LOUVER FLAT || An Airy and Refreshing Apartment Nestled in Taipei's Concrete Jungle
Within a newly developed area of Taipei City, ever more concrete jungles are created in the neighbourhood.
Residential towers built right next to each other lead to certain discomfort for flat owners. The team at Phoebe Wows Architects aimed to bring craftsmanship and carefully executed interventions to tackle this issue for an airy and refreshing atmosphere with desired natural lighting quality and improvement of ventilation as well as the optimized layout of private and shared spaces for the family members.
Custom-made louvers in a cheery yellow to give the flat a fresh look.
The apartment has continuous window openings on the Southwest side of the building. The architects created a corridor instead of a series of rooms along those openings to introduce natural light and ventilation for better comfort, health and mood. While the windows offer an abundance of fresh air and sunlight, they are also adjacent to a neighbour building; to retain the benefits of light, ventilation, and privacy, custom-made louvers were installed along the length of the flat. The louvers feature groove patterns in various orientations lacquered in an uplifting yellow to improve privacy while giving the flat a fresh look on both interior and exterior. In comparison to more conventional methods, such as using curtains or films, this playful and creative design lets the homeowners slide and overlap the patterns to create different light and shadow designs in the home throughout the day.
The corridor connects the living room, second bedroom, and bathroom with an open balcony.
The corridor connects the living room, a teenager’s bedroom and a bathroom with an open balcony. Plants on the open balcony present a tranquil scene that can be viewed from the corridor and circular bathroom, presenting a pleasant bathing experience.
Arched double doors with raw rattan screens lead into the master bedroom and ensuite.
Master bedroom bathroom.
The master suite is located on the other side of the living room, where a quaint study with custom-made steel shelves and lacquered cherry wood desktops is also situated. An open kitchen with a working balcony full of lush trees gives a lively depth in contrast to an enclosed kitchen layout before the renovation. Greenery is thoughtfully integrated into the flat to counterbalance the surrounding concrete jungle, creating a private oasis within the busyness of the city.
Lush greenery on the open balcony can be viewed from the corridor and the circular bathroom.
Details of the circular bathroom resurfaced with custom-made green hue fireclay tiles.
The relaxing and sophisticated design extends to the two bathrooms in the flat. The ensuite bathroom features Carrara marble mosaics and trims along with nickel-plated hardware to exude exquisite modern luxury. The other features a circular plan which was resurfaced with custom-made green hue fireclay tiles. Dark metallic finish hardware and CNC milled sink-integrated countertop and glossy khaki green lacquered cabinets together characterize a quaint and elegant space for an elevated personal retreat in the home.
The renovated kitchen opens onto a balcony filled with plants.
The flat utilizes soothing Douglas Fir wide plank flooring throughout.
Overall, the interiors are designed for a soothing and elegant lifestyle. Wide plank Douglas-fir flooring with a natural finish adds a warm texture and extends the visual continuity through the flat. Raw rattan screens utilize traditional local craftmanship on the master suite and wardrobe doors further to emphasize a natural interior ambience to calm the anxious souls often found in urban dwellings.
The Louver Flat successfully creates a safe haven with an abundance of nature and sunshine, sheltering the mind and soul from the surrounding cold, concrete towers.
Floor plan of the flat.
PROJECT DETAILS
Architect: Phoebe Says Wow Architects
Location: Neihu District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Project size: 125 m2
Completion date: 2021
Photography: HEY!CHEESE
