Figure 10 Antivilla refurbishment

Figure 10Antivilla refurbishment (ArchDaily, 2014)

According to ArchDaily (2014), Antivilla was refurbished from a former German Democratic Republic Lingerie factory in South West Berlin. Between the period 2010 to 2014, the architects Brandlhuber+ collaborating with Pilcher engineers transformed the structure into a new living and studio building by adopting a new approach. As such, the reconstruction strategy was employed in refurbishing the heritage building as original building materials were not utilized (Hadzimuhamedovic, 2011).

Crespi (2020) reports that new design features were proposed, for instance, the outer layer was preserved and the windows widened by hammering them out in an effort to save costs. Likewise, the interior space was reorganized and PVC curtains integrated in order to enhance the insulation of the structure. Shotcrete was also utilized in covering the facade (ArchDaily, 2014). A second aspect regarded the removal of walls that were nonbearing and the installation of a functional 20m2 core. Thirdly, features such as the fireplace, staircase, bathroom and kitchenette were later installed at the center of the building in a bid to create more space (Crespi, 2020).

Attention was also directed to ensuring the building met the climatic needs of the environment as simple transparent PVC curtains were utilized. This would ensure that in summer time, curtains could be retreated to the bedroom (10m2) while in winter, the heated area expanded to about 60m2 in order to ensure the bed was closer to the open fire (ArchDaily, 2014). Asbestos plates that made up the gable roof were also removed and replaced with a flat concrete slab to provide a scenic view over the lake.