Housing in the Gap Between Buildings in Rotterdam

Housing in the Gap Between Buildings in Rotterdam

A family of Dutch architects, Guwendolijn Heysman and Marjan Boterman, in collaboration with JagerJanssen architecten BNA developed the project skinnySCAR, showing how to use voids in old city developments. The architects saw potential hidden in a narrow gap formed in a dense row of buildings on one of Rotterdam's streets, Netherlands, and designed unusual yet comfortable housing on this small patch.

To maximize usable space, architects grouped all service functions needed for the dwelling, as well as load-bearing concrete slabs into two vertical volumes in the center of the house.

The organization of living space in the resulting 140-square-meter townhouse reflects daily habits of its inhabitants. On the first floor is a spacious entrance hall and an open kitchen, connected by high sliding doors to a shared garden in the inner courtyard. The living room and library, mainly used in the evenings, are located on the second floor and open onto a lush garden and the street. The empty space of the living room, connecting the first and second floors, is covered with a net and used as a hammock with views of the garden and sky. The deep bay window of the library extends over the street sidewalk, its dimensions just right to allow sitting and reading. Most private rooms in the house—bedrooms and bathroom—are located on the upper floor. A window in the ceiling above the bathroom offers a view of fleeting movements of clouds and birds, bringing daylight into the darker areas of the home.

Photographs: Ossip van Duivenbode, Vincent van Dordrecht

© Ossip van Duivenbode

© Ossip van Duivenbode

© Vincent van Dordrecht