Early chapters in architectural studies cover cross-sections and perspective views, and how buildings come together. So, do architects and designers ace the Tetris game because their minds are already programmed to build?

Almost 40 years after a young Russian programmer Aleksej Pažitnov invented Tetris, this addictive game continues to fascinate players of all ages. But some play it better than others – architects especially. A game that requires the player to manipulate and arrange falling blocks of different shapes – called tetriminoes – demands logical thinking, dynamic spatial reasoning, mental dexterity, problem-solving skills, and a sense of visual balance. Who better than design professionals to play a game that’s basically programmed to do what they do every day?

In the real world, Tetris architecture is a design strategy employed to navigate limitations such as constricted plots and regulatory restrictions to create structures that can house the maximum number of occupants despite the building’s compact footprint.

Like the game, Tetris architecture is built on a stackable design typology, which maximises the use of available space, minimises wastage of space, and is particularly suitable for overpopulated cities where land is scarce and demand for housing is high.

Let’s take a look at some of these Tetris-inspired projects where designers have dropped their architectural tetrominoes into place to create spatially efficient buildings.

Tetris Apartments | Ljubljana, Slovenia | OFIS Architects

Tetris Apartments | Ljubljana

Photo credit: Tomaz Gregoric | OFIS Architects

Completed in 2007, this social housing project was developed on a narrow site measuring 58m L x 15m W. According to OFIS Architects, the development got its name after the elevation was designed when people began to associate the building with the Tetris game.

Since the building faced the busy highway, the apartments and their balconies were angled to open towards the quieter southern side. The 650 apartments range from 30m² studios to 3-room 70m² units.

Maple Bear Pre-Nursery School | New Delhi, India | Renesa Architecture Design Interiors

Maple Bear Pre-Nursery School

Photo credit: Vibhor Yadav | Renesa Architecture Design Interiors

Aptly called The Tetrisception, this project saw the transformation of an old dilapidated home into a modern nursery school with a colourful tetris-ised facade that would draw (and retain) the attention of pre-schoolers.

According to Renesa Architecture Design Interiors, who designed the school, the intent was “to create a reaction and response from a young one in order to make them learn from the exterior environment”.

To this end, the architects design-mapped all the games that would engage children of that age group, and decided to integrate Tetris design elements into the architectural skin of the building. A running gradient of colours on the tetris-ised facade adds volume and value to an already playful elevation.

Tetris House | Toronto, Canada | Atelier RZLBD

Tetris House | Toronto

Photo credit: borXu Design | Atelier RZLBD

Reza Aliabadi of the Toronto-based architectural studio, Atelier RZLBD took his fascination for the mesmerising geometry of the Tetris game into designing efficient spaces for clients. “If a designer of space was as structured as Tetris blocks, there would be virtually zero wasted space within a building,” says Aliabadi.

When given the challenge to fit his client’s brief into a compact 12.2m x 33.5m lot, while complying with tight zoning rules for an infill project in Toronto, RZLBD set a ‘no leftover space’ design goal with a simple rule in mind: every inch is a usable inch.

The 3000-square-feet Tetris House is spread across three storeys, with its compact footprint still able to channel natural light throughout the entire house, thanks to the invisible Tetris element – a central light well from the upper floor to the basement. Materials used on the exteriors boldly expose the Tetris elements of the interior spaces while the striking facade showcases the geometry of a well-played Tetris game.

WAP Art Space | Seoul, South Korea | Davide Macullo Architects

Photo credit: Yousub Song – Studio Worlderful | Davide Macullo Architects

Built on an empty urban block, squashed between existing buildings, this 3150m² Seoul building has been planned as a residence-gallery where living spaces are supported by a production space. Designed by Davide Macullo Architects, the structure is an arrangement of floating cubic volumes, with the cube – chosen for its symbolic strength and balance – serving as the primary design element.

“It is a succession of spaces, closed and open, full and empty, compressed and decompressed. It generates a perceptual map, translated into distinct moments of usability, yet still interconnected,” explains the architect.

Tetris House | Modular Housing Concept | Universe Architecture

Tetris House Amsterdam

Render credit: Universe Architecture

The falling geometric blocks of the Tetris game have served as creative inspiration for many design professionals, but Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars, founder of Amsterdam-based Universe Architecture, has gone a step ahead by designing an innovative concept for modular Tetris homes that can be applied worldwide.

Ruijssenaars’ Tetris House is a modular system consisting of blocks that can be flexibly placed side-by-side or stacked to create a home customised to the needs of the client. Each block is a steel structure and all exteriors are glass-fronted to provide expansive 360° views to the residents. Steel strips on the blocks allow the addition of balconies and shutters. Once the blocks are configured and put in place, the house is ready. While the standard house measures 1,883 square feet, the owner can expand the area to meet their growing needs thanks to the modular system. The blocks can also be reconfigured in future, if required.

Branko Miletic

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