Chinesearchitectural firm TOWOdesign recently transformed a tinyapartment in central Shanghai into a unique smart home byincorporating a series of uniquely designed "function boxes".Dubbed Ten Degrees, the 48 sqm ( 516.7 sq ft) apartment features fourfunction boxes that have been rotated by ten degrees (hence itsname), to allow for a natural flow between the living zones, withoutblocking off space or making the home feel small.
"Withone living room, one bedroom, one kitchen and one bathroom, this tinyspace inevitably restrains the dwellers' daily life," saysTOWOdesign. "So the core transform objective this time was toenlarge its limited space."
To this end, TOWOdesign integrated fourbespoke function boxes into the home, which make up the kitchen,bathroom, entertaining and sleeping quarters. Each function boxprovides the home with all of the requirements for comfortable andpractical living, with the added benefit of being smart andaesthetically pleasing.
"However,[the use of] function boxes bring about new problems," saysTOWOdesign. "The multi media box in the living room hinders theowners' path into this room and splits the space. To deal with thisissue, we rotated all the function boxes by 10 degrees. After therotation, the vision and streamline of the space became smooth andunblocked. The connections between the function boxes also combineinto an integrated space, enlarging the space and giving theapartment its name, Ten Degrees."
Eachfunction box is full of features such as hiddencabinets, foldaway furniture and ample storage. For example, the kitchen box adjoins the private bathroom box and features a fold away dining table and a hidden entrance to thebathroom, which is complete with shower, basin and toilet.
Thesleeping quarters has been strategically elevated, allowing for allof the space below to be filled with hidden storage and cupboards,including beneath both sets of stairs which sit on either side of theelevated queen bed. A washing machine is hidden within the cabinetryof the media box and floor to ceiling white cabinets are built intothe corridor wall opposite the bedroom box, providing plenty ofwardrobe space, while almost disappearing into the streamline wallsof the home.
There's also a series of mirrors strategically positioned throughout theapartment, offering the illusion of a larger space, while alsoeliminating the possibility to see your own reflection when in thebedroom; addressing a traditional Chinese taboo.
"Alarge amount of cabinets, drawers and baffles are hidden within thefunction boxes, to satisfy the need for storage, making the dailylife look neat," says TOWOdesign. "The original beams and columns are kept bare anduncovered, forming a contrast of the old and the new and making the alteration from the ten degreerotation all the more interesting. This isthe Ten Degrees apartment, it's small, yet in a wonderful way."
Take a peek inside the smart Ten Degrees apartment by TOWOdesign in the following video.
Source: TOWOdesign via Designboom