Minimalist Family Loft in Amsterdam by mamm design.
This is a renovation project of a duplex unit in an 85-year-old housing for a family of four, Italian husband, Japanese wife and 2 children. Since they have not been brought up in Amsterdam where they have a lot of gloomy weather, their request was to have maximum sunlight in the house. And also they want to have a space where they can feel each other.
Originally, there is a skylight at the top of staircase which connects upper and lower floors. Though the staircase itself was filled with sunlight coming from the skylight, the stairs and walls around them prevent the light from entering into the other part of the house. We took away the stairs, walls and a part of the upper floor’s slab, so that the sunlight can spread into all over the house. At the same time, the void connects the family.
There is a symbolic tower-shaped element standing through the two floors. Kitchen, bathroom and toilets are packed into the tower, utilizing existing pipe box. We placed new grating stairs climbing around the tower to create some place to stay at various levels. With the new circulation and spatial device, the family can create and enjoy variety of scenes of their life.
