Remember the Spanish Transformer apartment by PKMN Architectures? Well, this is a slightly different approach to the same concept of flexible, transformable space, but this time from South African Tsai Design Studio, which (in my humble opinion) looks to be more practical in its application.
Here’s their description:
In many areas in South Africa, the typical house size is 36sqm. They are often occupied by many people. The Ackerman Foundation Pick n Pay 36sqm Challenge was to find solutions to maximise space and increase comfort in small homes.
As joint winners with Aram Lello, we were given two projects as prototypes to put each design to test. For this renovation project, we used Aram’s idea for the mobile space to improve a 40 year old house. A family of 10 lived in a confined and cramped 60sqm space. We collaborated on the design, detailing and execution of this concept.
Using mobile cupboards and fold-up beds, the spaces can retract and expand according to the needs of the family. During the day, bedrooms are the used least. By folding up the beds and pushing back the mobile cupboards, more space can be created for the space to be used as a lounge during the day. In the evening, the bedrooms expand to allow the beds to fold down, and the unoccupied lounge becomes the smaller space.
Why this is more appealing to me is the fact that the idea adds value to the property both aesthetically and practically. It ‘transforms’ a 3 bed/1 bath home into a 4 bed/2 bath home, which in terms of property value would command a higher price. The flexibility of the space also makes it more attractive as it would be adaptable to a number of desired configurations.
[via tsaidesignstudio]
