In the L-shaped extension of this 1950s home in Amsterdam, Serge Schoemaker Architects has strengthened the relationship between the interior and exterior spaces and optimized it to create more living space and daylight. This project consisted of an initial brief for a modest extension in the backyard and led to a complete metamorphosis of the ground floor.

Built in 1959, the terraced house is located just outside the Amsterdam ring road. Each house on the street has similar backyard characteristic, including a small shed, a few meters away from the rear facade. The floor area of this shed was included in the design and incorporated into the L-shaped extension.

In the plan, the new, floor-to-ceiling glass facade extends across the three sides of the extension, seemingly blurring the boundary between the interior and exterior spaces. This spatial feeling is further enhanced by the open interior corner created when the two sliding doors are opened. The plan extends to the terrace, with new floor tiles introduced, creating an additional contribution to the relationship between inside and outside.

In the process, the clients were persuaded to move the kitchen to the extension. After all, this created even more space for their favorite leisure activity: cooking.

The kitchen was positioned on the long side of the extension, where a low, seven-meter-long kitchen unit now enhances the spaciousness of the plan. The long wall above the countertop is finished with a handcrafted, waterproof lime plaster.

The large skylight in the extension brings a sea of natural light into the living kitchen. The wooden slats in the skylight filter the sunlight and are part of an modest material concept, which was carried through to the entire ground floor during the renovation.

Thanks to carefully chosen materials, a sophisticated interplay of lines and the L-shaped extension, the residents feel like they are in a completely new city location since the renovation.