This cabin is a conversion of an open porch that was only serving as a storage area for bicycles
the building is located in Albino
It's a town based in Seriana Valley at the slopes of the aerobic mountains
the cabin is 25 square meters it's 2.5 meters wide and 10 meters long it's a very narrow space
I'm Francesca Perani i'm an Italian architect graphic designer and activist
the cabin is built in between two overlapping modern villas one has been built in nineteen
fifties by Elia Acerbis architect and the other one by Armen Manoukian architect in 1968
The clients are both of Persian Italian origins with two kids the client
lives in the villa next door while the micro house has been conceived as a multi-purpose space
that can host a studio a retreat space for the owners or a guest house for relatives
The porch was completely open to the courtyard it was a free space featuring a brick colonnade
and the stone wall it was in dialogue with the main access to the property
and the monumental staircase that is characterized by concrete molding and perforated metal screen
The cabin has two main areas the living room acting as a kitchen and as a bedroom and
a blue bathroom the clients also wanted a lot of storage space
the extreme narrowness of the existing building required a full custom design interior
where flexibility and multi usage became the key factors
the cabin takes inspiration from Persian design and it's a celebration of color and textures
I use Persian indigo blue inspired from mosque tiles for the entrance and the shower room
we use the affordable and recycled materials such as non-toxic OSB sustainable solutions
were also privileged where possible such as the greenery system on the rooftop
of the building reducing solar heat gain and contributing to the thermal benefits of the cabin
a playful metal screen was placed in front of the building defining a triangular mini garden
as a reference to ancient persian arches and providing sun shading to the cabin
The entrance is divided from the main living room
by a layer of perforated metal screen which function also as a coat hanger
we have a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe concealing a heating system a desk a space for washing machine
and plenty of storage space
The living space is cladded entirely in OSB which offers a dramatic contrast to
the bright blue bathroom it gives the space a sense of warm comfort
The window frames function as bench seats and have been designed at an angle to facilitate
a conversation the blue edge of the frame creates a connection to the blue bathroom
I installed a seven meters bench that act as a sitting area a sleeping area
and creates a storage underneath it in the evening the bench can be converted
into two single beds with mattresses which are kept in the storage underneath
for the kitchenette we used printed marble pattern tiles
to add texture to the space and echo the pattern of the osb
above the floating cabinet i made a cut into the wall for allowing a little bit more lighting
We managed to fit a sink an area for an electric stove and a microwave
We also used 1960s recycled handles sourced from a local hardware store
and used both in the kitchen and on the wardrobe area
In the bathroom the shower opens out to the garden through a french door
connecting guests to the exterior and providing ventilation while the perforated metal screen
offers privacy an existing stone wall adds texture and character to the shower space
every surface has been finished in glossy blue raising and the bright
white fittings stand out from the dark color creating a dialogue with the retro handles
When designing a small space everything needs to be customized and multifunctional but the ending
potential is enormous my approach always tries to battle against straight lines and minimalist
trends in order to offer a more dynamic way of living my main purpose was to create a
space with multiple users exploring a different culture on an otherwise unutilized urban space