How to make it so that the balcony can be accessed from the living room when the center of the apartment is on the other side? Just turn the available, swap rooms. But that is not the only prize offered by this block of flats in Prague after reconstruction. See how the architect transformed it for himself, his wife and daughter.
Architect René Dlesk lives on the top floor of a block of flats in Prague. The apartment has 79 m2the loggia offers 6 m2. It was originally a 4 + 1 block apartment, which changed to 4 + kk.
The meters have not been added, but after the reconstruction it offers more space. And a lot of inspiration for everyone who is just about to take a similar step. What is exceptional and inspiring about the transformation of the apartment, in which the architect Tamara Kolaříková (both from the studio RDTH architects) participated?
See how nice it is to live without a hall:
Source: Youtube
How to inflate a flat
When an architect opens the front door today, he is immediately at home. This is no longer an anteroom. It was combined with two rooms, additional meters were added thanks to the bathroom (today it is located elsewhere) and an incredibly spacious living room with a kitchen and dining area was created 33.5 m2 (if it comes down to it, a slide for the daughter will also fit here). Which sounds generous, but the other rooms aren’t that big. The bedroom is 7.9 m2 and two other rooms, created from the original living room, each around 10 m2.
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Reconstruction of a block of flats, the main living space is defined by load-bearing panels, the family shows movies and fairy tales instead of television
Advantages of a staggered layout
The layout changed also because originally the loggia could be accessed from one room, and it was not a living room. Whereas today the loggia running along one side of the main living room is open to all. From here there is a nice view of the whole of Prague, and climbing cucumbers and other plants work as shade on hot days.
Another bonus was obtained with the room boxes: the bathroom with a bathtub is now in the place of the former kitchen, although it has shrunk by a few meters. Now the bathroom is 5.1 m2but it gained a window, and thus light, which is a real win in a block of flats. And it doesn’t even need a fan. However, it is worth noting: these boxes were also possible because the apartment originally contained two vertical cores, in which there were distribution systems.
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Reconstruction of a block of flats, the main living space, on the far right, a storage space that can fit shoes and outerwear (the apartment has no entrance hall)
Why are the lines of electricity visible?
Each block of flats may have this differently, but in this Prague block it applies: it is forbidden to jam any distribution lines into load-bearing walls or ceiling panelsso as not to weaken the statics of the house.
“We did not want to lower the ceilings with plasterboard ceilings, where it is possible to hide part of the wiring. I consider height to be one of the most valuable values of space. And so we’re probably the only ones in the barracks who don’t jam anything, not even the vertical electrical distribution. Everything is led along the surface, just like the original heating distribution. But I don’t mind. I like meaningful constraints that simplify my decision-making and at the same time create my own natural aesthetic.” explains the architect.
Lots of free decorations
Do you also think that the walls and ceiling must be perfectly smoothed, cleaned, without inaccuracies? The architect has a different opinion. When the polystyrene insulation of the ceilings was removed (the apartment is on the top floor, at the time the ceiling was insulated, the block of flats did not yet have exterior insulation) and the load-bearing partitions were also demolished, he did not want to clean or smooth the spots and unevenness in the plaster.
“The masons only had to clean them roughly and prime and whitewash the whole thing. I don’t mind inequalities in this case at all, I even like them. Of course, the masons were then surprised when I sandblasted them for millimeters of unevenness in the new walls or in the joints of the new floor, which should always be the same on the walls.” says René Dlesk.
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Reconstruction of a block of flats, a bathroom with a luxury feature – a window
Cabinets instead of partitions
The floor is mostly sanded timber-framed plates, nothing more. They are not cool to the touch and visually it is a raw-looking material, which goes well with the panels. Just like wood. Ash veneer was used not only on doors and built-in furniture doors, but also inside, which is not usual. And somewhere the wardrobes have even taken over the role of partitions, take a look.
The generous storage space in the back of the apartment opens into the hallway, the wardrobes on the other side lead to the children’s room and to the “2 in 1”, i.e. to a room that functions as a study or a guest room. The bedroom will also be lined with ash, but there is no need to rush, you need to enjoy the original decoration – panels with scratched plaster.
Source: rdth.cz, linka.news
