We dealt here with a 1980s dwelling. We wanted to change the external appearance of the house with a more contemporary volume, whilst improving the building’s energy efficiency by isolating the facade and opening up large voids which would flood the internal spaces with natural sunlight.
The internal distribution of the house did not match our clients’ needs either. The house was too rigidly arranged and made little use of its external areas. We therefore designed a more open and unobstructed plan, closely linked to a new and colourful garden.
These changes in plan allowed us to link different spaces, such as the entrance hall, living and dining rooms, thereby achieving a feeling of openness in these distinct areas. We also built a cube, short of the ceiling height, containing a guest toilet and storage cupboards and which formally separates the entrance hall from the living room. Still, the cube allows natural light to filter through it from side to side, thus giving an impression of continuity. Bedroom, bathroom and dressing spaces were upgraded to suit the family’s requirements and the kitchen was built in the centre of the house, at the core of the scheme, next to an outdoor dining space surrounded by colourful vegetation.
