The project takes as a starting point the architectural exploration and revival of the typology of a courtyard block – a type that has a long history in the city of Budapest and yet, is getting abandoned and rejected in the in the last decades – a predicament that surprises as the type has been realised successfully for centuries and even millennia across the world. For that fact, I take a stance that a courtyard is a universal and everlasting type, but in need of adaptation to the changing conditions of current times.
The main flaws of the majority of Budapestian courtyard blocks derive from the very failure to adapt to growing and densifying cities – in pursuit to densify the plots, the courtyards became overly elongated, narrow, dark and uninviting. Another common weakness is the deteriorating state of the courtyards resulting from a complex and inefficient system of ownership in Hungary. As a result, even once beautiful courtyards and facades became neglected and deteriorated as it proved difficult to make the residents look after them on their own account without any system.
The revitalisation of a Budapestian courtyard is then two-fold – systematic and architectural. As part of the design, all properties in the project come partially owned by the municipal/civic body to ensure organised maintenance and enduring quality of the building. The main architectural improvements are opening up the dwellings to at least both sides of the block introducing more light and diverse views, and careful proportioning of the courtyards ensuring sufficient access of light and a more usable space.
The project lies in a in a mainly residential neighbourhood in a place that is historically and morphologically very heterogenous. It aims to give back coherency to the urban tissue that is currently broken, by working with a rectangular perimeter. The buildings use the courtyard system to break down the scale of the block and create multiple different environments and more private spaces within.
The project explores the diversity of the courtyard typology and plays with the juxtaposition of different types, introducing both outdoor and indoor courtyards, large and small ones, public and private, loud and quiet, exposed and secluded, green and paved, colourful and toned, densely and lightly programmed. A vast study of courtyards across the world brought forth the forms and techniques that make them successful, giving inspiration for the design that aims to capture these different qualities and collect them creating a diverse courtyard maze.
The project is of mixed program – housing with retail, restaurants and cafes, and a library. The mixed use, together with a variety of courtyards introduced life into the block and creates an engaging living environment. ... Read more

The widely known General Extension Plan of Amsterdam (Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan van Amsterdam (AUP)) from 1935, with Cornelis van Eesteren as its head architect, is one of the most famous schemes of this kind even today. It is known for its unique and sophisticated system of the urban greenery which can be reached within a 10 minutes radius from any point in the city. How was it achieved in such a large and dense urban area? Why was such an intricate greenery system introduced in the first place? What was it inspired by? How was it devised? These are merely a few questions that come up when one sees the original plan for the first time. The answer to these questions are as fascinating as the history of the expansion plan itself which is directly related to them, as the AUP is a sophisticated, clearly layered, harmonised and hierarchal system of urban elements. What elements contributed to such a success of this plan? What adjustments the pre-war plan had to undergo in order to answer the needs of the society in the post-war world? In order to answer all these questions, a wide research has been done in an attempt to uncover the long and complicated history of AUP, and all the events, societal factors, brilliant individuals that have shaped the city of Amsterdam into what it is today.
The first section of this paper takes on the historical background relevant to the AUP. It explains the ideas of the pioneers of urban planning and greenery planning, which inspired the planners of the Amsterdam extension plan. In the second part, we will look closely at the AUP itself and at its history. It will be shown what factors contributed to its creation, and what was the system on the big scale. The third part will focus on the smaller scale, looking closely at the details and particular strategies applied, and at how the new neighbourhoods were planned out. This will be shown with the example of the Slotermeer district, as out of all the neighbourhoods planned in AUP, that one was the most successful as the designers were more free in their processes. Finally, in the last section, the greenery system of AUP will be analysed in detail. It will be shown how the ideas behind it were developed and how they have influenced the city.
... Read more