00:02for me the key thing when designing small spaces is to design built-in furniture the analogy that
00:13I like to use is for this furniture to be like a form of mini infrastructure it's really
00:21functional and it's designed for a particular intention my name is Raymana Jones I'm the
00:33founder and designer at Atelier Jones design we're a multidisciplinary design practice based
00:40in Oakland New Zealand and we specialize in small-scale architectural components interior
00:47furniture and object design and fabrication the building is located in the suburb of Otahu in
00:58Oakland Otahu is a vibrant and socio-economically diverse neighborhood with lots of Pacifica and
01:07Asian communities the property is situated right next to the Tamaki River which is a natural asset
01:19the building was built in late 2020 the client had space on the property so they decided to build
01:27units that are self-sustained and are fully equipped with all the amenities of a regular home the building
01:36has a sheltered carport with two levels that have 27 square meter footprint and each have its own
01:42tenancy the client also wanted the interior to have a good connection to the exterior as the unit faces the
01:51Tamaki River
01:55the property was built where used to be an old garden shed
02:01a lounge a small dining area a bedroom and a small office nook were placed closest to the
02:08riverside to make the most out of the view and the light coming from the rain slider the laundry kitchenette
02:16and a bathroom were placed furthest away from the riverside on the entrance area
02:25i came across the shaker movement the shakers are a small religious group originally from the states and
02:33they invented a lot of design solutions to help them maintain tidiness in their spaces i used a lot of
02:41their design principles to inform the design of this unit when you arrive into the unit you're
02:50immediately presented with a kitchenette to the left and a wardrobe and cupboards concealed by perforated
03:00closet doors to the right the kitchenette was designed to provide enough space to assemble simple meals
03:09it is equipped with a washing machine and a small sink the perforated closet doors on the right hand
03:17side creates a sense of continuity and expands the space in the corridor and kitchen area one of the door
03:25the door conceals additional kitchen space in that kitchen space there's also a little fridge
03:34on the other side there's a wardrobe from floor to ceiling and some space underneath to put your shoes
03:44the sleeping area is wrapped by a l-shaped cabinet and it's equipped with a queen-size bed that sits
03:52on a metal frame the idea was to provide enough privacy and intimacy while being open to the rest
04:01of the space the l-shaped cabinet has a lot of storage that's for the bedroom area and it also
04:10is made
04:10out of really really thin powder coated steel on the front hand side also has some open shelves and closed
04:18cupboards for additional storage space the tamaki river has a unique mud flat environment this was
04:28translated into the cabinetry for example which is a muddy green color
04:36at the end of the bed there's a small office nook it is equipped with a wall-mounted wooden desk
04:43and an overhead cupboard with open shelves to function as a mini library
04:51the living area has a two-seater couch and storage underneath to store linens and bed sheets
05:00right next to the sofa is a semi-circular table that's against the wall and that acts as a dining
05:07and
05:08working area the reason why it's a semi-circle is that it doesn't break the flow of the space it
05:16can
05:16easily be moved around the space so the occupants can use it in different configurations
05:24facing the sofa is a large storage unit which is made out of melamine panels and it's equipped with a
05:32platform for tv some overhead cupboards to store suitcases and other items and a tall tower to store
05:41cleaning equipment
05:44another important organizational feature borrowed from the shakers is the continuous wooden peg rail
05:52and that runs around the perimeter of the lounge and the bedroom area it provides a framework for the
06:00occupants to fill their own content on the walls without requiring fixings
06:08when you enter the bathroom you go through a door that's painted a vivid red to reflect the surrounding
06:16fauna the bathroom has glossy white towels from floor to ceiling to maximize the bouncing of the
06:24natural light and to make the space feel larger there's a single drawer wall-mounted vanity which functions
06:34as a washstand and it has a floating shelf underneath it also has a black metal frame mirror above it
06:46looking for color or density that closer to the surface of your cidade home as well.
06:47Oakland is a young city that's undergoing a recent densification
06:51the key thing with densification is that it's important to be culturally
06:57and contextually specific when designing these new builds. New Zealand has such
07:04unique cultural and environmental features that shouldn't be ignored but
07:10should be celebrated in design.
07:27For more information visit www.fema.org
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