CASA 2+1

Trieste, Italy

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CASA EMME

CASA 2+1

Trieste, Italy

Firm

EMPATE STUDIO

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET

$50K - 100K

Photos

Davide Maria Palusa (12)

In a 1950s residential complex in the urban core of Trieste, we renovated a 60-square-meter apartment. The original layout—marked by rigid compartmentalization and disproportionate room dimensions—posed a challenge in adapting the space to contemporary living. However, its strategic position provided generous natural ventilation and daylight, elements we used as the starting point to create a more open and connected spatial system.

One of the project’s main ambitions was to explore the transformation of small-scale housing. The design proposes a flexible and dynamic domestic environment capable of responding to changing needs over time. Rather than radically altering the plan, the intervention works through targeted adjustments that unlock spatial qualities already present but constrained by the former rigid organization.

To articulate the apartment’s L-shaped geometry, the project is organized around a central island kitchen. Carefully shaped to accommodate an existing structural column, the island integrates appliances and becomes the pivot of the new layout. The kitchen mediates between two key spaces: on one side, the living area; on the other, a smaller multifunctional room.

This secondary room is defined by a fully foldable wall system that allows the space to transform according to use—functioning as a study or guest room when closed, or extending the social area when opened. Through this device, the apartment gains significant programmatic elasticity and supports a more contemporary way of inhabiting compact spaces.

Material choices follow a pragmatic and legible logic. Flooring differentiates functional zones to support daily use and maintenance. The kitchen is constructed in nearly raw birch plywood with exposed edges, celebrating material honesty. The same handcrafted approach informs custom joinery elements, including the folding doors, all produced specifically for the apartment in collaboration with local artisans.