Standing in a characteristic corner house from 1956, Arjen Reas has managed to create a contemporary residence in the authentic district of Hillegersberg. Although this house has the layout of a small scale, but blessed by a strong character with a distinctive architectural look of Rotterdam.
For reasons of love for this part of town, property was bought by a client. But the client wants to change the old structure that has the spaciousness and comfort to grow old here. A challenge begins that requires the architect to solve this puzzle into a fitting unit.
Character design
The biggest challenge of renovating this house is its somewhat closed architecture, so one should look for an extension with a clear movement. A box with open shades is integrated into the garden, where the hallway between them should be an invitation to move. That’s what makes the spaces within it also ought to flow from front to rear.
Setup
Starting from the ground floor, the house structure at the rear must be adjusted, which after careful analysis it was decided to open the back and side of the house and absorbing structure in the construction of a total plan. This is the only possible way to make open connections in the floor plan. Turning to the entrance, there is a staircase to the bedroom with an en-suite dressing room and bathroom. This Living Hillegersberg is designed for two-person households with plenty of room to receive children and grandchildren.
Photographer: Luc Buthker
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