Inserting A Cube

The house is a 25sqm fisherman’s cottage which has no outdoor space. When I was first asked to look at this project three years ago, the house was uninhabitable and had been abandoned for seven years. The house had severe damp problems and water was also getting in at room level. The house is a protected structure which had undergone significant modifications previously in the 1960’s. These works included a replacement tiles roof, raising the eaves level and a few other internal modifications. My client remembers three generations of one family living in the house. Creating a space that could function as a home with such an incredibly tight footprint (25sqm) was a significant design challenge. The solution that we arrived at was to take the 1960’s roof off the house. Dig down about 500mm and provide a semi basement throughout half of the plan. We then inserted a storage cube. The storage cube containing a utility, bathroom and staircase within. The faces of the cube houses the kitchen and some storage. The top of the cube is a sleeping platform or mezzanine. We provided new sash windows and a stable door to replace the 1960’s additions. A simple internal palate of a charcoal grey tiled floor, white walls & cleaning and the birch ply storage cube all create a crisp interior.