This stacked villa was designed by Atelier Thomas Pucher and Bramberger Architects in Tartu, Estonia. It won a first prize in the invited competition for the Tartu Rebase Street, back in the year 2006. It consists of 9 towers with 444 apartments, and to be developed on a prestigious site in Estonia's second largest city. The aim of the project is to provide each apartment the spleandour of a single villa and combine it with an advance ecological energy system. The construction then started in early 2007.
Over the last centuries, the idea of single residential family houses changed enormously. Different approaches and reinterpretations were somehow influence the style of living and also the space function itself. The proposal was to merge the advantages of privacy, outdoor gardens and the boundless views that a single residential home offers with more economical and low maintenance costs, which would subsequently have less impact on the environment.
In order to response to the existing urban settings in the surrounding area, they designed two types of buildings; River Towers and City Slabs.
The concept for the River Towers is clear and simple where spaces been organized based on their functions in two main rings; the service ring and living area ring. The service ring consists of the main entrance to the apartment, wardrobes, bathroom, sauna areas and kitchen area. Meanwhile, the living ring or the exterior ring comprised of living area that offer enough exposure to the sunlight and tremendous landscape views.
The design for the second type of apartment was controlled by the urban context. Located along the existent street following the north-south axis, the apartments are organized in a cross-stacked scheme. Each apartments is provided with and east-west solar exposure. The exterior spaces comply with the same concept of the River Tower; wide balcony that surrounds the building creating unique outdoor areas. At the lower levels, the terrain merges with the ground floor, creating a private garden for each houses.
