Transformation of Student apartment in Rotterdam
Measuring only 15m2 this student apartment in Rotterdam is part of the transformation of the office building ‘Hermes City Plaza’. With its long facade adjacent to the ‘Stadhuisplein’ it marks a prominent spot in the heart of Rotterdam. Student houses are exclusively designed for Erasmus students. Each year the Erasmus Exchange program houses its freshman-year students in the student apartments. Inspired by the tiny house movement, Standard Studio succeeded in getting all the functions needed for independently functioning homes into the transformed office building on the Stadhuisplein in Rotterdam.
Fully equipped apartment
The challenge was to turn 15m2 into a complete student apartment. The micro apartments are fully equipped with a toilet, shower, vanity, kitchen, dining table, desk, couch, queen-size bed, and plenty of storage space. This has been made possible by using every square cm the small room offers. To be able to accommodate this the furniture has dual functionalities and the height of the room is used to the maximum.
Inspiration for the design comes from the tiny house movement. In tiny houses, space is used smarter. The idea of merging certain functions and purposes into each other a lot of space can be gained. The client was a wish for a queen size bed, additional, smart space was created from the height of the former office building. The bed is attached to the ceiling and hangs 2 meters above the floor. The large wardrobe also forms a sturdy staircase to the bed.
Combined functions
Because the apartment offers no space for a vanity unit and a sink in the kitchen, both have been ingeniously combined. The sink is divided by a floating panel which is on one side a sink with mirror. And on the other hand, it is a sink in the kitchen with a handy chalkboard.
The building is an extension of the houses. The facilities you will not find in the apartments can be found within the building. From common areas such as the roof terrace, music room, TV rooms, a laundry bar to a study area. There are also individual facilities such as a bicycle spot and a private garden.