Axially organised apartments were built above the existing basement of a building dating from the 1960s. In each apartment a central wall separates the private area from the living room, which is zoned by a metal-built kitchen island so that the space can be used in different ways. The living area is expanded by a generously sized, west-facing balcony that allows a Mediterranean feeling to develop.

The starting point was a three-storey building dating from the early 1960s. As the building was in poor condition it was decided not to renovate it and it was demolished apart from the basement level. In the design of the new project the external dimensions of the old building were to be retained and, naturally, the position of the staircase was already fixed. Whereas previously there were three small apartments per floor, now there are just two, one with three and one with two bedrooms. Two design measures in particular help give the apartments a special quality. The freestanding kitchen unit divides the main space into two zones, allowing the residents to decide where the living, dining or work areas should be. This space is expanded by a generously sized, west-facing outdoor space. On the upper floors this takes the form of a balcony that runs along the entire length of the facade; the flooring is continued from the living room to the balcony without a change of level, strengthening the connection between inside and outside. Two gravelled courtyards at ground floor level are given a private character by concrete walls. In fitting out the interior particular attention was paid to durability and robustness. While the living space forms a deliberately understated background for the tenants’ individual needs, the design of the staircase with the smoothly grinded, exposed concrete walls and red cast stone slabs is deliberately more atmospheric.