“-Re” House no.2, as the name says, is my second “Re” House published on this website. At that time “-Re” Adapt didn’t take shape yet so I felt the original post didn’t fully represent my view on the layout anymore. I spruced it up a little and split it in two: the “-Re” House (available here) and the “-Re” Adapt (below).
Original layout:
• Completed: 2001
Surface: 77 m²
Balcony: 9 m²
• As originally stated, I find the point of having the one and only balcony of the apartment accessible only through the master bedroom either a very intimate thing, suitable for a couple without kids or a rather sad inconvenience through a very private space.
• Now, that being said, the most painful parts of this apartment are, in all honesty, the storage/technical space with access from the bedroom and the washing machine in the bathroom. The layout of the bedroom with its three doors and a wall of windows makes it impossible to properly place a two person bed with its respective nightstands. Yes, both sides must have a night stand and the option to get out of bed without crawling over the other person.
• The washing machine in the bathroom is an unfortunate situation, yet at times unavoidable. I recently read the opinion of a fellow architect in that a washing machine must be placed in the bathroom as to be insured in case of water “puddles”. And while it is a logical argument, I find it rather limited. First of all, if you notice water leaks, you’d better take that thing back to its manufacturer (obviously if, still in guarantee). In order to have a water leakage the machine needs to be running. Most people do that when at home, you know… Even if they exit the premises they don’t do it for prolonged periods of time when the machine is running. So, if shit hits the fan, you are bound to notice in a decent amount of time.
That being said, a designated space is ideal. It allows one to use the space whenever needed and without having to disturb anybody using the bathroom. In that case, a more water proof flooring can be chosen, solving the matter even for the most cautious people out there. Just saying…
New layout:
• In case of a limited budget, I’d use it all to sort the bathroom/toilet/technical/storage area. No questions asked!
I am aware of the decrease in size of the bathroom, I would however prefer being able to create a decent master bedroom and be able to use all my spaces without having to make an appointment.
• If I’d have a bigger budget, I’d move the door to the living room and inquire about what would it take to increase the size of the secondary bedroom and implicitly slightly moving the kitchen.
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