A Cramped 400-Square-Foot Apartment in Buenos Aires Gets Flowing Spaces and a Fresh Start

This Buenos Aires apartment didn’t get much natural light, and circulation was a major issue. The building was more than 100 years old, and the unit had basically gone untouched. To turn it into a desirable space for herself and her web-developer partner, local architect Micaela Racca imagined a new arrangement.

To start, she knocked down all non-load bearing walls, which increased light and air to the interiors. What was once a plan consisting of multiple rooms crammed into 400 square feet was now an open, workable space.

The couple knew they wanted a generous area to cook, but still being able to socialize was vital. To achieve those ends, Micaela placed the kitchen at the center of the plan, where it’s open to the living area. It holds an important place in the home without taking up too much space, and also walls off the bedroom.

To maintain circulation, Micaela kept the apartment’s utilities organized around the kitchen. A bathroom by the entry tucks behind it, and closets in the sleeping area are built into the back of the kitchen structure, which features more storage and shelving in the hallway that leads from the kitchen to the sleeping area.

With no walls or doors closing off the spaces, light seeping from each consecutive area draws you forward through the home’s U-shaped plan, creating the illusion of a larger space.

Micaela used wood and terrazzo for the home’s new central elements, distinguishing them from the original components of the apartment, which have all been painted white. Old and new are highlighted, says Micaela, but don’t compete.

Related Reading:

In Paris, a 540-Square-Foot Apartment Becomes a Forever Home for a Family of Five

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Micaela Racca

Photography: Javier Agustin Rojas