KC design studio lights up townhouse with glazed openings in taiwan

located in a high density residential area, ‘house W’ is a typical 50-year old three-story townhouse often spotted in taiwan. left in questionable conditions, the residence has been brightly renovated by taipei-based KC design studio. prior to intervention, the main issues found in this rectangular dwelling include poor lighting, excessive proximity to other buildings, as well as noise disturbance coming from nearby tourism attractions and night markets.

with the use of the atrium in the middle, sunlight can naturally flow into every corner of the house
all images courtesy of KC design studio

considering the lack of privacy and good views, KC design studio has pushed the design inwards and upwards. first, the front of each floor has been set back to form a buffering semi-outdoor space between the streets and residence areas. with the use of semi-transparent expanded mesh and openings on the façades, boundaries are created while still introducing natural lighting, ventilation and rain. by partially removing the ceilings and using the atrium, these semi-outdoor zones are linked throughout the three floors. on the first level, the balcony is used as a doorstep with improved daylight; above it, the space creates an extension of the kids’ corner with trees and plants; finally, the third balcony houses the main suite with a green garden view.

lighting and ventilation are essential factors within the renovated design

all along, lighting and ventilation play a big role in regard to the wellbring of occupants. with large windows located at both ends of the house, as well as the use of the atrium in the middle, sunlight can naturally flow into every corner. in addition, the balcony at the rear of the residence is set back so that the distance to neighboring houses moves from 40 centimeters to 90 centimeters. the toilet, located at the back, uses glass for partitioning to allow as much ambient lighting as possible.

 
staircase view

during the process, each floor has been handled as an open plane. all cabinets are located against the walls to maximize indoor floor area — as the width of the house only spans 370 centimeters — and white wood makes up the tiling while walls are finished in cement. the reinforcement of beams and columns is kept without intentional concealing, allowing existence of both the old structure and new elements, to exhibit the unique quality and atmosphere of this renovated old building. in the end, the white/gray tones create a meditative setting, emphasizing the reflection of sunlight within the house, as well as its refraction created by the glazed interior.

large windows are located both at the front and back of the house

KC design studio 
video courtesy of mel hsieh

corner with trees and plants and the main suite on third floor can enjoy green garden view

boundaries are set up while still introducing natural conditions

main bedroom suite

main suite corner with trees and plants on the third floor, with a green garden view

introducing natural lighting, ventilation and rain to the inside by removing certain parts of the ceilings

open bathroom provides not only sunlight but spatial and visual connections

 materials include stainless steel, wood and glass in white/gray tones

the visual connection  as perceived from the third floor to the first

reworked façade of the townhouse brightened with white mesh  

the front of each floor is set back as a buffering and meshed semi-outdoor space, between streets and residences

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom