Search

A Small Office Becomes a Private Apartment

Beriot, Bernardini Arquitectos transformed a tiny, 28-square-meter (300 sqft) office into a private apartment located in the historic center of Duque de Alba, Madrid. The design challenge was to create a comfortable home, despite its size, that includes all the comforts of everyday living without having to incorporate things like sofa beds.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-2

Thanks to the tall ceilings, a system of levels were incorporated to house all of the necessary functions, like a sleeping area over the bathroom and kitchen. A typical mezzanine level wouldn’t fit but the split levels work perfectly crafting just enough space for each use.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-3

A dressing space sits above a storage unit that includes a sliding cabinet underneath.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-4

The design adds and extra 8.5 square meters (91 square feet) of space to the small dwelling, helping to make the apartment more functional.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-5

The sleeping alcove doesn’t have to be full-height since the residents will be laying down. There’s still plenty of room to sit up though.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-6

What looks like your average closest is actually a kitchen.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-7

While small in size, the kitchen has everything you’d need to get by.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-8

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-9

The stairs pull out to reveal a ton of extra storage, making the most of every square inch of space.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-10

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-11

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-12

The design is made possible with a single element that was conceived as a piece of furniture that was then installed.

Loft-duque-de-ALBA-Beriot-Bernardini-arquitectos-13

Photos by Yen Chen.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.