Bjarke Ingels' firm has completed Dortheavej Residence, an affordable housing development in Copenhagen made up of prefabricated modules stacked on top of one another.

BIG designed the five-storey building for Danish non-profit housing association Lejerbo, a company whose vision was developed by urban designer Jan Gehl.
It creates 66 new homes for low-income residents ranging between 60 to 115 square metres in area. Each one has 3.5-metre-high ceilings, full-height windows and south-facing balconies.

The building takes the form of a "winding wall", designed by the architects to resemble a chequerboard.
The southern side of the apartments are fronted with floor-to-ceiling glazing and alternating balconies, while the northern facade is designed to look like a pattern of solid and void.
The curve of the building creates a natural entrance plaza facing the street. At its base, a trio of large openings ? each the size of one prefab module ?create passageways through to a large secluded garden beyond.

"The characteristic chequered pattern of Dortheavej is based on a singular prefab structure," explained BIG, which has its main office in Copenhagen, as well as studios in New York and London.

"Conceived as a porous wall, the building gently curves in the centre, creating space for a public plaza towards the street on the south side and an intimate green courtyard towards north," it continued.
"On the street level, the building opens up to al...