asymmetrical square windows and protruding boxy balconies interrupt plain surfaces of the facades. White color prevails, while some elements of the facades are highlighted with chartreuse (yellow-green) color.

Ground floor is designed as a garage surrounded with commercial premises, both accessed from the street level. On the first floor of the building, besides living units, there is a semi-private inner courtyard with pedestrian walkways, green surfaces and children's playground. Positioning the garage on the ground floor, allows greater safety of residents and partial privacy of the inner courtyard. All floors above the ground floor are intended for housing. However, in addition to housing, within these floors there are some common green terraces intended for recreation. These terraces also enable proper insulation, as well as natural ventilation and lighting.

Number of housing units per floor varies, depending on the number of floors and positions of green terraces. There are five types of apartments within the development: efficiency apartments (30m2), studio apartments (40m2), one-bedroom apartments (60m2), two-bedroom apartments (80m2) and three-bedroom apartments (90m2 ). Total number of housing units is 299, including one penthouse apartment on the top floor of the higher structure. However, appropriate positions of ventilation shafts as well as water and electrical installations, enable great flexibility in positioning of apartments, both two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally. Since the apartments are designed modularly, it is possible to restructure the housing units; for example: two efficiency apartments can be made of one one-bedroom apartment and vice versa, one studio apartment and one two-bedroom apartment can be made of two one-bedroom apartments and vice versa etc.