Sanz’s defining intervention is a stepped
solid-wood structure that rises from the
middle of the apartment, delineating the
living area from a small bedroom in the
process. Precluding the need for furniture,
the gradually narrowing steps on the
living-room side can serve – depending on
the needs and preferences of the tenants –
as seating, as tabletops or (with the addi-
tion of a mattress pad or two) as extra
beds; there is even a discreet niche for
storing a rollaway bed. On the bedroom
side, a primary bed slides neatly into its
allotted spot, while the inverse steps here
function as shelving, open closets and
other storage spaces.
Picking up on the exterior of the build-
ing, which is red brick, Sanz trimmed the
structure in the same bright hue, which
not only pops against the knotty surface
of the wood, but outlines the profiles of the
various functional elements as well. The
colour also distinguishes a portable light
fixture – called Woodroll – designed by Sanz
On the bedroom side,
the back of the stepped
unit functions as an
open closet. The architect’s
Woodroll lamp sits on a
shelf at right.1234FLOOR PLAN- Kitchen 2. Living area 3. Bedroom 4. Bathroom
074 _ _SEPT 2019