Dezeen Debate newsletter features a minimalist New York home

The latest edition of Dezeen Debate features a restrained New York home designed by Magdalena Keck. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now!

Interior designer Magdalena Keck has curated an eclectic mix of furnishings to fill a glass-and-steel home in Westchester County, New York.

Drawing upon her penchant for "warm minimalism", Keck chose a range of pieces that complemented the architecture and the existing finishes, including wood flooring and vanilla-hued window drapes.

Commenters are divided. One said: "Minimalism is so over".

Kappa House by Archipelago Architects Studio uses staircases as surfaces and partitions

Other stories in this week's newsletter include a Japanese house featuring a series of staircases that divide the spaces, our latest lookbook, which showcases ten kitchens where wood panelling and wooden cabinetry create warmth and Snap's launch of a pared-back and pocket-sized drone designed for taking selfies.

Dezeen Debate

_Dezeen Debate is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing highlights from Dezeen. _Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate orsubscribe here.

_You can alsosubscribe to Dezeen Agenda, which is sent every Tuesday and contains a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, as well as _Dezeen Daily , our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours.

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#all #architecture #interiors #residential #furniture #usa #dezeendebate #modernism #minimalistinteriordesign #newyorkhouses #magdalenakeck

Magdalena Keck employs “warm minimalism” for interiors of glazed house in Hudson Valley

Interior designer Magdalena Keck has filled a glass-and-steel home in New York with a restrained but eclectic mix of furnishings that are meant to complement the existing architecture.

The Hudson Valley Glass House is located in Westchester County, about an hour's drive from New York City.

The home has floor-to-ceiling glazing all around

The modernist home was designed by architect Robert Fitzpatrick and built-in 1967. Rising two levels, it contains a public zone on the upper level and three bedrooms and a family room down below.

The clients – a couple with a young daughter – recently purchased the home and tapped Magdalena Keck, who runs an eponymous Manhattan studio, to oversee the interior design. For their full-time residence, the owners desired furnishings that were modern, function-driven and meaningful.

The dwelling's interiors intend to complement its modernist architecture

"The clients, a family of three, are well versed in design and art, and it was important to them to have a personal connection to each of the items selected for their home," the studio said.

Drawing upon her penchant for "warm minimalism", Keck chose a range of pieces that complemented the architecture and the existing finishes, including wood flooring and vanilla-hued window drapes.

Magdalena Keck framed a brutalist-style coffee table with a grey bouclé sofa

"Magda likes to think of the home as a glass envelope, serving as a vessel for the furnishings, lighting, art and objects that she has worked carefully with the client to fill the space with," the studio said.

In the living room, she placed a grey bouclé sofa by French designer Christophe Delcourt and an octagonal, brutalist-style coffee table in resin.

A hyper-realistic painting is in the dining space

In the adjacent dining area, beech-and-fabric chairs by Sergio Rodrigues surround a Beam expanding table by Mario Ferrarini for Desalto.

Rather than hang a light fixture over the table, the designer added a Mito floor lamp by Tom Fereday and a 1960s Tripod Cocoon floor lamp to provide illumination and visual interest. A large, hyper-realistic painting of choppy water by Ran Ortner rounds out the dining space.

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Downstairs in the family room, the atmosphere is casual and cosy. The space is adorned with a sofa by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani, Scandinavian nesting tables in rosewood, and a side chair by Børge Mogensen. Underfoot is a soumak sukun rug from ALT for Living.

Audio and visual equipment is housed in a cabinet by Jonathan Nesci with doors made of waxed aluminium.

The Hudson Valley Glass House is located in Westchester County

In the main suite, there is a king bed from Camerich, Danish rosewood nightstands and two Bauhaus table lamps by Wilhelm Wagenfeld.

The daughter's room is fitted with a bed that sits atop an elongated oak platform. There is also an Adorno wall lamp made of wood and brushed brass and a storage unit by WS Woodwork. An astronaut painting by American artist Michael Kagan hangs on a wall.

Large windows provide views of the surrounding scenery

The home's guest bedroom features a bed by Lawson Fenning, a ceramic-painted nightstand, a Supermetal bench by Chiara Ferrari, and a rare Valet chair by Hans Wegner dating back to the 1950s.

Keck's furnishing work also extends to the backyard, where there is a patio and swimming pool. Furnishings include a sofa and coffee table from Unopiù and a Saarinen side table from Knoll. A rounded, white dining table by Eero Saarinen is paired with white chairs by Harry Bertoia.

Other projects by Magdalena Keck include a stark-white residence in a Four Seasons tower in Lower Manhattan, and the outfitting of a Catskill Mountains home, where she fused Danish and Japanese design.

The photography is byJeff Cate.

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#all #residential #interiors #furniture #usa #modernism #minimalistinteriordesign #newyork #magdalenakeck

Daytrip transforms east London terrace house into understated apartments

Design studio Daytrip has taken a less-is-more approach to the renovation and extension of this Victorian terrace house in London's Clapton, which is now home to three separate apartments.

The 250-square-metre Reighton Road development was designed as a "minimalist sanctuary" that could act as a blank canvas for residents' belongings.

A two-bedroom flat takes over Reighton Road's ground floor and two basement levels (top and above)

"A good home should be flexible and speak of its owners," explained Hackney-based Daytrip. "The ability to cultivate and populate it over time with art, objects and personal items makes the home unique."

The largest of the flats has two bedrooms and takes over the building's ground floor as well as two new subterranean levels, which are illuminated by a number of lightwells.

Another apartment is self-contained on the building's first floor and a third occupies the second floor and a new loft extension.

Walls in the apartment's kitchen are finished with tadelakt plaster

In the bottom apartment, the first basement floor accommodates a pair of spacious bedrooms, both of which were finished with poured concrete floors.

Below that, the second subterranean level is meant to serve as a versatile studio-like space, where the residents can do home workouts or indulge in artsy hobbies.

The kitchen's rear wall is finished with grey bricks

The ground floor houses the apartment's main living spaces including a new kitchen suite with handleless alabaster-white cabinetry.

Save for a grey brick wall at the rear of the room, surfaces were washed with creamy tadelakt – a traditional lime-based plaster from Morocco.

"It's a purposely minimal and subdued kitchen, reserving the chaos to the cooking," the studio said.

The living room features white-oiled oak flooring and restored cornicing

At the front of the kitchen are wide glass doors that can be slid back to access the garden.

London-based landscape design studio Tyler Goldfinch was brought in to give the paved outdoor space a wild, textured look using tiered planters overspilling with different types of grasses.

There is also a silver birch tree surrounded by a circular bed of pebbles.

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Unlike the rest of the apartment, the living room was finished with white-oiled oak flooring while the ceiling's original cornicing was restored. These same features also appear throughout the other two apartments on the upper floors.

To create a sense of cohesion, all three flats were styled by East London galleries Beton Brut and Modern Art Hire, which carefully curated a mix of Italian and Japanese furnishings for the development.

The other apartments on the upper floors also feature white-oiled oak flooring

Many of the pieces were crafted from velvet, boucle or raw timber, bringing a sense of warmth and tactility to the interiors.

With this aim, all of the bathrooms were also finished with tadelakt walls and limestone floors.

All furnishings were selected by Beton Brut and Modern Art Hire

This is the second residential project in Clapton from Daytrip founders Iwan Halstead and Emily Potter.

In 2020, the duo overhauled a five-storey townhouse in the east London district by turning its dated 1970s-style rooms into serene white-washed living spaces.

The photography is byJake Curtis.

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#all #architecture #residential #interiors #instagram #london #apartments #uk #england #residentialextensions #londonhouseextensions #minimalistinteriordesign #daytrip

Norm Architects designs spa-like dental clinic interior modelled on art galleries

Warm oak and smooth concrete are among the materials that Danish studio Norm Architects used to create the interiors for this Antwerp dental surgery, which aims to defy traditional, more clinical designs.

The clinic, called Dentology+, is spread over a cavernous basement area and a ground-floor level. Both have been clad in a neutral material palette that was designed to evoke a sense of calm.

The dental clinic was designed to defy traditional medical interiors

The private dental clinic's basement is made up of a set of dusty grey corridors, which Copenhagen-based Norm Architects designed to make it look as if the rooms were carved from a block of concrete.

These concrete volumes are interrupted only by carefully selected minimal design elements such as geometric alcoves, pared-back black pendant lights and an earthy-hued circular artwork by Sara Martinsen.

A cavernous basement area defines half the surgery

A low-slung sofa finished in a light-coloured textile also features in the basement, which was designed by Norm Architects' longtime collaborator Keiji Ashizawa for Japanese brand Ariake.

"The need to dwell and retreat to intimate nooks is a basic human requirement that we cannot dismiss when shaping living spaces," Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen told Dezeen.

Circular artwork by Sara Martinsen hangs above a low-slung sofa

Dentology+'s upper level was designed to be brighter and airier than its basement, while maintaining the clinic's overall neutral theme.

Cubes of light oak create walls and doors that are interspersed with objects including a pebble-like vase on a plinth, in an interior design that takes cues from the interiors of an art gallery.

Translucent curtains line the windows of the operating rooms.

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The choice to design Dentology+'s interior using materials that might be considered unusual for medical spaces was made in an attempt to enhance patients' wellbeing, according to architect Sofie Thorning.

"In many ways, we looked more to beautiful spa resorts than classic white dental clinics for inspiration," she told Dezeen.

Operating rooms exist within light oak walls

"Material translucency and soft, warm light paired with carefully considered, crafted materials work to reshape the patient experience and perception," she added. "The space is nothing like an ordinary dental clinic."

"What we surround ourselves with simply has a great impact on our mood and behaviour, which is why working with natural materials in architecture and design is a simple way to enrich our surroundings and enhance our quality of life," added Bjerre-Poulsen.

Afteroom chairs by Menuspace feature on the upper level

Founded in 2008, Norm Architects is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Copenhagen. Other projects by the practice that celebrate neutral and calming interiors include a minimal Chinese tea parlour and a jewellery store in Copenhagen informed by modernist artists' studios.

The photography is byJonas Bjerre-Poulsen.

Project credits:

**Architect & Partner: **Sofie Thorning
Architect: Qing Ye
Client: Dentology+

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#medical #all #interiors #oak #concrete #belgium #antwerp #normarchitects #health #minimalistinteriordesign

The New Work Project is a monochrome co-working space in Brooklyn

A shared workspace for creatives has opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with minimalist black and white interiors and gold-toned accents.

The New Work Project is the brainchild of The New Design Project, a studio founded by Parsons graduates Fanny Abbes and James Davison.

The stark colour scheme of The New Work Project becomes apparent upon entering the reception area

Having worked in finance for a time, the duo returned to their design roots to set up the co-working space in a converted foundry building, and craft its interiors.

They describe it as "a place for like-minded people to come together in an environment that is personal and intimate, and designed for collaboration", adding that the space is "individually designed to inspire, stimulate, promote creativity and facilitate fluid working".

Members can choose from a variety of seating options in the open-plan space

A largely monochrome theme is followed through the space — from walls and door frames to furniture to artworks — with light fixtures, flooring and decorative plants adding some colour.

"Bold accents of black and gold are carried throughout the space with an overall modern approach to the design," said the founders. "Clean lights are beautifully accentuated with track lighting against the white interiors."

Caned modernist chairs accompany a large meeting table

The stark palette is evident immediately upon entering into a vestibule painted black on its three sides and ceiling.

A reception desk has a pale marble top cut into an angular shape, and is lit by a thin linear fixture that runs up the wall and across the ceiling to form a 90-degree angle.

Desks are arranged in U-shape configurations opposite a marble bar

Beyond is a lounge area, where four black-framed modernist chairs with caned backs and seats face a large upholstered ottoman.

The dark central seating sits on a pale grey rug, as do a pair of styled coffee tables on either side.

Private conference rooms can be booked for meetings

A larger meeting table surrounded by the same caned chairs is positioned in front of a series of private conference rooms, which are available for members to book for meetings.

There's also a trio of phone booth-style rooms from which individuals can take calls.

Phone booths offer privacy for individual calls

"The intimate 'boutique' space creates a community environment while also creating a place for work and productivity," the founders said.

The remainder of the co-working space is open plan, with light wood flooring throughout and white on all of the walls except those painted black at each end.

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Tables are laid out in U-shape configurations, divided by black-tinted glass partitions where they face one another.

Three-branched brass lights hang overhead, while lamps with globe-shaped bulbs are placed on each desk.

Gold-toned accents are found throughout the space

A marble bar, accompanied by a line of black stools, separates this work area from a kitchen for members to prepare and eat food.

Some of the building's original steel columns are left exposed, their rough surfaces contrasting with the white walls and marble counters.

The monochrome scheme continues down to artworks and styling

New York City has no shortage of co-working spaces. Many are similarly using design to entice members, like The Malin that recently opened in Soho.

Our latest lookbook rounds up 10 shared workspaces around the world that offer a reprieve from the home office.

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#all #interiors #instagram #usa #brooklyn #newyorkcity #coworking #minimalistinteriordesign #williamsburg #newyork

Pastel colours and textured concrete decorate Stockholm hair salon

Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor has designed the interior for a minimalist hair salon that was informed by architect Carlo Scarpa's geometric designs and the muted colours of 1920s swimming baths.

Called Little Faktory, the salon was designed and renovated by the local architecture studio for hairdresser Sofia Geideby and is located in a former office in Stockholm, Sweden.

Circle and square shapes define Little Faktory

Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor overhauled the 220-square-metre basement space, which is over one hundred years old, to reveal its original textured concrete walls and exposed steel structure.

As the salon is located underground, the studio explained that it also had to be "very careful working with artificial light".

Round mirrors hang above black chairs

Its design for Little Faktory was intended to be minimalist and streamlined.

"Our aim was to declutter the former office and create one big open space, making its four pillars the heroes of the main room again," studio co-founder Jesper Westblom told Dezeen. "The challenge was to reduce, rather than to add things."

The salon features four original pillars

In line with this pared-back approach, the firm painted the salon's walls in a delicate, light yellow hue that intends to brighten its basement setting and maintain but soften the space's industrial feel.

Circles and squares are dotted throughout the salon in the form of mirrors and furniture. According to Westblom, they were informed by the geometric shapes seen in the late Italian architect Scarpa's designs.

The studio also drew on Scarpa's use of contrasting colours.

A washing station is located behind a perforated metal screen

Freestanding haircutting stations are arranged in the centre of the salon's main studio. These feature thick side tables shaped like plus-signs, as well as round mirrors mounted on powder-coated steel tubes.

On one side of the main space, black leather chairs sit opposite a floating table that lines the concrete wall, above which embellished circular mirrors and square-shaped display shelves are positioned.

Gustaf Westman designed a bespoke mirror for the project

A washing station can be found on the other side of the room, which is subtly separated from the rest of the area by a cloverleaf perforated metal screen that echoes the plus-shape used elsewhere.

"The customer and the hairstylist represent one square each, on both sides, resulting in the plus shape," Westblom explained.

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A colour lab, VIP area and private office space are located behind bespoke, glazed double doors, while the entrance stairwell is illuminated with spidery neon LED lights by designer Josefin Eklund.

Also among the salon's bespoke elements is a rectilinear mirror with a bulbous blue frame by Gustaf Westman, which the Swedish artist made in a custom colour specifically for the project.

LED lights illuminate the stairwell in neon

All of Little Faktory's interiors are created in a muted combination of the primary colours of red, yellow and blue, which Westblom explained is an ode to the salon's slogan, "the colourful kind".

"We looked at some early, inspirational images that set the tone of the project," he said.

"One image, in particular, was of 1920s public baths with beautiful cream-coloured tiles, orange and red details and, of course, a blue swimming pool. This ended up forming our main colour scheme."

Mirrors shaped like paint splashes liven up the customer toilet

The project's emphasis on colour is repeated in the customer toilet, where playful mirrors shaped like paint splashes are arranged opposite each other in an attempt to create an infinity effect.

Little Faktory's material palette includes rubber flooring, reeded glass and dyed fibreboard, which intend to complement the salon's existing elements and provide functional solutions to its customers' needs.

Little Faktory is a basement hair salon

Jesper Westblom and Robin Krasse founded their eponymous Stockholm-based architecture firm in January 2021.

Other recent hair salon designs that have colour and texture at their core include Danielle Brustman's Mitch Studio – a Melbourne salon that features yellow accents and glass partitions – and Mood, a hair studio by Casa Antillón in Madrid with bold mint-green ceilings sprayed with insulation foam.

The photography is byMikael Olsson.

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#all #salonsandspas #interiors #stockholm #sweden #salons #renovations #minimalistinteriordesign #hairsalons

Nordic functionalism informs Stockholm beauty clinic by ASKA

Swedish architecture studio ASKA has drawn on the existing 1930s architecture for its refurbishment of Stockholm beauty salon MBS by Malika, adding arched shapes and oak veneer panelling.

The beauty clinic in central Stockholm is located in a building designed in the Scandinavian modernist style known as Nordic functionalism – or simply funkis in Swedish.

Doorways were given subtle arched shapes

ASKA, which is led by Polina Sandström and Madeleine Klingspor, made a number of structural changes to the space as part of the refurbishment, but wanted to keep the interior design both functional and stylish.

The studio tore down most of the interior walls in the 70-square-metre salon to make more space for private rooms for its beauty therapists.

The designers used oak veneer in reference to modernist designs

Additional walls were designed with the building's modernist architecture in mind.

"The new walls were designed in a way so they would go hand in hand with the rest of the architecture with oak detailing and structured glass, which also helps the daylight to get through the whole space," Klingspor told Dezeen.

"The centrally-placed dividing wall with the pseudo three arch was also an addition by us," Sandström added.

"From a functional aspect, it helps separate the public part of the clinic from the more private one."

A pale blue shade lines doorways and skirting boards

Wood was used throughout the space, with oak veneer chosen as it was popular during the era when the building was constructed.

The material added "the right nostalgic association" to the interior, while balancing out the otherwise clinical aesthetics and the salon's cool colour scheme.

ASKA aimed to create a light, clean atmosphere for the salon and chose to work with blue and white hues, with a pale blue shade lining the wooden skirting boards and door frames for a stylish contrasting detail.

Colour was used to contrast against the abundant wood

"We chose to add the popping blue colour because it works as a good contrast against the warm oak adding a fresh and clinical touch, while at the same time being a somewhat unusual choice for a beauty salon – adding a surprising element to the design," Klingspor explained.

In addition to changing the layout of the space, the studio also created a new showpiece for the salon, a tile-clad reception desk that greets visitors and references Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto.

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"The reception desk is something of a key element that captures the essence of the concept in one piece – a homage to the functionalist era with a modern twist," Sandström said.

"The white tiles were inspired by Aalvar Alto's interior designs and help define the shape of the desk-corners thanks to their slightly rounded aesthetic."

A tiled desk with a contrasting laminate tabletop was designed for the reception

Both the shape of the desk and the materials were also chosen to evoke the era.

"The compact laminate was also a material choice that is true to the mid-century design era, whilst the blue colour and dark blue grout add a bold, unique element to the expression," Sandström added.

"The different heights of the desk helps to create two different areas in a true 'form follows function' manner."

Cream-coloured manicure tables are dotted throughout the space

ASKA also designed cream-coloured lounge tables and nail manicure stations for the salon.

The studio has previously created a hair salon in Stockholm that features an undulating ceiling installation that looks like dripping shampoo, as well as a pastel-coloured cafe that references Wes Anderson's film aesthetic.

The photography is by Mikael Lundblad.

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#all #salonsandspas #interiors #stockholm #sweden #salons #minimalistinteriordesign #aska

Swedish forest retreat by Norm Architects is "designed for a simple life"

Norm Architects has converted a traditional timber cabin, hidden away amongst pine trees in a forest in Sweden, into a pared-back holiday home for families.

The Copenhagen-based studio took a "back-to-basics" approach when it came to remodelling the two-floor building, which is positioned on top of a ridge.

Norm Architects has converted a traditional cabin into a minimalist holiday home

"Creating homes is often an exercise in restraint," explained Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.

"And while the creation of a simple, authentic and welcoming space might seem effortless and natural once completed, the journey to simplicity and the exercise of finding essence is often rather complex and not an easy task."

The ground floor houses an open-plan living and dining area

On the home's ground floor, a cosy sitting room is dressed with a couple of plump greige sofas and a sheepskin-covered lounge chair, created by the practice in collaboration with Danish furniture brand Menu.

One corner of the room is occupied by a wood burner in the same off-white colour as the walls, which were coated in dolomite plaster.

Oakwood was used to craft the flooring and cabinetry

On the other side of the ground floor lies a dining area, anchored by a large timber table. Just behind is the kitchen, housing a series of handleless low-lying cupboards crafted from oakwood.

Oak was also used to form the flooring and all of the doors throughout the cabin, which were designed by Norm Architects to act more like slender cabinet fronts so they don't take up too much space.

The doors are finished with circular brass knobs and extend all the way up to the ceiling, in a bid to make the rooms appear loftier.

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A number of new windows were inserted into the cabin's facade to allow more natural light into the interiors and reveal views of the towering pine trees outdoors.

Distributed across the rest of the holiday cabin are enough bedrooms and wash facilities to accommodate two families, as well as a small sauna.

Slim oak doors lead through to the bedrooms

For larger groups, the project also saw Norm Architects build a new self-contained annexe that can house a third family.

Here, a raised daybed-cum-window seat was set up directly next to a vast wall of glazing, providing occupants with a place to recline and take in the scenery.

"Designed for a simple life during both summer and winter months, the cabin is rustic yet refined, only equipped with the necessities when opting for a slow living," the studio said.

A large window with an integrated daybed provides views of the forest

Sweden's lush natural landscape makes it a popular location for holiday homes.

Dezeen has previously featured a number of other cabins in the country including Sommarhus T by Johan Sundberg, which takes cues from traditional Japanese architecture, and a seaside villa by Studio Holmber with serene plywood-lined living spaces.

The photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects.

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#all #interiors #residential #sweden #holidayhomes #normarchitects #cabins #minimalistinteriordesign

McLaren Excell unveils minimalist London headquarters for Samsung Design Europe

Only a handful of spruce partitions carve up the pared-back interior of this London office, which McLaren Excell has created for Samsung's European design studio.

Set inside a 21-storey tower known as the Can of Ham building, Samsung Design Europe is one of the tech company's seven product design hubs across the globe, with other outposts located in the US, China, Brazil, India, Japan and South Korea.

Local architecture studio McLaren Excell said it devised the minimalist interior for the London headquarters to "consign the formality of the workspace to the past".

Spruce wood partitions break up the Samsung Design Europe headquarters

"[The office] instead embraces a more relaxed, informal and experiential place of work," explained the firm's co-founder Luke McLaren.

"We want the Samsung office to have all the qualities that are enjoyable about your home – a softness, a sense of calm, a high degree of tactility, spaces to congregate, spaces to which one can withdraw – but all the while nurturing that sense of welcome, of belonging, of enjoyment."

As a result, the office features just a handful of glue-laminated spruce partitions that loosely split the floor plan into private meeting rooms and communal zones where staff members can engage in more collaborative work.

Spruce fins also run along the office's windows

Spruce glulam also forms a series of vertical fins, which appear at intervals along the office's windows.

In the breakout area, the same pale-toned timber was used to craft the dining table, counter and benches.

Furnishings in the breakout area are made from spruce

Grey linen curtains that hang from tracks on the ceiling can be used to further divide up the open-plan office while bringing a sense of tactility to the interior.

In an effort to make the HQ seem more relaxed and inviting, planters overspilling with foliage were embedded into the top of the desk banks.

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McLaren Excell also abandoned a traditional lighting grid in favour of fitted lamps, which illuminate pockets of the office in more targeted and intimate ways.

The architecture studio was founded by Luke McLaren and Robert Excell in 2010 and is based in London's Chelsea neighbourhood.

Planters are embedded into the office's desk banks

Recent projects by McLaren Excell include a bathroom showroom in Los Angeles with arched doorways and altar-like tables reminiscent of a church.

_The photography is byLorenzo Zandri. _

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#all #interiors #london #uk #england #samsung #mclarenexcell #minimalistinteriordesign #officeinteriors #spruce

DAGA Architects adds mirrored courtyard to traditional hutong house

Chinese studio DAGA Architects has renovated and modernised a traditional hutong residence in Beijing's Dongcheng district, adding mirrors to the walls and floor of the entrance courtyard to make the space feel larger.

The project is shortlisted in the housing category of 2021's Dezeen Awards and represents an innovative take on the modernisation of these traditional courtyard dwellings.

The project is called Baochao Hutong Mirror Yard

Beijing's hutongs are narrow alleys lined by single-storey courtyard houses called siheyuan. The houses were often joined together to create a hutong, with several hutongs then combining to form a neighbourhood.

DAGA Architects' project is one of numerous recent attempts to revitalise neglected hutong buildings, including a hotel designed by Fon Studio and a house with curving glass walls by Arch Studio.

DAGA Architects revamped a traditional hutong house

This siheyuan's owner wished to return to the house in which she was raised by her grandparents, but over the years the building had become dilapidated and was in need of comprehensive renovations.

One of the key interventions involved transforming the property's narrow courtyard, which is concealed behind a wooden door facing the street and extends through the centre of the house.

The house features a narrow mirrored courtyard

The architects installed mirrored panels on the floor and a wall at the end of the passage to create the illusion of a much larger space.

The mirrored surfaces reflect the sky and surrounding buildings, as well as the building's interior, which is visible through new full-height glazed walls.

Surroundings are reflected in the mirrored surfaces

"With the continuous changes of reflection and the surrounding environment, the mirrored courtyard shows a rapidly changing beauty," DAGA Architects said. "Each moment is unique and, just like time, cannot be recorded but can only be felt."

The project also involved modernising the residence's interior, which had fallen into a state of disrepair. The existing timber structure was strengthened and the original facade was replaced with the glass curtain wall.

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Jackson Clements Burrows designs mass-timber student accommodation in Melbourne

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The house features an open kitchen, dining and living space, as well as a bathroom on one side of the courtyard. Each of the spaces, including the bathroom, is lined with glazing to draw in daylight from the adjacent courtyard.

"The transparent curtain wall adds daylight to the interior space," the studio added, "allowing the line of sight to penetrate each other on both sides of the courtyard, creating an extroverted and introverted courtyard space."

The house features an open living space

On the opposite side of the central passage is a minimalist bedroom and en-suite bathroom, featuring a black and white interior intended to create a calming and tranquil feel.

DAGA Architects believes that the act of renovation and urban renewal should focus on new materials and approaches to design, rather than the straightforward preservation of buildings such as outdated hutong houses.

A minimalist bedroom was designed to encourage tranquility

"Renovation is not the maintenance and reproduction of old buildings," the studio claimed, "but to superimpose a new lifestyle with the old history and create a new contrast and integration. Only innovation can inject new vitality into old buildings."

The Baochao Hutong Mirror Yard project involved just 14 days of construction time on site, with a large team helping to transform the siheyuan into a dwelling designed for modern living.

The photography is byJin Weiqi.

The post DAGA Architects adds mirrored courtyard to traditional hutong house appeared first on Dezeen.

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