INTRODUCTION
Just as the phoenix rises from the ashes to begin a new, Reborn House is a symbol of new beginnings and unexplored possibilities. Through its relationship with architecture and unconventional spatial design, the new atmospheres define a new way of life. Building around the inhabitant's experience, the house blurs spatial boundaries to orchestrate light and environment into daily life. With the incorporation of open green spaces within and around the house, a quiet and soothing living and working atmosphere is created.
The primary factor for the spatial organization is the family’s daily ritual. Architecturally the house was conceived to be modern and tropical – comfortable and well-shielded from the elements of nature such as the sun, rain as well as providing shelter from the views of the neighboring houses.
As this is a project for an existing house a lot of attention was given to the existing structure of the semidetached house, its possibilities, and its limitations in order to achieve the maximal spatial organization to facilitate the needs of the family.
As one of the main project defining characteristics that were taken into consideration and followed to the letter were the urban project guidelines for the height and look of the house as well as for the maximum surface allowed to be added and the maximum surface area of walls, slabs and structural elements that are to be demolished.
PROPOSED SOLUTION – IDEA AND DIVISION OF SPACE
The spatial organization of the proposed solution comes from studying the natural slope and height division of the existing house as well as the current placement of the infrastructural installations such as water and sewage. Effort was given to keep the current position of water and sewage outlets so that the cost of construction and the time of construction are kept lower. The division of the floor heights was seen as a problem as well as a possibility for dynamism in the proposed solution. In the proposed solution the height difference is used and accented in order to provide functional, visual, and dynamical division of the space.
Using the existing height difference of the terrain two separate levels are created, an entrance and a utility level and a level for indoor-outdoor living areas. This is possible by lifting the height of the floor in the entrance part in order to level it with the existing terrain and make it possible and easy for the house to be accessed by the road which has a height difference to the terrain. With this intervention costs of construction are lowered when it comes to earthworks, and also the proposed spatial solution is clearly defined and can be easily interpreted and felt once you enter the house.
The semi-detached house is oriented east/west, with the long side facing north. The house at the east, west and north faces has an unblocked view and from the south side, it is joined with a neighboring wall. This gave the architect the opportunity to maximize the views in each room of the house and allow for natural sunlight and ventilation in every room of the house. On the ground floor the living and dining space opens up on three sides to the luscious tropical garden and outdoor living and dining areas, privacy is maintained by the surrounding perimeter wall that is additionally shielded by the natural green bamboo wall which gives the feeling of being in an open tropical forest. On the first and second floor in order to achieve maximal privacy from neighboring views, vertical wooden louvers are placed in such a way that they block views and sunlight but allow for complete views from the inside. To create additional light entry points in the house an open atrium was created next to the proposed staircase which allows for direct sunlight to enter the wet and dry kitchens on the ground floor, the master bedroom and master bathroom on the second floor as well as the gym and the sauna the top floor. This atrium also allows for additional sun to enter the new staircase. In order to address the problem of insufficient sunlight in the existing stairs, the proposed stairs have a glass roof which allows for plenty of natural sunlight as well as natural ventilation with the chimney effect.
To achieve the most optimal spatial solution for the project the house was divided into four main zones divided by height and function. The four zones are:
1. Entrance and Utility
2. Indoor-Outdoor Living areas
3. Private Bedroom Spaces
4. Work and Relaxation Spaces
Dividing the spaces in to clearly defined and studied zones and areas of function gave the architect the possibility to create spaces which when properly defined go further than the everyday concept of architecture.
SPATIAL ORGANISATION
In order to conceive the spatial program a couple of factors were taken in to consideration
- The urban parameters and guidelines
- The projects brief
- The suns movement and its impact on the architecture of the house
- Maximizing the views in every room of the house
- The protection from neighboring views
- The daily family ritual and family interaction
- Creating spaces that go beyond conventional architecture
With these factors implemented the layout for the three-story house was then made clear with the public zone on the 1st Floor, bedrooms on the 2nd Floor and a private zone on the 3rd Floor. Each floor is open on three sides allowing for maximum views.
The entrance to the house is kept on the East side but is slightly moved in order to facilitate the new main entrance to the house. This entrance is divided and can be accessed by car or by foot through a pedestrian gate. The car porch is located in front of the house covered by a wood-glass pergola which shields it from the elements and also complements the design of the house.
GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor is spatially conceived in two zones with different functions. One is the entrance and utility zone which contains the:
• Entrance
• Dry Kitchen with Pantry
• Wet Kitchen
• Baking Room
• Guest Bathroom
• Laundry Room
• Entertainment Room / Guest room
• Storage Area
• Storage Room
The main entrance to the house is located in this zone. Through the front door you enter into a buffer space which leads you to the open dry kitchen and an open atrium filled with tropical greenery. Here a carpentry wall is placed which divides the living space from the utility areas of the house. This carpentry wall starts from the entrance where it is used for storage and continues and transforms itself into a dry kitchen with a hidden pantry.
The wet kitchen is placed next to the dry kitchen and the open atrium, also the wet kitchen has a connection to a pocket courtyard in the back of the house allowing for additional natural sunlight and ventilation. In the wet kitchen, a separate baking area was created that can be closed with glass doors and properly ventilated with plenty of storage for baking goods and equipment.
The storage and bike room is conceived in such a way that there is a connection from the outside and also it is connected with the rest of the house through the laundry room. This way the storing and use of bikes is made easy because of this connection to the outside.
The guest bathroom is located near the entrance for convenience and has a direct connection with the outside which allows for natural sunlight and ventilation.
In the back of the house, the entertainment room is placed which can also double as a guest house. This room has a direct access to the outside by a small private courtyard in the back of the house which allows for a space for entertainment as well as outdoor reading or private contemplation. Doubling as a guest room is made easy because of the storage area next to the entertainment room, the close connection to the guest bathroom as well as the main entrance. Furthermore, the private courtyard garden can provide a unique experience and a private space for the guests staying there.
The second zone and the more public zone of this floor is the living and dining zone which contains the:
• Dining Area
• Living Area
• Outdoor Dining
• Outdoor Living
• Water Feature
• Open Atrium
• Tropical Garden
The 1st Floor living and dining space is conceived as an uninterrupted and continuous see-through space. When having guests, in celebrations and large get-togethers, the dining room and living area spill over to the outdoors the rear garden becomes a flexible and multi-functional extension of the indoors. The pocket of spaces within the open plan is defined by the well-thought placement of furniture, unified by carpentry. The ground floor becomes a fluid space for family and friends to gather, meet and dine within one open space. Three sides of the living and dining area are enclosed by large sliding glass panels with lush greenery all around. When fully opened the ground plane becomes a seamless transition between the inside and outside of the house. The living & dining space converts into a tropical veranda whereby the occupants enjoy abundant daylight, natural ventilation and unobstructed panoramic views of the surrounding greenery.
On the 2nd Floor, the Master Bedroom is located at the east side with a view to its own private terrace garden. The children bedroom at the west side opens out to the panoramic view and its own terrace that overlooks the garden. The bedrooms are connected by an open hallway, a part of the proposed steel staircase. Here between the two rooms an open terrace is placed shielded with vertical louvers. Joined to the master Bedroom are the Master Bathroom and the walk-in closet. The master bedroom opens up directly onto a big green terrace which can be used as a leisure area or a sunbathing station. The master bathroom consists of two sink stations an open toilet space and a separate wash space with a bathtub and a shower, this space looks to the open atrium of the house which allows for access of natural sunlight, privacy and ventilation. The sink stations along with the toilet space also are placed on the east façade which allows for of natural sunlight, privacy and ventilation. In order to provide natural sunlight to the walk-in closet, a skylight is placed on the ceiling with horizontal wooden lovers.
The children’s room consists of a larger play area that is to be free from obstacles and provide a safe play environment. Around the play space, a sleeping nook and toy/utility storage is placed. In addition to these, there is a joined walk-in closet as well joined bathroom and both look to the outside for light and ventilation.
The 3rd Floor is conceived as a private space for work and relaxation. Here on the east side is the gym room which consists of an open area for exercises, a treadmill, and a multifunctional exercise machine, and a place to keep weights and other gym equipment. Sliding floor-to-ceiling windows are placed along the whole northeast side and they are protected with wooden louvers. In this views are created to be enjoyed while using this room and the room can be naturally ventilated. The house's open atrium also penetrates this room and allows for natural light and ventilation to enter it. The gym is equipped with a private IR sauna and a bathroom with a shower cabin. The shower cabin is placed in such a way that it is accessible from both sides so that it can be used as a part of the bathroom as well as an extension of the sauna. The bathroom is located on the east facade and has access to natural light and ventilation.
On the west side of the top floor, the study is placed with an open terrace overlooking the garden. Here in the study because of the clients, avid interest in books and book collections a special area was designed that is specifically made for keeping rare and important books. This room is with its own ventilation and heating system in order to keep the air moisture and the temperature as needed for the safekeeping of books.
INTERVENTIONS TO THE EXITING HOUSE
This being a project on expanding an existing house certain constructional interventions need to be made to the existing building in order to achieve the desired goals. All of these changes fall well within the urban parameters and guidelines as not to be considered as a project for reconstruction.
First, in order to extend the house on the ground floor the area needed was calculated as not to exceed the allowed surface area and not to go across the new proposed building line while still leaving enough open space to have a tropical garden and outdoor living and dining spaces. With the project solution, this was achieved and on the ground floor, a total area of 47.00 m2 was added of the total allowed buildable area which is approximately 115 m2 on the ground floor.
The added area on the ground floor is located on the east side and forms the new entrance along with the utility part of the house. On top of the added area, the master bedroom receives a big open terrace garden which is accessible for leisure or sunbathing.
On the second floor, a total built area of 26.00 m2 was added and on the third floor, a total built area of 27.00 m2 was added.
Here on the second floor the added area allows for a large master bedroom to be conceived and a large bathroom area and walk-in closet are added.
On the third floor, the added area allows for a geometrically proportional study and a gym room that gives the interior and the exterior the desired look.
In total the whole added built area of the house is 100.00 m2 and the allowed area by the building parameters was 160.00 m2 as 50 % of the existing surface area of the house.
Another building guideline that was taken into account was the height and volume of the additions which was achieved with the vertical spatial composition of the house.
When it comes to the interior and exterior look of the house some of the existing walls had to be demolished but still the urban guidelines for under 50% were respected and imposed. The total area of walls demolished with the intervention is 44% and the total area of walls saved is 56 %.
One of the major constructional interventions is the placement of the new steel and wood staircase that is placed in the middle of the house dividing the house in two and allowing for the entrance of light and ventilation through the whole house. In order for the staircase to be placed the existing dark stairs will be demolished and a small part of the existing floor slabs will also be demolished because here the existing opening is used to create the new stairway. The new stairs which are steel in construction will be added to the concrete beams with steel joints and wooden railing and wooden tread will be placed on them.
In order to achieve on the criteria of the project which is the possibility of light to enter the staircase, the house is divided in two by the staircase which is connived as a glass box that give light and ventilation to all of the rooms from top to bottom as well as the new stairs.
ROOF
The new roof is conceived as a green roof which adds to the energy efficiency of the house. Additionally because of the suns movement, here solar panels can be added that further increase the energy efficiency of the house and lower the cost of maintenance.
The roof on the new proposed stairs is a wooden – glass roof which is fully open to the sky and with the ability to be opened in order to ventilate the house.
ADDED FEATURES
In order to elevate the user experience, as well as the value of the property certain features, were added that create spaces that give the inhabitants a unique everyday experience of the house and garden.
One of these features are the perimeter full-length planters which are spread across the full lengths of the terraces and define the exterior of the house as a unique building as well as shielding the rooms and help in climate control of the house.
Another one of these features is the concrete fire pit in the garden which is a space specially designed for outdoor get-togethers and gatherings.
The water feature of the house consists of a decorative two-level pool that separates the living room in length from the neighboring wall. Here koi fish and water lily plants add to the natural feel of the living space. Additionally here a height waterfall fountain is placed which falls from the upper terrace to the pool of water.
The Outdoor Dining area is placed on the open wood deck parallel to the indoor dining area. It is covered by a wooden pergola with canvas to shield it from the house. The open dining area comes fully equipped for outdoor cooking with a built-in grill, stone countertop area, sink, storage, and a wine/drink cooler.
The outdoor living area is a covered wooden deck extending from the indoor living area. On the one side, the added height fountain falls to the pool of water and in front, a full view of the tropical garden Is opened.
P.S.
In the Floor Plan Section, we added a full description of the project together with analysis and calculations of space.
It was truly a pleasure and an honor to work on your project we dove deep into the creative pool and we hope that you love what we have constructed for you and your family. Have the best time in your new home.
