By PETIT GERVAIS, a 50 m2 ground-floor duplex overlooking an alleyway, presents a unique challenge with its mono-orientation and limited windows. AJAR architects took on the task of enhancing the identity of this unconventional space, primarily focusing on material usage.
Material Expression: Creating Identity
The loft employs three primary materials to define its character: waxed concrete on the ground floor establishes a sturdy foundation, emphasizing the sculptural staircase. The kitchen seamlessly extends from the floor, adopting similar tones. A brick-colored ridge wraps around the ground floor, extending along the bathroom, adding structure and rhythm to the space.
Enhancing Activity Spaces: Material Differentiation
The choice of materials delineates activity spaces, accentuating their significance. White-treated areas, such as the resting area and toilet block, recede into the background, allowing the focal areas to stand out. Mirror strips in the kitchen credenza reflect light, enhancing brightness and visual spaciousness.
Optimizing Functionality: Innovative Solutions
To maximize functionality within budget constraints, the existing toilet area is repurposed with a full-height bookcase, serving as storage for various items. The bookcase’s top conceals the water tank, adding a dual functionality to the space. Additional storage is consolidated into a dressing room hidden by a curtain, ensuring efficient use of available space.
Seamless Integration: Consistent Design Language
A brick velvet curtain, echoing the kitchen’s aesthetic, extends the design language throughout the apartment. Complementing this, a glass paving stone wall in the bathroom creates an alcove while allowing natural light to permeate the space, further enhancing the cohesive design.
In summary, Petit Gervais Duplex showcases AJAR’s adeptness at transforming constraints into opportunities, resulting in a harmonious fusion of functionality, aesthetics, and identity within a compact living space.
