In the 1980s, a farmer in Japan came up with the idea of making a cube-shaped watermelon. He created a special mould in which the fruit would grow, and the result was a wonderful, cubic watermelon that remained stable and was easier to store, pack, and ship.

This practice might work for watermelons, but not for buildings. Density has nothing to do with the volumetric exploitation of the city. It is not a question of fitting in as many homes as possible, or reducing voids, because that would simply be for the sake of speculation. This volume is part of the “Density” series, initiated by a+t in 2002, which has become a reference for publications about collective housing worldwide.

In the 1980s, a farmer in Japan came up with the idea of making a cube-shaped watermelon. He created a special mould in which the fruit would grow, and the result was a wonderful, cubic watermelon that remained stable and was easier to store, pack, and ship.

This practice might work for watermelons, but not for buildings. Density has nothing to do with the volumetric exploitation of the city. It is not a question of fitting in as many homes as possible, or reducing voids, because that would simply be for the sake of speculation. This volume is part of the “Density” series, initiated by a+t in 2002, which has become a reference for publications about collective housing worldwide.