Karin Matz Arkitekt is a Swedish architect with some very clever design ideas for tiny spaces. When presented with a project to convert the ground level of a 19th century stable into a studio apartment, Karin Matz went with a very unusual approach …
The architect felt the greatest strength of the space was the space itself, and that it should remain as undisrupted and whole as possible. So instead of constructing a wall to divide the space and create a bathroom as a separate room, a freestanding bathroom “station” was constructed in the middle of the room.
You can see the bathroom on the left. It is that white cube-like structure standing in the middle of the floor. The opening you see is actually the shower.
Moving around back of the structure, you can see the sink. Below the sink there are some storage cubbies.
This really is quite brilliant. Instead of wasting a ton of space putting in a separate bathroom, the functionality of the bathroom has been seamlessly incorporated into the general living space. The only use of space here is functional—there is the sink, the shower, the storage, and that is it. Nothing is superfluous here. This is as compact a “bathroom” as you will ever see.
This leaves the rest of the space in the apartment free to serve as the couple sees fit. It serves as one spacious living room/bedroom/dining area. I’m not sure where the kitchen is, but I presume it’s in there somewhere.
I hope you enjoyed the freestanding bathroom innovation as much as I did! It is amazing what is possible when an architect thinks outside the box—or in this case, creates a box that breaks the rules of convention. Learn more at the official Karin Matz Arkitekt website.
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