10 Unique Architectural Concepts and Ideas to Design Apartments

Architecture connects people with nature and its surroundings, its environment, the neighborhood, the city, and further larger urban context. Here are a few unique Architectural concepts and ideas to design apartments. You can implement a few of them as per requirement.

Unique Architectural Concepts to design Apartments

1. Orientation:

Facing the apartment towards a quiet street/Green area/Parks/Gardens compared to busy streets reduces noise levels and acts as natural sound barrier/abatement. It also provides direct views of the outside with ample natural ventilation.

2. Central Ventilation Channel

Dividing into two individual apartment blocks with separate corridors with a gap in the middle provides ventilation allowing more natural light into the passage and individual apartments. It also facilitates natural ventilation from the basement to the rooftop, creating an air circulation channel in the central space.

The presence of inner courtyards offers local recreation spaces for the residents/users.

The courtyards can be equipped with play areas for children, semi-open spaces, or lawns.

3. Layered Terrace Concepts

Have you heard about the layered terrace concept? In these types of unique architectural concepts, each slab is projected alternatively and acts as a terrace for the floor below.

The advantage of layered terrace concepts –

• The Exchange of fresh air and Natural Ventilation effectively monitors itself between the two layers. Minimal heat is transferred from the building exterior to the Interior.
• Provides absolute thermal, wind, and Acoustical/sound insulation.
• Improves temperature control in the building.

• Vertically layered buildings with floors of varying sizes improve the quality of life of the users.
• The concept uses five principles – inside and outside, layers and terraces, vegetation & architecture, outdoor views & privacy, and light & identity. http://www.area-arch.it/en/beirut-terraces/
• The terrace of one floor acts as an overhang providing creating shaded spaces and providing privacy for the below floors.

4. Facades

Facades differ depending on their design, style, functionality, type of buildings, materials, etc. Each façade has its own distinctive character and unique style.

a) Double Skin Façade

b) Grid Facades as Unique Architectural Concepts

• A grid composition of the façade lends the building a classical and contemporary appearance.
• Higher room heights and generous window openings present themselves with natural light and ventilation along with outdoor views.

c) Facades with pattern designs

• Wood carvings with intricate patterns on the façade create unique and appealing enlivening surfaces.
• Attractive patterns are created by sunlight in the interior spaces with the interplay of light and shades at different times of the day.
• Provides privacy and wood acts as insulation.
• Enhances local and traditional architecture, and facilitates the local workforce.

5. Natural Site Slope and Terrain

Design, plan, and construct the apartment building as per the natural slope and terrain. Connecting buildings by footbridges along with the use of contour lines, and terrain without disturbing the ecosystem.

6. Vertical Green Walls

A vertical green wall is a significant design feature and is considered a unique architectural concept that evolved a few years ago.

• Vertical green walls naturally filter the air.
• Regulates temperature and humidity of the interior spaces.
• Spaces filled with greenery create an inviting and lively atmosphere for the residents or users.

7. Materials

a) Adaptive thin Glass Panels

This contribution is an excerpt from the journal publication by Louter et al. 2018. It explores the potential of thin glass for architectural applications and reports on two thin glass concepts.

Thin Glass Concepts for Architectural Applications | glassonweb.com

• Using Aluminum for facades, and balcony railings(vertical aluminum fins and shaded aluminum sheets) in commercial buildings is constructive since they are durable and easy to maintain.

b) Ventilation walls – Made of Cemboards

8. Structure

Modular Facade from Prefabricated Parts

The Modular by Bureau Fraai references an industrial past with a progressive façade design | Archello

Few other Ideas

• A Concrete structure sustains typical and harsh marine weather.
• Modular construction methods take less time for a building to complete than conventional methods.
• Reuse existing buildings by altering their functions such as transforming unused industrial buildings into commercial centers.
• Precast concrete elements are most common in industrial/warehouse construction.

9. Sustainable Aspects

• Existing trees present on the site are to be retained.
• Maximize energy and Material savings.
• Buildings nurtured by ample vegetation and landscape not only generate an ecosystem but also reduce thermal gain in summer.
• The use of permeable stone pavers for the outdoor parking areas permits rainwater to infiltrate the soil and prevents soil erosion.
• The electric car pools reduce the amount of pollution than the otherwise car parking lots.
• The presence of water treatment plants in the buildings minimizes the environmental impact.
  • The reuse of treated greywater from sinks and showers is used for irrigation purposes.
  • Reuse rainwater for gardening purposes.
• Solar energy for heating water.
• Reusing existing materials improves energy efficiency.

10. Interiors

Well-designed Interior spaces reflect the personality and lifestyle of the residents/users residing. The mix of two/three different interior styles and achieving larger spaces from small areas creates beautiful and functional architectural concepts.

a) Mix of Interior styles

 From Architects – They mixed industrial references (metalwork and black, for example) with classic interior elements (boiserie’s, wood-looking floor) to obtain a very interesting mix of styles. 

b) Flexible design for small spaces

• Small spaces with compact and defined functional zones can be turned into spacious rooms by incorporating flexible furnished elements combining different functional rooms such as living, dining, and kitchen as a single entity.