Designed by local design studio VATRAA, the project saw a complete renovation and basement extension, transforming the original 80sqm artist studio into a 160sqm 4 bedroom private residence.

Clients love the atmosphere of their own home. Waking up in the bedroom with a full view of the garden is totally intimate. It's not like being in a basement, with the calming and protective qualities a nighttime area should be.

The ground floor has a spiritual quality that invites contemplation and is a place for family members to practice meditation or to retreat in private thoughts. The top floor is full of light and energy; it is where the family can spend time together. The aim of VATRAA was to create an elegant building that does not follow trends, but a simple, natural and powerful response to the constraints of the project.

VATRAA creates a collaborative environment where the client becomes an integral part of the design process, from the big picture to the smallest detail. As a result, the house becomes a journey focused on the client’s needs, from the secluded basement to the vibrant first floor, coordinated around the dichotomy of dark-light, calm-vigor, warm-cold or intimate-exposed.

The studio is surrounded on all sides by other studios and the back garden of the high-rise, with no windows on the ground floor and the only natural light coming from the top roof. It is clear that external constraints will push the design towards a restrained approach. Maximizing natural light was an almost impossible challenge while adding 4 bedrooms and 87sqm of internal area.

Capturing natural light was one of the biggest challenges. Carefully designed roof and basement extensions bring light to all rooms, while materials are designed to promote the perception of natural light and space. A 5-meter deep light well brings filtered natural light to the nighttime area while creating a protective enclosure. Minimalist wood-framed windows blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, making light wells part of the interior.