turning a canal-side warehouse into an outstanding sample of home design: project by thomas geerlings

a collection of houses that are situated on amsterdam’s canalways has been recently updated with one more striking building. a founder of framework design studio thomas geerlings noticed a five-story building that was almost destroyed, and decided that it was a perfect place for a new family house. the decision was spontaneous and neither geerlings nor his wife thought about the technical aspect of making home from warehouse established in 1896. this is how a project of 19th-century building transformation has started.

geerlings was dreaming to preserve the atmosphere of industrial construction, but the family also wanted to feel there like at home. the first challenge for the design studio was to understand how to take advantage of 50 square meter space and place everything important for having a comfortable life. another issue that worried the designers was a small amount of natural light that came inside through a narrow façade. the architect offered a great way out by inserting a glass roof in the kitchen; geerlings’ wife liked the idea and the spouses decided to make it expanding so that the family could open it on warm sunny days. such an option sounded more than awesome since there was no garden.