Situaties IV

At the top of the house there is a problem, a problem that may seem small, but is in fact significant: there is one room too few. More precisely, there is one children's bedroom too few, and we are reluctant to sacrifice the space that a new room might occupy. It currently accommodates a workspace and a staircase leading to a roof terrace. There is abundant daylight and a strong sense of spaciousness. Extending the roof volume as a solution to this issue appears questionable. It seems that we will need to densify the interior without losing its existing qualities. If that proves impossible, the house will most likely be sold.

The commission therefore resembles a Rubik’s Cube: all the elements are already present from the outset, yet they must be rotated, rearranged and fitted together within the same volume to arrive at a solution. A super-furniture piece is conceived as a means of making architecture. A simple additional wall would not suffice. Instead, it becomes a complex piece of furniture in which a sleeping alcove and a work niche are stacked above one another. Stair, balustrade and storage intertwine. The furniture seeks to perform many functions simultaneously within a compact space, while maintaining a calm and controlled appearance.

Everything is constructed from mini-CLT panels. A kind of dimensionally stable solid timber panel from which all elements can be made: walls, floors, stairs, balustrades and cabinets. Although the technical requirements of these elements differ considerably, the panel is capable of accommodating them all. Openings are introduced, and colour is added. By colouring primarily the exposed end-grain edges of the panels in blue, the massiveness of the material is softened. The interlocking niches for sleeping and working are also given a colour: a warm red. They become sheltered places of retreat within the furniture.

Each child now has a room. The workspace, the staircase, the daylight and the sense of spaciousness all remain intact. The family stays. The furniture has done architecture.