Liuyun Community, Guangzhou
The original balcony is a trapezoidal space of about 5 sqm. That is only half the size required by the NSW Apartment Design Guide. Some of them are enclosed by residents as extensions of the living room. This leaves residents without private outdoor spaces, which can support their outdoor activities under special circumstances such as the pandemic of COVID-19. View more about this case study.

 

By using this toolkit to increase the balcony area to 17 sqm, there are more possibilities for residents to enjoy their own outdoor life in a more private space. While expanding balconies, we avoid blocking the windows of the neighbors to minimize the impact on the solar access of neighbors.

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In this project, we use a steel frame as the structure of the additional balconies. This is because the building separation is large enough to accommodate columns, and the shape of these balconies is irregular. It would be supported better by the frame structure. 

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Unlike the previous application in the Gonghe Community, we used a uniform railing material in this design to create an architectural unity. We chose the perforated copper panel and timber handrail to ensure visual privacy and tactile comfort. This can enhance the visual effect of the trapezoidal balconies in the original design, which are a stylistic feature of these buildings.

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