-Re House

“-Re” House no. 35 – Storage Wars

“-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. 


This is a ground floor apartment of a recently completed building. It is a simple, basic residence for either a single person or a couple. By the time the first baby starts climbing the couch, it’s time to move.

Original layout:
•  Completed: 2018
Surface: 60m²
Balcony: 5m²

• Storage is an essential element of any residence. We may strive for minimalism and watch Marie Kondo on Netflix, but in real life most of us are more or less hoarders.
That being said, I feel that the large storage space in the middle of this layout is not the best approach, particularly with the kitchen being shrank to the level of a small studio.
• Last but not least, the interaction between the toilet and bathroom door is bound to result in some sort of physical injury.

New layout:

• This is a ground floor apartment. This means that depending on the use of the basement, there can be a lot more freedom in the placement of the toilet and other elements that require pipes. If this would have been on a higher level, the above mentioned pipes would have affected the lower levels and some configurations would not have been possible.
The top floor plan combines the use of the storage space with the laundry room, clearing the space to extend the kitchen.
The second floor plan maintains the separation of the toilet from the shower room while maintaining the upgrade to the kitchen.
The third floor plan combines the bathroom and the kitchen spaces, creating a storage/laundry room with access from the hallway. This option allows for a much more separation between day and night areas.

Which of the three options would you choose?


Click here for more “-Re” House projects
Click here for more “-Re” Adapt projects


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