The added top floor houses the master bedroom and bath, as well as a rooftop terrace.
Floral wallpaper adds extra flair to the home's small powder room.
The laundry area is also housed on the lowest level.
A peek inside the light-filled guest room.
"The narrowness of the house required the design to make effective yet frugal uses of space," explains the firm. "Precise positioning of walls, doors, and windows were crucial as each floor was planned to serve a purpose."
To maximize functionality in the original two-story home, Office of Architecture treated the residence to a complete gut renovation, which allowed for the new four-level layout.
The bathroom is characterized by the bold use of yellow tiles. The curved base tiles in the shower were one of the most expensive elements of the fit-out, costing $1,520. “It makes the shower easier to clean and means it will look good for longer,” explains architect Iana Vicq.
The mirrored wall and pivoting door also reflect abundant light into the previously dark entranceway.
The bike storage and utility room by the entrance is hidden behind a mirrored wall with a 1.8-metre-long pivoting door integrated. The pivoting door cost $2,200 but allows the couple to easily manipulate their bikes into the storage room. “It had to be practical as it’s used daily,” says architect Iana Vicq.
“The glass facade and expansive windows create a sense of spaciousness and depth, surpassing the actual living area,” the couple shares. “Privacy is fully maintained, granting us the freedom to revel in a newfound sense of space.”
“Niche spaces, such as the sofa bench on the staircase landing, allow for a calm feeling of being holed up in a cave, even within the large air volume space,” Hatori explains.
“The warmth of the plants and trees is felt in the home,” the homeowners share. The garden includes a tall Iroha maple tree (left), an evergreen Horutonoki tree (right), along with moss and ferns at the base.
87 pieces of optical glass—each measuring 13.1 feet tall and 3.3 inches square in cross section—are aligned vertically at the front facade. The high specific gravity of the glass ensures sufficient sound insulation against the noise of the city.
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP used 87 translucent bricks to reframe a family’s connection to nature and the city.
Carlos and Whitney went with a Roman Clay from Portola paints for the kitchen backsplash. Compared with the lime wash used throughout the house, roman clay is easier to clean.
The couple were looking for a second-hand Quilton sofa by Doshi Levian for HAY in grey. When they came across this blue version, however, they realised the color would work perfectly in the apartment. "We are now really in love with it,
The yellow upholstery of the banquette seating in the dining nook was inspired by the couple’s recent visit to Neutra VDL Studio and Residences in Los Angeles.
The original layout was very much of the time: a perfect midcentury modern flow, with a closed-off kitchen and a fire put in the floor. “They were cool but impractical spaces,” says Schaer.
The goal was to turn the space into a guest suite that “feels like an out of body experience; a Willy Wonka vacation hideaway,” says the designer, who now lives in the ADU
The design for Tind, the new tiny home by Norske Mikrohus, was inspired by the Norwegian mountains and woods and features slow-growing Norwegian spruce for the exterior cladding.
The micro apartment in Paris that Miogui Architecture designed for a couple as an office/pied-à-terre lives much larger than its 137 square feet.
The wood-wrapped tiny home features a deck pierced by a tree trunk.
After months of waiting for approvals to build a house in Sintra, Portugal, artist Chris Saunders decided to pivot, commissioning a custom tiny home on wheels from architecture studio Madeiguincho.
Surrounded by oak trees and lush grasslands, Field Cabin features a steeply pitched roof and an expansive glass door and decking on the front facade.
In the new living room, the floors are covered in pine wood with a Bona Craft Oil finish in Frost, and the walls and ceiling are coated in lime plaster, Mortex by Beal. The handmade hanging chair, made of plaster, is a favorite spot for the couple’s cat, Paka.
In the midst of the pandemic, a family leverages industry connections and modular construction to quickly rebuild a cliffside getaway on a fire-ravaged site in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
Amy and Tomasz's cat Gustavo "Gus" hangs out in the dining nook. "They weren't super concerned about having a huge dining table," says Sims, "but we wanted to give them some dedicated space for dining." It is now one of Amy's favorite places in the home.
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