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| AFTER: Hong Kong tiny apartment sings with creativity. Sliding wall separates kitchen with bath (right) when needed. |
GUEST BLOG / By LAAB Architects--Michelle Tennant and Andy Knight came to LAAB,
a Hong Kong based architectural firm, with big laundry list of needs to upgrade
their newly acquired apartment also in Hong Kong. Top of the list items fitting in a full
American-style kitchen, large bathtub, home cinema, gym, cat friendly spaces
and plenty of storage.
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| BEFORE: Compare with above; entry is center of image |
Because the
couple wanted to live in the heart of Hong Kong’s vibrant Central district, the
couple was willing to acquire and remodel a 309 square foot abode.
It’s no
secret, Hong Kong is already one of the most expensive places in the world to
live, and nowhere is this truer than in Central.
Given the
choice of putting all of their resources to gain an extra 30-50 sq.ft. in the
existing space or go with professional space planning that would create the
feeling of much more space, the couple chose to go with interior design.
To realize
their ambitious plans, the team at LAAB had to think beyond static spaces. “We
began considering time as a factor, eventually designing the space around a Form Follows Time philosophy,” said LAAB
co-founder Otto Ng, “which means that spaces open and close depending on the
purposes needed at that particular time. A great example of time centric design is what
LAAB created surrounding the bathtub.
That one space can take the following forms:
--The
traditional bathroom with separate bathtub so that a guest can shower while the
host brushes teeth or vice versa;
--Second tier
seating creating a two tiered home cinema or seating for large groups of
friends
--Guest
bedroom for short stay guests.”
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| Tub is below second tier guest bed space |
Ng of LAAB adds, “other forms can also be blended, allowing for a home cinema experience while in the bath, or movie viewing for host and guest while both are in bed. Achieving this level of flexibility in this area and others required over 30 design iterations and large amounts of experimentation.”
The
architects pointed out, all elements, from the 4K curved TV, to the dining
table, to the make-up table and storage are all designed to hide flat and
smooth to keep the flat looking neat and spacious.
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| NEW: Overhead view of redesigned 309 square foot apartment in Hong Kong |
A range of
app-controlled smart home technologies have also been implemented, primarily
Philips Hue bulbs and the August smart lock. The lights are able to slowly
brighten the room in the morning, giving the couple a gentle wake-up while the
door lock means they can enter effortlessly or send electronic keys to friends
to help them look after their cats.
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| MEOW: More OW and less ME with 3 cats in 309 square feet, but that's what the client wanted. |
Cats and
their needs were a very important factor in this design. You could say that the
apartment was not only designed for Michelle and Andy but also for their three
cats, Banoffee, Dumpling and Tuxedo. Cat areas include a cat walk around the
ceiling, cat ladder, litterbox hidden beneath the bathroom sink, cat food trays
hidden within the kitchen cabinets and a hidden den for them to relax in.
Implementing
these cat friendly concepts was a challenge.
Materials, details and mechanical systems were all strategically
designed to keep the spaces dry, cleanable, cat-friendly, and free of
undesirable smells. For example, the cat litter box has been equipped with its
own ventilation system that pulls smells out of the building.
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| INNOVATIVE: Slide the TV wall into view for entertaining; behind Andy another sliding wall closes in the master bedroom area. |
Andy and
Michelle summed it up, “The most important thing is how comfortable the apartment
is. Many of our friends come over and
visit our place, and they have never seen such a nice kitchen even though their
own apartments are bigger than ours.”
Visit the
following web and YouTube videos for images of the LAAB Architects project:
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