The site, situated in an old apartment of the old city area, features a basement larger than the above-ground floors. In addition to the primary entrance, the design includes an accessible ramp in consideration of the elderly family members with limited mobility. Meanwhile, the building orientation is changed from an east-west to a north-south direction, thereby bringing more light in. To increase spatial transparency, some of the fences are built with breeze blocks.

The lack of ventilation and natural lighting is a common disadvantage of basements. To address this issue, a light well is incorporated to channel daylight into the basement, hence connecting the upper and lower spaces. Furthermore, a homocentric square-shaped flow is devised to promote air circulation and improve the mobility between different areas, which also serves to enhance the living quality of the basement.

The overall space design employs plain-colored paints and natural concrete as the background, highlighting the activities and interactions between people and furniture. A custom-made birch plywood long table functions as a gathering place, echoing the spatial axis with the horizontal wall shelves on the side.

Given the different activity needs of the members, a common area is created to ensure the independence of public and private spaces. When receiving visitors, the hospitable host can provide a relaxing environment where both guests and hosts enjoy themselves.

Space condition: Pre-owned house
Area: 330 m 2
Scale of alteration: Whole-room design and renovation

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