Built in 1910, the brick-and-mortar school consists of three floors, each about 4.8 meters in height, two large staircases, and a courtyard in the back. CASA Architecten took advantage of the tall ceilings to create maisonettes, a kind of layout that divides the apartment into two floors connected by a staircase, filled with lots of natural light that pour through nearly full-height windows. Standard Studio redesigned a set of stairs, some cabinets, and offered direction on the new color palettes. The ten apartments vary in size and are between 100 and 150 square meters. Every apartment has access to the outdoors, whether in the shape of a garden, roof terrace, or balcony.
Related: Chinese art school transforms a defunct train into student housing
In contrast to the brick facade, the interiors are designed with a modern and contemporary appearance. White and plywood surfaces reflect light and create a bright and warm character, while concrete flooring and steel staircases reference the school’s original aesthetic. In one apartment, the architects converted a teacher’s lounge into the bedroom, and transformed the classroom into the open-plan living space, dining room, and kitchen.
+ CASA architecten
+ Standard Studio
Images via CASA architecten, Standard Studio
