About

This Urban Villa in Rotterdam consists of four intertwined houses divided into four floors. They share two communal spaces; an atrium and a roof terrace. The houses are divided in such a way they have views in all directions.

Every floor houses a different function of living such as sleeping and eating. The staircases divide these functions and also house functions themselves.

The staircases are the most important feature in this building. On the one hand they divide the different functions within the house, and on the other hand they divide the houses within the building itself.

Every staircase houses functions such as bathrooms, closet-space and toilets. Besides the functional aspect as a way to go up and down, it's also a place for leasure and it shapes the spaces. It makes the spaces more interesting by differences in height and leads the user through the house.

The stair changes shape according to the intimacy of the function it's leading to. The more intimate (like a bedroom) the steeper and narrower the steps get, and vice versa.