-Re Adapt

“-Re” Adapt no. 4 – Going Big

I love browsing new developments. Is so much fun to see what people create. And though at times I end up imitating my dog and crookedly staring at the screen in confusion, I always have a blast.

Original layout:
•  Completed: 2012
Surface: 192m²

This is a gigantic apartment, with a beautiful amount of window space. It’s shape, however does limit certain options.
I didn’t want to restructure it completely. It works fine as it is. True, there is the downside of the small bedroom being accessed through the kitchen and the living room, but hey, look at the view!!! Even I can’t comment on this… What I can and will comment is the choice in furniture layout. I does not do true justice to the space.
• And so, I have played with each room in part and adjusted it to maximize its potential and better cater to one’s needs. Next to the space usage, I have taken in consideration circulations and privacy. If you’d like to know more about the layout of the small bedroom I invite you to reed my article about the kid’s bedroom design.
• As for the living room and kitchen, the original layout breaks the space in so many little pieces that it practically shrinks this “ballroom” of a room. The people sitting on the couches have no connection with those either at the dining table or in the kitchen. Each of the three spaces is almost separate from the others despite the lack of walls. The kitchen connects with the balcony but not with the dining table, while the dining table is almost on its own. All this turns the remaining space in somewhat of a hallway.   

New layout:
• I barely touched any walls. I payed with, but in the end decided not to.
• I added a walking closet to the master bedroom. This allows one to dress in the morning without disturbing the other. It also creates a much more relaxed view while waking up in the morning and not seeing the messy clothes tossed on the floor. You know who you are…
• I moved the door of the next room (in the original plan the office) so that it allows for more layout options.
• I moved the kitchen and the dining area. By changing their orientation I was able to create two main circulations that do not impede in any way the functions and create visual connections between the three main functions of the room. This also created a “corridor” through which the third bedroom can be accessed with minimal interference to the rest of the space.
• I reorganized the third bedroom. The circulations were shrinking the usable space and diminished the value of having a walk in closet. By removing the bed from the main space of the room I gave it privacy and made a clear distinction between work mode and rest mode. Want to know more? Read here.
• Last but not least, I played with the balcony. I am more than convinced that the reason behind the crowded original layout design was not to showcase the space, but its size. Ironically, this won’t help sell a space as most people need more to understand the potential of a space.
Obviously, the shape of the balcony will yield two areas: the large volume of the access point and the lateral narrow piece. The large volume will see most of the action and summer parties. And so, it will benefit from being able to work with the living room space (thus the furniture orientation). The lateral space has a beautiful level of privacy so it will be better suited for a small area of talking, reading or simply detaching from the rest.


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2 thoughts on ““-Re” Adapt no. 4 – Going Big

  1. I have many issues with how this is thought up originally: coming into a house through the private area, the stranded third bedroom (which can offer privacy if you have a student in the house, but why on earth would they put a walk-in closet in the small bedroom instead of the main one), using so much space of almost 200 square meters for the ballroom and cramming the bedrooms, no private access to the bathroom from the master bedroom – many of which you couldn’t fix because it is drawn as it is. Also, whan on earth is that niche in the middle of the plan?
    That said, loved the window sill bench and the rethinking of the circulation in the main space, as well as the balcony. As for practicality, it really depends how one uses the house. In an apartment with a young child, the bedroom next to the main makes more sense as a kids room, you do not want to walk around the whole house at night when they might have a nightmare. I would always make the `far` bedroom office/guest room, so when people sleep over they can have their privacy (it makes then added sense that there is a private bathroom attached) – but then again, i am thinking from a perspective of having people over often enough :). But also from a work at home perspective, it is more detached from the rest, far enough from the tv, should anyone be watching that, yet close enough for if you have something on the stove :).

    1. I agree! Is not ideal to enter through the night area, however you also don’t want to access the night area through the day area.

      I think in this case, the view was such a major point that the location of the living room became the starting point of the design. If you were to move it to one side you would lose its clear cut volume and a lot of the view. Move it to the right and you end up with a long corridor to access the night area and lose the access to the balcony. Move it to the left and you enter the day area through a long dark corridor. You also have a small side addition to the space with an unclear function. Moving the kitchen there would destroy any feeling of open space. On the other hand, this is a brand new building… the options were, technically, there.

      Indeed, the destination of each secondary bedroom depends on the residents. Office, small child bedroom, teenager, it all changes with time.

      The niche is a left over space due to the two technical spaces located to its sides. I’ve seen worst. At least this one can be decently used. Not sure of what happens on other floors though. :)

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