Eighteen Square Metres of Creativity

A small flat in Buenos Aires has been extended, and not just visually, by a crescent-shaped terrace that has become a key element of the space and by made-tomeasure furniture. The design is by IR arquitectura

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A SMALL FLAT in Chacarita, a fairly lively residential district of Buenos Aires (even though the place is best-known for its cemetery, the biggest in the country). IR arquitectura’s project for this bedsit of just 18 square metres called el Camarín (“the Dressing Room”), the product of the subdivision of a building dating from the 1950s, is centered on the extension resulting from the demolition of the entire wall on the corner of the street to create a crescentshaped terrace of 7 square metres, accessible through a large French window with folding leaves (which is also a response to the owner’s request for more light).

The terrace-veranda functions as an outdoor space in the summer, while in the colder months it is enclosed and contributes in a natural way to the air conditioning. In the daytime it gathers warmth from the sun, while at night it insulates from the cold.

INTIMATE AND COSY, “EL CAMARÍN” EXTENDS TOWARDS THE EXTERIOR WITH A SMALL PANORAMIC EXTENSION

The Argentine studio has opted for a glass roof and a curved vertical panelling of reticular elements of expanded metal that does not go unnoticed. This set-up is also capable of ensuring different degrees of privacy, depending on the time of day. When the road junction is at its busiest, in the daytime, it screens the interior from prying eyes but is still fairly transparent from the inside. By night, when the neighbourhood is quieter, it turns the flat into a curious “urban lantern”. To make the space flexible, the partitions have been demolished, apart from the small bathroom lined with micro-cement, which is now entered through a door hidden in a large cupboard. Tucked away here too are the kitchenette, refrigerator and washing machine, while one door turns into a folding table. A second structure of MDF, made to the studio’s design, incorporates the raised double bed, a desk, shelves and storage spaces. Work is still underway on the terrace on the roof, which will be accessible from the window of the bathroom. ○

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CABINETS ENSURE MAXIMUM COMFORT IN JUST 18 SQUARE METRES OF SPACE