With the present penthouse in Neukölln, Berlin, Atelier Zafari has demonstrated the manifold potential of this method of increasing housing density. The vertical extension of a seven-storey block of flats from the 1970s adds a further dwelling unit. The design of the penthouse is an inventive response to building regulations and structural constraints, and despite the easily comprehensible layout, it creates a generous spatial impression. With a living area of roughly 80 m², the new dwelling, set back from the facade, observes the relevant two-thirds floor area regulation and was thus able to gain building approval.
At roof level, the existing access and services core was extended to create a bathroom and hallway. Laid out around this is an open, U-shaped dwelling with areas for cooking, dining and sleeping. The peripheral raised terrace extends into the interior, where it serves at various points as bench seating or a sleeping platform. In view of the reduced room height here, these areas do not count as living space, according to building regulations.
As a result of these nuances in the design, with varying roof projections and a wall that acts as a visual screen on the eastern side, the terrace is an outdoor recreational area with different uses. Continuous room-height glazing with large sliding elements allows a flowing transition between indoors and outdoors. Along the firewall to the south, a filigree steel staircase leads up to an elevated second roof terrace. The black internal wall surfaces and the coated trapezoidal metal sheeting externally reduce the effect of sunlight in the living areas.
