Home and offices of the architects of Atelier Tao + C in Shanghai

In a modern city like Shanghai, places of residence and workplaces almost never coincide. As a newly established design practice, architects from Atelier Tao + C faced the need to combine life and work in a low cost location.

They lived on the ground floor of a building of the 80s, in a narrow and long space measuring 3.3 x 14.5 meters, with a garden of less than 6 m² and old-fashioned interior furniture. They started the work and transformed the housing into studio and living space. Throughout the process, the architects sought to find a way to accommodate new uses and occupancies, make minor adjustments with inexpensive materials, and maintain the flexibility of the interior space. A box made of MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) has been inserted at the north end. It is compact - 3.6 x 1.7 meters - but practical and comfortable, it houses the necessary functions - bed / shelves / hidden cupboard / table / reading lamp / window with movable panels / a seat near the window. The space is articulated around a system of shelves that starts from the bedroom, surrounding a skylight, hiding the small kitchen and the bathroom behind and extending towards the backyard.