00:01The main goal was to give multiple functions to the common and social areas of the home
00:06and add flexibility everywhere else we could.
00:11We saw a lot of potential in the apartment,
00:14especially because of the large amounts of natural light.
00:19I am Cristina Portadia.
00:21And I'm Patrick Bonner.
00:23We are co-founders and architects of Atelier PBO.
00:26The clients are a young professional couple who are very into minimalism
00:32and they both like to enjoy the city and host tapas nights and parties at their home.
00:45The apartment is located in Barcelona's Clot neighborhood.
00:49El Clot is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Barcelona.
00:52With medieval origins as an agricultural area known for its orchards and mills.
00:59The building was built in 1930.
01:02Since its construction, it was used as a residential building.
01:07A few days after they purchased the place,
01:10we started scraping the walls and opening holes in the ceiling
01:14to find the hidden treasures of the apartment.
01:16Luckily, the catalan walls and brick walls were in perfect condition.
01:22There were four small rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a combined living dining area.
01:28The bathroom was also extremely small.
01:32The first thing we decided to do in this space was to create one large main bedroom.
01:37This gave us the opportunity to build a brand new bathroom, an office area and a laundry area.
01:44The rest of the space was turned into one large open space that holds the kitchen, living and dining room.
01:57You entered the apartment directly into the connecting hallway.
02:03We created a niche for a shelving system that provides space to lift keys and outdoor accessories.
02:10As well as space on the bottom for shoes.
02:15We left the wall in its raw brick to give the space an industrial vibe.
02:21We installed a slim three-piece hanging pendant to light the space softly and uniformly.
02:28The clients used baskets to organize small things in similar categories.
02:34This social area of the apartment follows an all-in-one concept.
02:38It is where the catalan walls can be better appreciated.
02:44The kitchen is made up of three main pieces.
02:49We agreed that there wasn't a need for upper cabinets.
02:53Instead, we added a simple pine open shelving that they use for the plates and serveware.
03:00The kitchen is built using IKEA cabinets customized with high-pressure laminate cubra fronts and countertops.
03:08We installed the sink, a hidden dishwasher, the gas hub and lots of storage for pots, pans, cutlery and serveware.
03:17On the counter facing the window, we installed the under-counter fridge and the freezer as well as the oven.
03:23We kept the entire surface free to be used as a long stretch of prep space or a buffet for
03:29when the clients host dinner parties.
03:31On the window that connects to the office area, we added a small latch that they can use to rest
03:37drinks, pass things around from the kitchen to the office and decorate the space.
03:44For the third piece of the kitchen, we decided to do a wooden veneer that makes it feel more like
03:50part of the living room.
03:52Inside it, they store most of their dishware, their pantry and their bar.
03:58When they want to create a large uninterrupted dance floor for parties, they move this piece to the empty corner.
04:07The dining area is at the center of the large open space.
04:11The large table can comfortably sit up to six people and from time to time is moved to the corner
04:17of the apartment.
04:19It was important for us to leave the kettle and wall ceiling as untouched as possible.
04:24Therefore, we decided to add a simple panel light from Creative Cables.
04:32The living room is another of these transforming spaces.
04:36There were a lot of different things the clients wanted from this room.
04:40A lounge area with a sofa, spaces to store and display records and personal items.
04:47In the space carved out by the kitchen, we installed a set of heavy-duty hooks that hold up the
04:53hammock.
04:54It can easily be removed, allowing this space to become a place to work out or meditate in.
05:03This small sofa is on the other side of the room.
05:07Above it, a set of shelves of varying length is filled with the owner's personal items.
05:13The most upper shelf spans the entire wall of the living room and is high enough that it blends away
05:20into the ceiling and reduces visual clutter.
05:25The clients decided to use a stylish projector instead of a TV which feels more like a decor piece than
05:31a bulky tech piece.
05:35The flooring in the apartment is a neutral grey micro-cement that stays cool during Barcelona's hot summers.
05:45The apartment has a slim balcony facing the street that can be accessed from both windows.
05:57The office is located at the very end of the box.
06:01It is designed to transform and accommodate two contrasting functions, office and guest room.
06:09We place the desk facing the window so that it connects this space to the large open area and visually
06:15extends it.
06:19The office desk can be moved to the living space when guests stay over.
06:25The clients bring in two foldable mattresses to be used as bedding for guests.
06:33From the office there is access to the upper storage above the bathroom, where the clients store more of their
06:40seasonal items.
06:45The large doors are made out of pine wood, which is what we used for all the wooden structures in
06:51the apartment.
06:52When not in use, the laundry can be completely covered with the big sliding door from the office space.
06:59Around the water heater we added shelves on the walls and above the washing machine for the laundry supplies and
07:05cleaning tools.
07:08We designed the bathroom based on a simple two-colour concept.
07:13The vanity is a piece from ROGA.
07:16It is wall mounted so it also frees up space below to allow the clients to tuck away their hampers
07:23where they store their towels.
07:26For the shower we chose deep terracotta tiles.
07:31The wall that hides the plumbing serves as a shower shelf while still allowing natural light to flood this corner.
07:41The main bedroom is a simple compact space.
07:46One of the things that makes it feel more spacious is the large opening we created of the door.
07:53In the nook carved out by the entryway, the clients have installed a wardrobe system that they created using a
08:01few IKEA pieces.
08:04Their bed can lift up using a gas lift system to reveal even more storage.
08:10They keep all of their seasonal clothes in labeled baskets, as well as bed linens, towels, rarely used shoes and
08:18suitcases.
08:22Above the bed, a discreet set of doors hides the storage room we created above the bathroom, although the clients
08:29usually access it from the office.
08:33In popular cities like Barcelona, the housing problem is caused by the amount of space we need these days or
08:40thing we need.
08:42If people can think through their day-to-day needs and reduce them to the essentials, they can realize that
08:49even 45 square meters is plenty of space for a couple and even three people.
09:10These doors can be protected.
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