This work is an example of interior renovations I designed and carried out between 2008 and 2013 together with colleague architect Gimena Repetto. This project dated form 2010.
The 124 m2 apartment in the city of Amsterdam is part of a building complex from the Amsterdam School style situated in South Amsterdam.
We converted 100 m2 into a penthouse of 124 m2 (distributed within 3 floors), with a terrace facing the South-West. The first floor contains the bedrooms and the bathrooms. The old common storage place of the building was turned into a spacious living space for the family with the opportunity to enjoy outside (the terrace) every time the Dutch weather allows it.
In addition to a spacious distribution we accentuated the design by the use of natural materials and craft details. We (re)used azobe wood (that use to be the floor of an old cargo ship) to shape the furniture in the bathrooms and kitchen and to build the stair that goes to the created attic. The material we (re)used for the ceilings is the old wood that stood in the apartment hanging the old stucco ceiling. This wood is very nice old pine wood, but it is considered waste and every body throw it away because it is full of spikes and it is very raw. We cleaned it up (taking spikes out, and sand it, converting it in a very precious material). This creates a very special and warm atmosphere in the house.
Other details and furniture are made as well with former wood pieces of the building and from neighbours (wood) waste materials.
The stair was designed as a very important and surprising element of the apartment, because of its situation in the core of the house. We use partly glass to let pass light and sun to the floor downstairs.
The main challenge of this interior was to persuade the workers to work with what they called ‘waste’. These workers were used to build with standard materials and technics that they could find in the ‘bouw depot’. It took us time and try outs to let them see that it was possible.
However the neighbours did understand the idea of the project and collaborate with the recollection of old wood for the renovation of this apartment.
At the end the result was extraordinary!
More photos of this project will come..
If you are interested to see other examples of interiors I produced in collaboration with Gimena Repetto during these years, please contact me.
