bunq architectes

Description

Built in 1933, the building has six apartments with a triple orientation and another apartment in the attic. Having received limited maintenance, the building was in strong need of renovation. The project strategy was to take advantage of the renovation to make the most of the potential of the plot and the current legal framework. The project was thus articulated along three axes. The first consisted in the extension of the apartments into the garden by replacing the old balconies, which were in poor condition, with a prefabricated wooden structure that contains a new kitchen and offers a large terrace that articulates the day rooms. The intervention was done «dry» from the outside, allowing the tenants to remain during construction. Additionally, a new diagonal orientation was generated, taking advantage of the opening towards the gardens of the neighbouring plots. The second part of the project was the insulation and structural reinforcement of the roof, making it possible to organise a large new apartment instead of the former small dwelling, along with storage spaces. The original wooden roof frame was made visible from the inside and several on-site elements (e.g. doors, parquet floorboards) were re-used. Finally, the façades and the apartments were renovated, with the new kitchen allowing the creation of an additional room. The pre-existing façades were insulated and modernised to improve the thermal balance and ensure coherence with the extension.