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How to redesign and future-proof a historical building.
Case study:The Future-proof Renovation
Constructed in 1902, this Amsterdam historical building was always a versatile one. For one, it used to host a nautical-themed restaurant in its basement. Now, a young family has decided to turn it into a family home for them, with the optionality of transforming it into 5 separate apartments for future tenants.
Designing a Family Home
First and foremost, our client wishes to create a comfortable family home to facilitate their needs, elevate their everyday life and enrich their interactions. Spread over 4 storeys, the program will consist of the main living area on the ground floor, the parents’ ensuite master bedroom and home office on the first floor, the kids and guests’ bedrooms as well as a space for family time on the second floor. In addition, a basement will house two studios for an aupair and an additional tenant. The final touch is the roof, which will be transformed into a beautiful gardened terrace.
An ideal Future Proofing Scenario
Besides nurturing the perfect family lifestyle, a house is also an investment and besides, the family lifestyle will change over time. For this reason, our clients are thinking ahead! They have decided to prepare the house, from a design as well as a technical perspective to be ready to transform in case their needs change or they want to exploit the property economically. They imagine that they may move out, rent out the property or even sell it in the future. This is why the area in the basement is going to facilitate two separate and fully equipped studios, and in addition, every storey can transform into a fully equipped and independent two to three-bedroom apartment. These 5 studios/apartments can be easily rented or sold in the future.
(For more insight on future-proofing check our article)
An Environmental Renovation
A remarkable component of this project is our client’s commitment to its environmental quality. We have redesigned the entire building based on sustainable principles including natural ventilation (for more insight check out this article), optimizing natural lighting, sustainable insulation, cooling/heating, and the use of environmentally friendly materials.
AKKA’s Service
For this project, AKKA’s Services include the entire renovation from the beginning of research and design and until construction completion and furnishing, including all the technical components, environmental solutions, as well as the interior design and furnishing. In the spirit of sustainability and working in an environmentally friendly way, we will be incorporating many of the existing features of the building, including some furnishing by carefully restoring it and reusing it.
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