Spanish architectural practice CumuloLimbo Studio has renovated a compact apartment in Madrid by inserting a plywood-clad loft. The architects have extensively redesigned the tiny interior space of this small apartment to add 50% more living area.
From the architects, “#UPHouse is the tail of a simple operation: the introduction of a space of intimate scale into another space, which, being domestic, is exposed and social. The project indeed adds 50% more area to the apartment by installing a light steel structure and a staircase that allows access to the new upper floor.
This new level is built on top of the central and only closed room of the apartment, the restroom, leaving two double-height spaces on each side of it. One bigger and public on the east side and a smaller and more private one on the west side.
The new upper floor divides the apartment into two spaces, a private and a public function. The choice of materials for these two spaces reflects this duality. On one hand, in the private vaulted area, the walls and doors are covered with recycled plywood (from old electronic equipment containers). On the other hand, white walls reflect light from the patio to fill the kitchen, living room and recreational space with light. The use of materials is minimized, avoiding unnecessary finishes.
The public area of the apartment, a flexible space that includes the kitchen, has an open floor plan and opens to a small east-oriented patio that gets morning light. In order to maximize natural light in the new upper level, a mirror-faced wood vault is built on the private side. Natural light is reflected and multiplied with a great visual effect. As many ground-level apartments, the lack of light is one of the keystones of the proposal.
Designing a light structure that allows a fluid first floor without blocking the views with thick pillars, maximizing natural light and finding efficient solutions and dispositions to minimize project costs have been the main challenges of the #UPHouse”
Photography: Javier de Paz García
