House S is a 140 square meter apartment on the ground floor of a 1960s Roman building. The project consists of a renovation which has completely reversed the original layout of the original space, dividing the day programmes from the night ones. The clients, partial to the kitchen due to their love of cooking, which they share with friends and guests, wanted a design that reflected their love for this particular pastime.
The kitchen thus is a glass cube that faces the living room space, accessible through sliding glass doors that are darkened by means of a shading system (electric curtains that are hidden in a dropped ceiling and are lowered or raised according to the needs of the user).
This space extends towards a terrace; interior counters jut out towards the exterior, forming a continuous surface from interior to exterior on which a barbecue welcomes the clients to cook outside as well.
The lounge and dining area overlook a garden with an extension of approximately 70 square meters, that at a slight lower level to the building and terrace, managed to flood interior programmes with light. A white wooden bench runs all around the perimeter of the living room and grows vertically on one side to form shelves supported by light steel cables.
On the opposite side of the aforementioned shelf, which divides the corridor from the living space, is a large screen which is also manipulated electronically, dropping or rising as needed. The wall that separates the living area from the sleeping area is composed of a series of cabinets used by both sides and a doorway; all of which were designed to be flush with the surface of the wall.
The bedroom is connected to the first large bathroom, finished with a cover of resin. The overlapping surfaces of the architecture (the square tub is partly covered by the bathroom counter), the full-length mirror, fixtures and heated towel rail complete the intended effect of creating a contemporary and highly stylish environment.
The landing leads towards the children's rooms and the master bedroom; the latter has an additional private hallway which contains the shelves and hanging closets. The hallway also leads to the main bathroom, which, like the one downstairs, is built finished with a cover of resin and has overlapping architectural elements and surfaces.
The whole house has been paved with stained oak planks that visually merge the space, though a clear division between rooms was established from the project's inception. A dropped ceiling throughout the house hides the HVAC systems, the lighting fixtures, the video and audio automated systems and the alarms which are easily controlled by the user, but hidden from view.
Due to the size of the outdoor area, the architects decided to reinforce a hierarchic division of space according to use: the dining area, the barbecue, the sink, the laundry, etc.
Though divided, certain architectural elements were still incorporated in order to reflect the aesthetic choices of both the client and architects; thus a long white resin bench runs along the entire perimeter of the terrace, alternating between creating seating areas or acting as a planter. Lighting fixtures as well as a stereo were also incorporated to this unique surface, thus serving the entire exterior area of the house.
PROJECT DATA AND CREDITS
/ apartment size: 140 square meters
/ terrace: 196 square meters
/ garden: 70 square meters
/ location: Rome, Italy
/ architects: Alvisi Kirimoto + Partners (Massimo Alvisi, Junko Kirimoto, Alessandra Spiezia, Arabella Rocca)
/ site construction supervision: Arabella Rocca and Chiara Quadraccia
/ Construction company: Vincenzo Funaro
PROJECT SCHEDULE
/ design: 2011
/ completion: 2012
PHOTOS
/ all photos, unless otherwise noted, are by Anna Galante (http://www.annagalante.it)