The homeowners of a 22 sq. meter residence in Paris on Rue de la Bûcherie, separated solely by the Seine from Notre-Dame Cathedral, had a imaginative and prescient for his or her modest house: it might be an ideal pied-à-terre for younger Individuals examine within the metropolis. The house consisted of only one room with an extended hall and the kitchen on the finish. “It was brutal of them to wish to do one thing with it,” says architect Pauline Borgia of Atelier Steve. “Our first response was to say to ourselves, ‘This very small, shabby house has no redeeming qualities aside from the excessive ceilings and the small terrace that overlooks it. It should be programmed very exactly to make it snug.’”
Their objective was to position a comfortable kitchen in addition to a rest room, an workplace, a library, a dressing room and loads of space for storing within the residence. To do all that, Pauline determined to maximise the house by introducing loads of tailoring and curves that facilitate circulation. Nonetheless, the L-shaped plan offered challenges. The hall may solely be barely modified and the prevailing mezzanine couldn’t change a lot. Atelier Steve selected to play with three most important materials therapies: plaster and oak in the lounge, inexperienced concrete with oak accents within the hallway resulting in the lavatory, and concrete within the kitchen the place it’s mixed with one other wooden – oak with a darkish walnut stain.
The impact of Atelier Steve’s design is to create a number of distinct areas utilizing totally different supplies, giving the residence a brand new richness. “When areas are greater, we attempt to hold a unity and never multiply the supplies an excessive amount of; right here it’s the different approach round, with plenty of totally different supplies however at all times a hyperlink to the adjoining house.” Atelier Steve’s workforce additionally relied on shapes and curves. Nothing ought to be missed in small areas: for instance, a small desk within the kitchen with a rolled-up recess makes use of that house, whereas the desk positioned towards the wall has a curve that creates a easy connection between the hallway and the window.
