Duplex Apartment Luxury Design - Lower Level

Newly wedded couple bought this duplex in high rise while it was still under construction. The apartment had a beautiful view being located on 11^th and 12^th storey and a lot of potential considering it’s size (220 m²). But it didn’t quite satisfy their way of life and future plans. They wanted more flexible space for friends and family gatherings and different activities.

LOWER LEVEL - PREVIOUS STATE

The space was conventionally organized, with physically divided functional zones. The kitchen and dining room were separated from living room. At the entrance of the living room stood badly positioned ventilation vertical which cut off a whole room corner. Stairwell was closed by the walls and without any daylight.

LOWER LEVEL - RECOMMENDED SOLUTION

FUNCTION

This apartment’s greatest quality - besides it’s size - are wide glass surfaces which open the view towards sky. The existence of two loggias - one opened and other closed – extenuate even more the boundaries between the spaces “within” and “out”. So the idea was the whole story to be an open-space in which all the functional zones are divided visually more than physically. Exceptions are pantry, lavatory and storage room behind the stairs. 

The only partition within space is two-face closet which hides the kitchen and integrates the ventilation vertical. The side facing the stairs contains the closet - for coats and jackets, and emphasizes the path to the sitting area. There are few more areas besides the lounge - cozy reading corner, wall-to-wall computer desk, and the music-room in the closed loggia.

The stairs are disposed of surrounding walls and emphasized as an esthetic element.

The kitchen and dining are organized around the island with cooking unit. There is one section of cabinets by the wall, and the section with the built-in appliances in the closet by the ventilation vertical.

Big loggia is a great place for nice-weather family meals, or just enjoining the sun.

CONSTRUCTION AND CRAFTWORK

Most of the walls from the previous plan will not be kept. These are the walls which had to be removed: (green)

There are not much of the new walls: (red)

There happened that the window in the storage when constructed, was moved about 40cm in the reference of that in design plans. So the whole storage wall had to follow the window. What seemed as a problem became an idea for a niche with glass shelves and built-in lighting, which became a part of the stairs construction and the esthetic element. 

Wood is not intended for the floors, but for some of the walls. On this storey wood will be only an accent.

The whole floor is covered with tiles (format 45x66cm). Same tiles are on the kitchen and lavatory walls. 

Suspended ceilings are of plaster cardboard slabs, with built-in lighting.