A former commercial space of over 200 square metres with Prussian cap vaults becomes a loft for a couple. The large-room character is preserved by keeping the ceiling clear. Cloakroom, study, guest room and the zoning between kitchen and dining emerge as freestanding, sculptural built-ins.
The starting point is a typical Berlin factory floor with exposed brickwork and steel beams. The aim was to preserve the spatial generosity while at the same time creating clear residential zones.
Rather than solid partition walls, solitary built-ins structure the layout. The raw brick meets calm, precise geometries and restrained tones; the smooth kitchen frontage strikes a matter-of-fact contrast. The Prussian cap vault remains fully visible and is staged with purpose-developed light fittings. A continuous floor — the existing concrete screed, wet-ground on site using a terrazzo process — ties all areas together.
The openness of the loft is retained; sightlines stretch along the length of the steel members. The built-ins zone the space without interrupting its flow.
In the living area, the guest room sits as a timber volume — the "cocoon". Daylight enters via its own rooflight. The double-curved capsule consists of 850 distinct components in structural solid timber. A purpose-programmed script controlled the automated cutting logic; the assembly follows the digital model for a precise fit.
