1. A TALE OF
THREE CITIES
The Future of Mass Housing
Bart Goldhoorn
Block City Institute

4. MODULAR CITY

5. 07-12-1954

6. ‘On the extensive
introduction of industrial
methods, improving the
quality and reducing the cost
of construction’

7. MOSCOW

8. TEHERAN

9. CAIRO

10. MUMBAI

11. BEIJING

12. SEOUL

13. ANKARA

14. SIGNAPORE

15. DESIGNER CITY

16. CONTEXT

17. AUTHORSHIP

18. VARIETY

23. EUROPE 70s – 80s
PRIVATISATION
- LESS GOVERNMENT
- INCREASE OF HOME AND LAND OWNERSHIP
- DEVELOPMENT BY PRIVATE SECTOR
- INCREASE OF PRIVATE TRANSPORT
- INDIVIDUALISATION OF DEMAND

24. LOT

25. TRANSPORT

26. PRIVATE
LAND
OWNERSHIP

27. VARIETY

28. ACCESS

29. BEFORE

30. AFTER

31. AFTER

32. MODULAR CITY:
+ FAST TO DEVELOP
+ CHEAP TO BUILD
+ PREDICTABLE PROCESS
– BAD QUAILTY

33. DESIGNER CITY:
– SLOW TO DEVELOP
– EXPENSIVE TO BUILD
– UNPREDICTABLE PROCESS
+ GOOD QUAILTY

34. HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THE
DESIGNER CITY IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES THAT NEED LARGE
QUANTITIES OF HOUSING BUT DO
NOT HAVE THE TIME NOR THE
MONEY TO BUILD THIS CITY?

35. HOW CAN WE COMBINE MASS
PRODUCTION WITH THE QUALITIES
OF CUSTOM DESIGNED PRODUCTS?

36. CUSTOM DESIGN = VARIETY + FIT

39. UNIFORM
HAUTE COUTURE
PRET-A-PORTER

40. BLOCK CITY

41. BLOCK CITY
=
INTRODUCTION
OF A STANDARD
FOR THE SIZE
OF URBAN BLOCKS

42. BLOCK CITY WILL CREATE
A MARKET FOR READY-MADE
HOUSING PROJECTS
THAT WILL COMPETE FOR
REALIZATION ON PLOTS WITH
STANDARD SIZES

46. USING THE
STANDARD BLOCK SIZE
FOR 40-80% OF
NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENTS
WILL ENABLE THE CREATION
OF HIGH QUALITY CITIES AT
LOW COSTS

47. CATALOGUE
+
ARCHITECT

48. COMPETITION WILL LEAD TO
- INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
- BETTER QUALITY
- MORE VARIETY
- LOWER PRICES

49. BLOCK CITY PILOT
2010
A101 BLOCK CITY COMPETITION
MASSHTAB DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM:
40.000 INHABITANTS
80% OF STANDARD SIZE BLOCKS

50. 4 MASTERPLANS
- KCAP (NL)
- MVRDV (NL)
- EDDEA (SP)
- HSA (DE)

52. URBAN BLOCK PROJECTS
ONE SIZE
4 SITUATIONS
210 PROJECTS
30 COUNTRIES

53. EXHIBITIONS
MAY-OCTOBER 2011
LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, DENMARK
220.000 VISITORS
PRAGUE
ISTANBUL
MOSCOW
BERLIN

57. BLOCK SIZE STANDARD
- AN INDUSTRIAL STANDARD
FOR THE URBAN PLANNING
INDUSTRY
- CAN BE IMPLEMENTED ON
SHORT TERM WITH NO
COSTS

58. BLOCK SIZE STANDARD
WILL BENEFIT:
- THE POLULATION
- CITIES
- DEVELOPERS
- ENGINEERS
- ARCHITECTS
(BUT NOT THE DSK)

59. WWW.BLOCKCITY.ORG