The unused attic of ​​440 m2 of floor area and 320 m2 usable area is located in a multi apartment old town house in an urban setting of Ljubljana town with many amenities in the vicinity. The attic is accessible through a central staircase. The existing undeveloped attic is to be converted to residential use for short or long-term renting especially for young people, either students or young professionals. The heritage protection prevents major interventions in the exterior of the building, which would alter the street facade and roof of the building.

 

Numerous sociological studies show that the number of single households is increasing every year as the number of traditional families decreases. Real estate is too expensive for majority of young individuals, more and more students go for student exchanges and many young professionals are looking for new challenges around the world. Thus, new forms of living or inhabiting appeared and one of them is co-living. As the name itself implies, it is a form of living in which more individuals live within a community other than a family unit. Each has his or her own space where they can withdraw and at the same time share common spaces intended for socializing, entertainment, work, etc. Cohabitation or co-living simultaneously strengthens social communication, interaction, integration and sense of responsibility.

 

COAPT is a neologism, meaning 'bring together'. The basic concept is a hybrid of small private accommodation units, whether micro-apartments or individual rooms, and a larger common space shared by users.

The proposal envisages the attic in two main sections. One half of the attic is filled with five small studio apartments with a gallery and a common kitchen with dining room, which the residents can co-use for socializing. The other half of the attic is an apartment with five or seven rooms for students with individual bathrooms and a larger common living area and common gallery workspace. Studios are intended for young professionals who are still paving the way for their own home or hiring an apartment only for a shorter period of time, either because they are foreigners working here only temporary or for other reasons. Users spend most of their time at work, while the rest of the time they spend on socializing or various other activities. For this reason, the circulation spaces are planned to be extended from an absolute minimum to the maximum possible size of common surfaces. Flats are slightly smaller, at the expense of the larger area for shared use, such as group dinners, breakfast, work, study etc. The apartment with rooms gives a greater emphasis on co-living and co-use, as its users generally spend more time to socialize, invite friends, etc. The gallery also offers a quality space for studying or work. The laundry and storage room are used by both sides of the attic and are located next to the main staircase.

 

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Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Project date: 2018
Completion date: -

Total floor area: 440 m2

Type: residential

Client: private

 

Project team: SVET VMES, d.o.o.: Jure Hrovat, Ana Kreč, Ana Križaj, Marko Kavčič