Apartamentos Cambridge 

The Cambridge Apartments were designed for a 10 000sqm site in Harare, Zimbabwe. The developers design brief called for maximum density and careful market analysis was perfomed to determine the correct building size and price point for the clientelle.  

 

The complex consists of 10 apartment units and a club house. An emphasis was placed on creating expansive, free flowing spaces that unify the interior and exterior and provide for an optimum living experience.

 

Light was carefully manipulated and adjusted depending on the use of each space and the intended atmospheric effect. A grounded yet dynamic architecture was created through the manipulation and expression of materials and their intrinsic nature. The impression of the building changes with the season and the time of the day.

 

The environment played a pivotal role in the arrangement of mass, with extensive analysis performed in order to effectively cool and heat the building; using natural means. During the winter, when the temperature falls below the human comfort range, the sun penetrates the spaces and warms the floors, where the heat is stored. During the summer, when cooling is needed, the sun is blocked. Cross ventilation and a stack system employing a double heighted volume ventilate the building. Rain water is harnessed and stored in underground cisterns. With brick and reinforced concrete as the predominant structural material, the form was largely a result of the maximization of the natural properties and efficient construction methods of these systems. The aim was to create an entity that was in concert with nature