Residential Apartment Building: Projects Examples with Floor Plans and Drawings
Residential Apartment Building: from definition to design criteria, schemes, practical cases and models ready for download
Apartment buildings (or block of flats) represent a very common type of housing in the urban fabric. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about this type of housing, and in detail, we will delve into:
- definition of apartment buildings;
- key design criteria;
- subtype examples ;
- how to design multi-family apartment building following a typical example.
It is also possible to download the project examples created with a building design software and use them to produce all the necessary documentation. You can even simply view them online for free:
Finally, we also suggest you to read this insight addressing townhouses examples.
Apartment buildings render – produced with Edificius
Contents
What are apartment buildings
Apartment buildings represent a type of residential building characterized by linear aggregation, generally straight but not necessarily bound to such a configuration, of housing units grouped in pairs or more around a vertical connection. These structures are typically multi-story and multi-family, consisting of stairwells that serve at least two apartments per floor.
Each group of housing units shares one or more stairwells, creating an efficient and compact solution that maximizes the use of space. These residential units can be organized flexibly, with configurations ranging from a simple straight line to more complex arrangements, which can follow the terrain’s contours or respond to specific urban planning needs.
This type of building is particularly appreciated for its ability to combine economies of scale with the possibility of offering a higher residential density compared to single-family homes, without sacrificing the comfort and autonomy of each housing unit.
apartment building layout sketch
Key Design Criteria for Apartment Buildings
The aggregation of modules occurs through lateral addition with total or partial alignment in the transverse direction of the ends: this almost always means that the ends of the modules are blind to allow for aggregation. Therefore, the possibilities for openings are limited to the opposing larger sides.
Apartment building sketch – walls orientation
The surface area and internal organization of each housing unit can vary, allowing for configurations with identical-sized and arranged accommodations, as well as diversified layouts to meet different housing needs. This design flexibility allows homes to be adapted to a wide range of urban contexts and resident preferences.
Normally, the stairwell is located at the center and serves two units per floor.
In the case where three units are planned per floor, double exposure must still be allowed for the other two units. The third unit is generally of minimum size and is located in correspondence with the stairwell.
Apartment building – elevation view produced with Edificius
The possibility of exposure on only two sides also affects the depth of the building body.
Since living spaces must be naturally ventilated and illuminated, their placement on the outer bands is mandatory; the central part is then used as a corridor area.
The ground floor can be fully or partially porticoed, or it can contain residences for special user categories (elderly and disabled persons). In the case of ground floor residences, these may be equipped with a private garden.
The density of the row houses varies significantly depending on the number of served floors, which ranges from three to about six or seven. However, there is no predetermined number of floors, and there are no restrictions on the maximum number of apartments per floor. Height and length are therefore theoretically unlimited.
The length depends on the number of minimum units that are aggregated.
Building apartment – A-A cross-section produced with Edificius
The thickness of the factory body is variable: on average 10-11 meters (from a minimum of 7-8 to a maximum of 12-13 meters). It generally has constant dimensions along the transverse axis and can grow indefinitely along the longitudinal axis.
The height of the building, its volume (cubic capacity), and its footprint (covered area) depend on urban planning regulations (master plan – building regulations – manufacturing plan – other) and the choices made by the designer in considering these regulations. When the height of the building exceeds the measurement of each side of the plan, the linear house takes on the definition of a tower house.
Apartment buildings – floor plans plans produced with Edificius
Internal distribution of housing
The distribution within the housing is preferably done in a centric position relative to the depth of the building body, to:
- minimize the connective space (entrances, corridors), because all rooms would be served with the shortest path, with comb-like branches from the entrance and/or corridor;
- avoid passage rooms, which would make everything less functional, as crossing creates paths (virtual corridors) within the spaces
The central distribution, which coordinates well with the concept of a triple building body, can also be achieved with the good positioning of vertical connections (stairs, elevators), which allow access to the housing in a central position, and therefore in direct correspondence with the internal corridors.
Connections between housing units
The connection between multiple typological modules occurs at the ground floor level outside the access points to the individual modules, via a sidewalk (open connection), or through a portico (covered connection). The ground floor is frequently porticoed, with spaces intended for the community (play areas for children, senior meeting centers, etc.) or residences for disabled or elderly people.
Apartment building subtypes
The Block of Flats presents subtypes depending on the morphology of the aggregation of the typological modules:
- in a straight line, when the typological modules aggregate along a straight axis for total adjacency
- in a crescent shape (or fan-shaped or comma-shaped), when the adjacency is total but along a curved line
- in a chain, when the typological modules aggregate always along a straight axis but with partial adjacencies determining a diagonal layout
- at an angle when there are special connection solutions between the typological modules in a “Y”, “L”, or “T” shape
- in a courtyard as a special case, when the typological modules aggregate forming an internal courtyard.
How to design apartment building: the step-by-step guide
General framework
The area is located near the historic center of Itri, surrounded by linear residential buildings and three/four-story buildings above ground. The lot measures 1,580 m2 with a longitudinal dimension oriented SE-NW.
The project involves the construction of a row building measuring 50 m x 9.4 m, a total of four above-ground floors plus one basement for cellars and technical rooms.
The housing units, 3 on the ground floor and 4 on each upper floor, are served by two independent staircases and by relevant balconies, for a total of 15 housing units with corresponding cellars. The ground floor apartments have private gardens, separated by pedestrian pathways providing access to the building and connecting to the parking areas on the north side.
Descriptive architectural report
The intervention is characterized by the reinterpretation of the classic apartment building, with four housing units per floor, in favor of a slimmer line typology, with the building body reduced to 7.5 m, capable of accommodating a relevant balcony for each housing unit on every floor.
The facade systems differ significantly based on exposure and the contribution required for internal climate control:
- to the southeast, a shading system envelops the balcony and is characterized by the use of bamboo brise-soleil, with sliding doors that close like a book, capable of filtering light in the living area, giving freedom and lightness to the facade, which continuously changes to meet the residents’ desires for light and shadow;
- to the northwest, conversely, the system presents a strong solid against the most unfavorable exposure, opening full-height openings modulated for rhythm and width, revealing the great wall thickness that characterizes it.
The ground connection presents housing types similar to those of the upper floors but enriched by large gardens on all fronts and accessible to people with disabilities.
The roof level is a collective solarium, with a floating wooden floor carved with small green craters for relaxation and leisure, from which to enjoy the panoramic view towards the castle.
Apartment building plans and examples – Trame d’Ombra – D-D cross-section produced with Edificius
The solarium is protected by a cantilevered metal cover on which the solar panel systems are installed.
The composition is clearly distinct due to the two different facade treatments, antithetical and contrasting, functional to exposure, visibility, and the use of internal spaces.
The two different fronts define a volume that appears suspended, distinct from the ground floor, compact and rich in shadow values, and from the collective cover, ethereal and dematerialized.
Typological and Distributive Choices
The building as a whole consists of 6 residential units of 64 m2 usable, 4 units of 74 m2, and 5 of 45 m2.
The apartments have a similar distribution scheme across three floors, with 1 type of 74 m2, 2 of 64 m2, and 1 of 45 m2 on each floor, served by two stairwells with elevators from which it is possible to access the balconies directly. Only the ground floor presents a distribution variation, with 3 ground floor apartments and two through corridors.
Each apartment has a width of 7.5 m, with the living area of about 25 m2 for all types and the sleeping area that contracts or expands depending on the size of the apartment.
The living area extends from one side of the building to the other and continues towards the external balcony. The kitchen, overlooking the balcony, serves as a hinge between the living area and the sleeping area, aligned with the bathroom block and the duct column. The sleeping areas are oriented NE-SW with an average daylight surface ratio of 0.4 and a favorable air exchange due to the slenderness of the building.
Construction and Material Choices
The building consists of a load-bearing frame structure in reinforced concrete and continuous foundations with inverted beams.
The floors are made of prefabricated beams and hollow blocks, with a cast-in-place slab. The external infill walls are made of a double layer of hollow bricks with an air chamber and interposed insulation, while the internal partitions are made of hollow bricks and plaster.
The external wall finishes include breathable plasters and acrylic water-based paints.
Terraces and the solarium have floating wooden floors. In continuity with the exteriors, the internal floors are also wooden; beneath these are the radiant packages for heating, consisting of insulating layers and coils embedded in a lightweight screed. The bathrooms have ceramic floors and coverings.
All other rooms are painted with breathable acrylic water-based paint and tempera with an anti-mold insulating primer.
The external fixtures are made of painted aluminum, thermally broken, and with double glazing with sliding and hinged doors, compliant with energy certification standards. The internal fixtures are in light walnut tambour wood.
The shading system of the SE facade consists of movable frames made of painted steel and Chinese bamboo poles with a diameter of 3-4 cm, sliding opening, and a book-fold packing system.
The outdoor spaces on the ground floor feature large green areas in private gardens, with clinker tile paving for the areas adjacent to the building, and paving in draining porphyry cubes for public roads, both vehicular and pedestrian.
The boundary walls are made of weakly reinforced hollow bricks and plastered, with a painted iron fence.
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