Brief: To breath new life into a poorly-renovated 42sqm one bedroom Art Deco apartment to accommodate a young couple and their baby.
Challenges: Finding a way to open up a compartmentalised floor plan, resolving convoluted, limited and inefficient storage, resolve criss-crossing circulation limiting useable space.
Solutions: Removal of the dividing wall separating kitchen and living, and insertion of a galley kitchen with internal laundry and full height overhead cupboards tapered to the existing window. A storage and activity wall located along the main circulation spine make the hallway work hard, dramatically increasing storage capacity and amenity. An overhead shelf above the bed does the same. A built in plywood bedhead doubles as a pocket to conceal a space efficient slider that can pack away to create long vistas through the house. Folding cedar towel rails double as snorkel drying racks and a hinged shower screen provides flexibility to use the bathroom as a drying room in wet weather.
Highlights: Working with a character rich apartment, revealing hidden gems such as oak floor boards and private garden access. Use of a restrained pallet of natural materials that change overtime, telling a story of their use. Being able to explore the limits of tiny house living with clever joinery and careful consideration of the original heritage fabric.
