Re-Life House 02

Design Narrative

This project was an exercise in the redesign and renovation of an existing residential building consisting of a parking level and two residential units above. The client intended to retain the lower apartment for himself while renovating the upper apartment for his son. One of the main requirements was to provide independent access to each apartment, allowing the two units to function separately.

This raised a central design question: how could two apartments, originally sharing the same entrance and staircase, be spatially separated without compromising the quality of the living spaces or their relationship with the outdoors?

The existing lower apartment was relatively small, dark, and lacking in spatial quality, while a significant portion of the parking level remained largely unused. The design strategy was therefore to redefine the boundary between the parking and residential spaces. By incorporating part of the underused parking area into the lower apartment, the living space could be expanded while creating the opportunity for separate entrances to both units.

This intervention transformed the project on two levels. It established functional independence between the two apartments while simultaneously turning the lower unit into a larger, brighter, and more open living environment. An underused area of the existing building was thus reimagined as an active part of everyday life.

This apartment was designed for the client’s son, while the other floor of the building was designed as the client’s own residence, titled “Re-life House 01.” In the interior design of this apartment, skylights and a vertical garden were introduced to bring natural light, greenery, and a sense of vitality into the living spaces.

The existing floor plan was completely reconfigured, taking advantage of the apartment’s flexibility to modify the plumbing and electrical systems. Relocating the kitchen created stronger connections between the private and semi-private areas, resulting in a more coherent spatial organization.

The new layout was developed to accommodate all of the client’s requirements, including two master bedrooms, a separate dining area, an expansive living space, and a dedicated elevator connection from the ground floor.