The unused living space hidden beneath urban rooflines is impossible to quantify—yet tapping into this potential could help address the housing shortage, particularly in city centers. Beyond creating much-needed homes, such conversions also reduce urban sprawl, benefiting both the cityscape and the environment. Essen-based architect Jens Backes recently completed just such a project, overseeing every detail from conception to completion. The result: a stunning residential gem with views.

Yet transforming this space—previously a storage area and laundry room—required considerable vision from both client and architect. Backes Architects had already renovated two apartments and the roof structure in this heritage-listed 1910 building. Working closely with the monument preservation authorities, they managed to introduce a loggia during the attic conversion. "Every intervention had to respect the building's character and honor its history," explains Jens Backes. The result: a warm, two-room apartment with loggia whose layout flows naturally from the roof's architecture. Beyond the small entrance hall lies the main living space—a generous open-plan area combining living, dining, and kitchen. What strikes you immediately are the distinctive details: cladded beams and sculptural roof niches that maximize every inch of the angled walls.

The custom-fabricated steel staircase—finished in soft grey—is a showstopper, sweeping up to a gallery bathed in natural light from skylights above. Roof windows with thermal roller shutters punctuate the sloped ceilings, while the kitchen and loggia feature double-glazed plastic frames. A charming bull's-eye window in the cross-gable was carefully restored and preserved. Polished plaster walls, oak-effect vinyl flooring in herringbone pattern, and a spa-like bathroom with oversized tiles round out the refined interior.

www.backes-architekten.de

Photography:
Dr. Lutz Krammenschneider

(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 04|25)