Hasta La Ideas

Japanese architects 403architecture have turned the floor of this refurbished apartment in Hamamatsu into a huge chest of drawers.

It was only during the renovation that the architects discovered the large void beneath the suspended floor and decided to use it for storage.

Clear, corrugated plastic fronts the new sliding drawers, while scaffolding supports shelves behind and the floor slabs above.

Sheets of white fabric hang like shower curtains from a railing affixed to the exposed concrete ceiling and circle the lower level of the open-plan living room.

You can see more interiors that look unfinished here, including an office with wooden pallets for desks.

Photography is by Kenta Hasegawa.

Here’s a few more words from 403architecture:

The Difference of Ebitsuka

While managing the construction process of an apartment in Hamamatsu, 403architecture [dajiba] discovered a deep false floor, changed plans. And we used the empty space to generate a new lifestyle.

This building has only 15 apartments on 3 floors and it is located along the river. The room in focus is on the ground floor. During construction, we discovered this amazing underfloor space and we decided to use it.

Multi-purpose storage cabinets rest under the micro-mezzanine. We want to use architectural improvisation as a trigger to a more imaginative life.

A wooden plank extends through the walls of three rooms in this renovated Tokyo apartment by architects htmn.

Propped up by the thick walls, the long strip provides a desk that stretches from the living room, across a study and into a bedroom.

The architects added new walls and ceilings throughout the first floor residence, but left a gap so that no room is completely sealed.

We’ve featured a few interesting apartments recently – check out our earlier stories about one divided by sliding glass screens and another split by a bright yellow storage wall.

Photography is by Daici Ano.

Here’s some more text from htmn:

Suspensions of space / A house renovation in Takanodai

This project is renovation of a second-hand house that was made by the two by four method. We designed only second floor in which young couple wanted to live with daughter. Their original demand was living in large one-room without walls, but there was limit to remove walls because of structural restriction of the two by four method. 2×4 houses have been spread on account of speed and easiness of construction. However, it’s difficult to change plan in terms of house renovation.

We made not only wall but also the ceiling of the design target, and aimed to make the space that stiffened by the existing walls open. To be concrete, we remove the existing ceiling, and we built new ceilings (form like broach roof) crossing above the five rooms, and made gaps between walls and new ceilings. As a result, the connection between a room and a next room was made above the space. We determined the height and an incline of ceilings, after considering the diffusion of light and a scene to the next room.

Existing plan prior to renovation

We also made the opening on an inner wall, and installed there the long desk that pierces through three rooms, a living room, a study room and a bedroom. We had a loose sense of togetherness caused by long desk and kitchen counter crossed the border of each room. And, the installation method of the desk is easy to change. Although a long and slender study room is in the center of a house at present, when the type of usage changes, it functions also as a passage.

Renovation plan

The color of the room that was based on white change through a day because of reflection of shiny painted ceiling. We can see rooms that are colored warm color or chill color at the same time through the gap and the opening.

Ceiling plan

We tried to reconstruct space components, such as a wall and a ceiling. The gap and the connection make boundary of rooms blurred. A sense of a territory that rises to the surroundings of one is expanded and contracted on one’s consciousness. We call it suspensions of space.

Diagram

Architects: Hiroaki Takada + Masayuki Nakahata / htmn
Location of project: Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Client: private
Completion: 2010.8
Contractor: Minaduki Kousan Ltd.
Site area: 286.94 m²
Built area: 139.31 m²
Total floor area: 222.79 m²
Second floor area: 83.48 m²(A part of the renovation)

Russian architect Peter Kostelov has slotted a timber structure into a two-storey apartment in Moscow to create two extra floors.

The former top level of the apartment had ceiling heights of up to 8 metres, where the architect has inserted a mezzanine and new upper storey.

Openings in the walls of the wooden structure allow views between rooms on different levels, as does a cutaway in the ceiling of the middle floor.

Bespoke angled lamps hang from the ceilings of the billiard room and dining room on this level, while specially designed furniture fills rooms throughout the apartment.

Marbled tiles line the floor, walls and surfaces of the kitchen, which opens out to a second dining room on the lower floor.

On the top floor, a semi-circular window stretches across the walls of a master bedroom and study.

Peter Kostelov refurbished another Moscow apartment in 2009, for which he used industrial materials, but readers thought that one was a bit too much like a prison. Take a look at it here.

Photography is by Alexey Knyazev.

The following text is from Kostelov:

Multi-level apartment

Characteristic of this apartment is its inner space and cubic capacity.

It is located on the top 18th floor.

Initially it was a two level apartment of total houseroom of 258 sq. meters.

As for the first level it was quite common one: three meter standard height of ceiling and a houseroom of 69 sq. meters.

The second level houseroom was larger 189 sq. meters and the height of ceiling varied from 3 to 8 meters in different zones.

Surely these unique space peculiarities caused project direction: to not only exploit maximum of this nonstandard extreme height but to make multi-level space.

The owner of the apartment approved the idea, moreover it was requested that each member of the family should have extra space so that everyone including 3 children of different age and gender could have their private space for comfortable living.

Central part of the apartment on the second level was as large as 60 sq. meters and more than 8 meters high.

The space was vertically divided into two levels by the newly made third level.

After making necessary calculation on the thickness of overhead cover 0,5 m. was put as required space for structural beams, placing ventilation and final trimming.

The highest ceiling 4,5 m was chosen for the living room located at the lower part of the second level. The upper part on the second level got 3m., where a bedroom, a bathroom and a study room are located. Thus the third level added 54 sq. m to the apartment.

The covers between second and third floors have two clear spaces. One was left for the staircase, while the second one, the closest to the window, appeared to join two spare spaces of the second and third level, the flow of light of which makes partially two-tiered space.

On the third level a dome made by glass partitions separates a bedroom and a study room, which allows the light to spread evenly. The floor space of 9 sq. m. was added to 20 sq. meters of the lower level. Consequently the floor space of each nursery room got 30 sq. m located on two levels.

A home library ceiling in the right –hand side of the apartment is 4,4 m. The same as in children’s room the second level was made here which enlarged it to 8 sq. m. All in all 35 sq. m was added to houseroom.

Rearranging turned a duplex apartment into four-level apartment having added to it 90 sq. m. of extra house room (from 258 sq. m. up to 348 sq. m.)

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Nearly all pieces of furniture (except settees and beds) were specially designed.

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The owners gave preference to warm and light colors.

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In contrast to upholstering the furniture was made from natural processed metal: dinner and low tables, bookstands, stools, shelves.

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Location: Moscow, Russia
Built Area: 348 m2
Architecture, Interior Design: Peter Kostelov
Development effort: Kovaleva T.N., Egorova N.G. “OAO Mosproect”
Projecting: 2009
Building: 2010-2011

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Apartment in San Sebastian by pauzarq	Penthouse apartment by Lecarolimited	Axial Symphony by Design Systems

Rough concrete columns and beams frame the living room ceiling of an apartment in San Sebastian.

The beachside apartment was renovated by local architects pauzarq, who removed partitions that previously split a bay window into three separate rooms.

The open-plan living and dining room now face the entire window and lead out to a balcony beyond.

A recessed skirting creates a visual break between new interior walls and a retained timber floor, as well as around the doorframes.

Pendant lamps with slack wire hang from the apartment ceiling.

We recently grouped together stories about buildings that intentionally look as if the builders haven’t quite finished up – see all the projects here.

The description below is from pauzarq:

Apartment in San Sebastian (Spain) by pauzarq

The renovated flat is located in a residential building in the district of Gros, a few steps away from the beach Zurriola in San Sebastian.

The old apartment layout was characterized by the succession of different independent rooms, communicated through a single distributing corridor. This situation generated the division of the wide bay window into three separate pieces, impeding its overall perception.

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The bay window is recovered as the cornerstone of the apartment where the kitchen-living-dining room is located. That is the public area of the flat, close to the entry. The orientation is double-facing, allowing double cross ventilation and lighting in this centrepiece of the home. On the other hand, one bedroom is located in each piece with balcony.

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The reform aims to enhance the structural value of the building and for that we discover the concrete beams and pillars of the centrepiece. The visual potential of these elements added to the great floor-to-ceiling height of the flat gives to this area its prominent role. As well, we decided to keep the old wooden floor, the new partitions should be light, taking care of the feeling they appear to levitate above the continuous original floor. Consequently we executed a recessed skirting solution that runs the flat and adapts as a door frame.

Work: Apartment renovation in San Sebastian (Spain)
Location: Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain)
Renovated area: 95 m²
Year: 2011
Architects: pauzarq (Felipe Pérez Aurtenetxe, Elena Usabiaga Usandizaga, Gerardo Zarrabeitia Ullíbarri)

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Penthouse apartment by Lecarolimited	Seaside Apartment by Ooze	Apartment by Cut Architectures

A stainless steel net takes the place of a banister around the staircase and first floor corridor of this apartment in Prague.

A1Architects converted the former attic of an apartment block into a two-storey residence with living rooms and bedrooms on the lower level and a guest suite on the upper floor.

Illuminated timber bookshelves are arranged like a wall of bricks behind a staircase that ascends from the living room, whilst two hollow bottom steps provide additional storage space.

Walls and ceilings in this room and elsewhere in the apartment have rounded edges.

The apartment also contains a marble and granite kitchen, grey-plastered feature walls and exposed timber columns.

A1Architects previously designed a larch-clad teahouse with a tall roof – see our earlier story here.

Photography is by David Maštálka of A1Architects.

Here are some more details from the architects:

Rounded Loft

Prague, Czech Republic
Lenka Křemenová & David Maštálka / A1Architects

At the beginning of the year 2010 we had started designing grand attic loft in Prague. It was a new challenge for us to deal with almost “boundless” space for living according to our previous experience focused mainly on small scale.

The issue of “boundless” space became the main motif of our work. The private spaces such as bedrooms are of course separated, but the rest of common activities rooms are connected within one fluent space.

It starts at the entrance hall with dressing wardrobes and slightly continues towards living space and kitchen with large dining table, the space is also opened to upper gallery which is meant for guests. To reach specific fluency of space we decided to round off some of the interior corners, which finally give the space its unique smooth character.

Due to these softened corners one moves and feel simply free and the boundaries of walls somehow disappears. Even the staircase with integrated fireplace and library climbs up in rounded corner. The railing is made out of thin stainless steel net, so it is safe but even smooth and transparent.

Next to the main continuous living space there are three bedrooms and one study room, and some storage spaces integrated mostly as built in furniture.

The issue of materials was another important part of the project. Their main attributes are touchableness and pure naturalness. We chose carefully many of them together with clients at stone workshop and joinery. Most of wooden furniture were tailor made pieces.

Beige large format tiles are used on all attic floors to support the feeling of continuity. We exposed as much of the wooden bearing structure as we could.

The kitchen counter is made out of black granite stone which is next to bright marble on the wall behind. There is used walnut wood for the dining table and ash veneer for the light above.

The living space is connected with the kitchen by raw grey plaster.

Client: private person
Authors: A1Architects
MgA. Lenka Křemenová, MgA. David Maštálka
Project: A1Architects
Floor area: cca 220 m2
Realisation: 2011
Study: 2010

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House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects	Loft Access by Tamir Addadi	Paris apartment by MAAJ Architectes