Problem analysis
75% of the population in developed countries lives in dense urban areas. (Hartig, 2007: 80) In numbers it means about 5.159.625.000 urban residents .
Last decades have experience a rapid urbanization process. At the beginning of 20th century there were 16 cities with over a million inhabitants, while at the end of the 20th century there are about 500 cities with more than million inhabitants. (Corner, 2006: 28)
Although in theory a dense urban fabric offers a sustainable living arrangement, in reality things look different. One of the barriers could be a psychological factor. Urban life in general and urban stressors such as: noise from traffic, fear from crime, and crowing in particular may motivate people to look for greener grasses in the suburbs. (Hartig, 2007: 80)
Yet, continuous residential mobility to the periphery demands unsustainable planning actions, such as an expansion of transportation infrastructure. More than that, with the ongoing urban sprawl, the desired quality of nature experience might be reduced. (Hartig, 2007: 80)
“These days, when we say that nature is undergoing a crisis, we mean to say that the borderline between nature and culture is situated in at critical spot” (S. E. Larsen, 2005)
How to balance the relationship between the built environment and the nature world? How to bring the nature into the city in order to avoid the city to grow into the nature?

Why landscape?
How could the conceptual scope of landscape enrich the practice of architecture of residential buildings in the city?
The response to this question will be developed all along the research process. So far the question is answered by other questions regarding four aspects. These questions are the preliminary research questions.
TO DENSIFY. How to manipulate the perception of density by incorporating landscape characters?
TO EXPAND. How to expand the common architectural vocabulary to new spatial characteristics and aesthetics that reflect the ecological necessity and perception? How to link the built world to the world of nature (literal / metaphorical)?
TO BRIDGE. How to bridge the paradox between the desires and ideologies for living place and the notion of dense city?
TO ECO. How landscape characteristics could assist to approach ecological problems through ecological resource rather than a technical solution?

Aim & method
The main goal of the project is to develop new urban housing prototypes in order to enhance and develop the current urban living solutions and life style. Throughout the project it is hypothesized that a hybrid form of landscape and residential building could generate new urban housing forms.
The filed of investigation would be best (excellent) built examples of multi-family house that integrate landscape and building.
The working method is divided to several steps:
TO UNDERSTAND. To analyze the 2-4 examples and to understand the qualities of the interaction between landscape and building.
TO DRAW. On the base of the analysis, the ideas is to draw operational schemes and concepts that can be used in a realistic design process at the studio (Holscher). This schemes could be either understood from the examples or an elaborated version of the original idea found in the case.
TO CONTEXTUALIZE. To test the drawn schemes and concept in a realistic design process by engaging Holscher’s ongoing office projects as a laboratory for the ideas found or generated during the previous phase. There could be some contextual adjustments, such as: climate weather culture housing preference, building regulation etc.
TO EVALUATE. To reflect on the research process including analysis > drawing schemes > testing in Danish context > evaluation
TO END UP. The process will end with proposals for building fragments relate to new development or transformation of existing.