Günter Pfeifer Books

The systematic development of building types is an important task in housing construction. A deeper understanding of the underlying building types is mandatory, both for individual designs and for the wider application and variation of tried-and-tested structures. The authors have developed an innovative, drawing-based approach for unfolding the potentials of several existing building types for the future of urban housing. The first part is dedicated to the courtyard house, in which the courtyard is used as a private outside living space. The second part deals with the popular form of the terraced house and discusses aspects of corner solutions or terraced developments as an urban design element. In the third part, the townhouse is discussed with view to variants such as single-story and apartment buildings, including aspects of privacy and public access, as well as living and working. Finally, the detached house type is considered in its potential to provide all-directional orientation of the living space. The array of solutions is presented consistently in floorplans and cross-sections drawn to scale. In a new introduction to this all-in-one compendium the authors discuss the implications of the typological approach for today's housing design.

To continue developing existing building types in an intelligent way is a crucial task in the field of residential building. For the success of the individual design, as well as for ensuring that tried and tested structures can be utilized, repeated, and varied, a deeper grasp of the underlying types is indispensable. For this typology of residential buildings, the authors have developed systematic new presentations of the most innovative types. Each individual volume lays out the possibilities for using and transforming a particular form of residential structure. The fourth volume deals with the types of freestanding houses, whose all-around orientation allows for the optimal arrangement of all dwellings. A presentation of the freestanding house as an isolated element and as a building block for larger structures is followed by discussions of topics such as self-sufficiency versus neighborhoods, „Raumplan“ versus „plan libre,“ and individuality versus density. Within each type, variants are distinguished according to type of access, number of floors, etc. The range of possible solutions is presented in uniform ground plans and sections newly drawn to scale.

To continue developing existing building types in an intelligent way is a crucial task in the field of residential building. A deeper understanding of the underlying types is indispensable for the success of the individual design, as well as for ensuring that tried and tested structures can be utilized, repeated, and varied in a wide variety of situations. For this typology of residential buildings, the authors have developed systematic new presentations of the most innovative types. Each individual volume lays out the possibilities for using and transforming a particular form of residential structure. The first volume deals with the various types of the courtyard house, which utilizes the courtyard as an intimate outdoor living space. A presentation of the courtyard as a building block of the city is followed by coverage of the complete spectrum of types - cluster, network, carpet, terraces, etc. The second volume is devoted to the various types of row house, a particularly widespread form of residential structure. A general discussion of the row as organizing principle - the row as urban building block, linear space, ways of handling corners - is followed by the systematic presentation of the different types. Within each type, variants are distinguished according to how they organize space, their number of floors, etc. The range of possible solutions is presented in uniform ground plans newly drawn to scale.