Location: Overblaak, 3011 MH Rotterdam
Program: Residential
Client: Private
Built Area: 100mq
Collaborators: Eigenaar: ir Loet Scholma and Tim Castelino
Scope of the work: Interior Renovation
Completed
The assignment was to renovate one of Rotterdam’s Iconic Cube Houses, designed in 1984 by Dutch architect Piet Blom and transform it into an Airbnb with a minimal design, and limited budget, adding an additional toilet, shower, private lounge and third bedroom.
The house measures 100 mq divided over 3 floors, and has a perfect but tilted cube shape, resting on a pillar that serves as a staircase. Because all the walls and windows on the inside are tilted, the perspectives on the inside as well as towards the outside world are totally different than usual.
At the start, all the rooms were empty and all the floors were old.
The main design decision was to to create a simple and uncluttered space, characterised by simplicity, clean lines, and a monochromatic palette with colour used as an accent. The general aim was to leave as much emphasis on the building itself.
The first floor contains the living room, an open kitchen, an open lounge / tv corner, a smaller more private closed lounge behind a glass door, and a second bathroom with a new extra shower. At this triangular floor, all the walls lean out. The tilted walls everywhere in the house make furnishing a challenge and most of the elements have been specially designed and built in. The kitchen was made of pure white furniture and light wooden worktops. No upper cupboards have been placed.
The second hexagonally shaped floor which lies across the centre of the cube is the largest and houses two minimally designed bedrooms and the main bathroom with original bathtub and floor tiles, where a new second toilet was added. A new glass door has been added as a separation with the upper floor, preserving the visuals on the entire floor as well as letting natural light through from the balcony door.
Behind the glass, a narrow staircase leads to this top floor, where a third bedroom has been created. This is a small room with a triangular floor and pyramid roof with 21 windows pointed towards the sky and looking over the rooftops of all the other cube houses and of part of the city. Two single beds and a desk have been added here.
