Une maison est une machine-à-habiter.
Le Corbusier, Vers une architecture (1923)
The objective to create a clean and minimal space, including all fundamental living function, impose to look at the available space as an "interface" of a complete "machine for living in".
In this way an empty room, ideal space for thoughts and meditation, full of light and views thanks to wide openings and glass-closed balcony, can be trasformed in two bedrooms or two rooms for study, or a kitchen, a dining room or a living room.
Our way to exploit the lack of a height limit, is to design a wide space back to the false ceiling including many rollaway furniture elements. Elements can be extracted when necessary. Same thought was applied to the wooden floor area. The wooden area defines the intimate part of the apartment, a no-shoes area.
Guides and cables, assisted by spring designed to cancel elements weight, allow easy furniture elements movement. Every element got a little block-unblock handle to place it at the desired height. All movements may be controlled by electric engines and remote controller, but, to reach an higher energetic soustainability, the first choice is mechanic springs and a hooked stick to reach the ceiling handle.
This house is thought as young couple or students apartment, with a side opened to a view and the opposite side to a common access space like a hall or a ledge, filtered by satin-finished glass.
Two opposite side openings are very important to allow complete illumination by day and optimized natural air change, this is a first costless step to energetic soustainability.
For a small spaces there are many no-high-tech solutions to reach an high level environmental soustainabilty. First is quality in wall, floor, frames and glass. Low emission package allow a significant energy save. Second is abundant natural light and air change, minimizing uses of electric lights and mechanical ventilation. Third is recyclable and low environmental impact materials, like wood, water paint and coating, glass and recycled metals (like steel and aluminum) and recycled concrete.
