In an existing housing estate in Meerbusch, the owner couple had purchased a large bungalow from the 1950s with a garden plot. Both the condition of the building and the space and room requirements of the family with one child made a conversion with an extension necessary. The commissioned architectural firm Ferreira Verfürth from Meerbusch developed a project that is characterized by its spatial openness with views across all levels and a particularly high-quality master bathroom.

The architects and interior designers of the office were guided by the concept of an industrial loft, which allows for the best possible communication with its levels set into the room height. Transferred to the floor plan concept of the detached house, this meant that the existing building envelope was extended horizontally and also raised - there were no urban planning challenges because the neighboring buildings were already designed with two storeys. At the same time, a new level was inserted into the raised building envelope to accommodate the master bedroom, a dressing room and the master bathroom. The bedroom's wide, floor-to-ceiling, frameless glass front provides intensive views of the spacious "living hall" on the first floor and the garden. However, the openness that this creates is by no means limitless: there are also retreat areas in the bedroom that are protected from outside views. This most private area can also be screened off with a curtain. In contrast, the living area on the first floor, designed as a hall, is directly supplied with daylight via a floor-to-ceiling window front with sliding panels. An external, automated sunshade prevents the room from overheating. The living room flows seamlessly into the kitchen area, which is located below the bedroom. The gas fireplace set into the living room also separates the dining area from the living room.

Even though the house looks like a homogeneous new build from the outside, the basic static structure of the existing building had to be dealt with. The master bathroom posed a particular challenge for the architects: The bathtub basin, which ends at floor level, could only be achieved by lowering the ceiling of a small granny apartment below, which is also located on the first floor. In order to emphasize the loft character of the house, a raw exposed concrete look was chosen for the ceilings. This simple, industrial look is contrasted by the warm wood tones of the oak parquet flooring. The otherwise almost entirely white surfaces of the plastered walls and the staircase and furniture fixtures lend the rooms the necessary lightness and minimalist elegance. The fitted kitchen in particular was designed to be as flush as possible and integrated into the room - even the hobs integrated into the kitchen block and their ceiling extractor were kept almost invisible. The design of the master bathroom also fits harmoniously into this aesthetic: The travertine tiles have a very high-quality and warm feel without giving up the loft style.

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(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 01|20)