“-Re” House together with “-Re” Adapt are two series part of a project in which I review, refine and redesign residential projects available on the Dutch housing market. “-Re” House touches projects that have been completed after the year 2000 and could have been done more efficiently to begin with, while “-Re” Adapt looks at how to better adapt older residential architecture that was designed in a different cultural and historical context.
A cute little apartment, funny enough in the same building as “-Re” Adapt no. 8. Decent in size, however, limited by the location of the windows on only one side of the layout.
The utilized solution was, as expected, the pushing of everything that can typically survive without a window all the way in the back while squeezing the living room and bedroom to fit the glass surface. Logic, right?!
Original layout:
• Completed: 1978
Surface: 65m²
Terrace: 15m²
• Let’s start by talking about the access to the bathroom through the master bedroom. Though it might seem like a good approach, the access through the bedroom implies the following:
– All your overnight guests will have to go through your intimate space in order to take a shower (And yes, that includes the watchful eye of the mother in law…).
– In case of completely different schedules, the use of the bathroom at extremely early or late hours of the day/night can result in heated discussions.
– Lastly but not the least, no ventilation system will be able to save your bedroom from being the escape route for the humidity that standardly comes with the use of a bathroom with no natural ventilation. And yes, by that I mean a window.
• As previously stated, I see the kitchen as the core of the common space. It is where we chat in the morning while drinking our coffee. Well, at least some of us… others just growl. And it is where we gather in the evening to cook and catch up. It is the place where guests will gather despite the fancy living room setup and it is where most family arguments will be carried out. I thus think there are better solutions than cramping it into a corner. Just saying…
• Just like in the design of the “-Re” House no 15, I moved the bedroom away from the window.
I’m more than convinced that more than a few eyebrows just did a little dance. And that is perfectly fine. The layout of a home is supposed to support the needs of its residents. That is why there is no universal architectural solution. Which, hopefully will give architects a fighting chance in the robot era…
• For the people who find the windowless bedroom an issue there is always the improved version of the initial solution. See the two layouts below.
Which version would you chose? The windowless bedroom with the large, well lit living room or the kitchen close to the entrance? And why?
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