M&W: Expressive Apartment Design in Taipei

MoreIn Design’s M&W receives an Honourable Mention spot in the 2021 APSDA’s Residential Category. This 43 square metres residential space is a nest for multiple functions, such as cooking, storage, working, and fitness. 

“The inhabitants become explorers in the mountains, forests, and streams. Under limited space constraints, they can still have sufficient functionality and retain the true intention to love life and nature.”

Residential space has become scarce in densely crowded metropolitan regions. It is vital to consider how to expand an inhabitant’s living area through unconstrained space division, allowing multipurpose space, and making function as the source of aesthetics. Finally, the design must consider the resident’s adventurous character and the love for mountain scenery. 

Hence, the team utilised the multi-layered space and materials to mimic the elevated terrains, so the client can enjoy nature’s beauty within the city. The foundations of this urban residence design are the principle of practicality, aesthetics, and sustainability in order to interact with nature and communities. 

The original layout comprises one bedroom and one living room, along with a sunken recessed area. The designer leverages the height difference to create a mezzanine area that mimics the look of mountains and streams, as well as different function sections that break up the compartments while maintaining an open space view. 

To highlight the mountain and nature adventurer concept, the designer employs material and colour to echo the shape and form. Materials such as paradise fabric, iron, and wood are ecologically sound and recyclable, which decrease the need for a second renovation.

An image of overhanging mountains and rocks is formed by separating the two sides of the mezzanine from the wall, with the dark blue iron stairs resembling waterfalls and deep pools. The table’s bottom surface is obliquely sliced and thinned to create rocky edges and corners that serve as a connection. Materials used for the TV wall and table top mimic the colour gradient of eroded minerals.

The residential space has grown fragmented and crowded because of expanding industrial urbanisation. Large-scale modular production takes place in spaces of less than 60 square metres and with reparative interior design. Here, the design team combines the natural beauty of mountains, forests, and streams with the logic of modern life. They hope to provide colourful stories and functions that amaze explorers while also establishing a new way of life and spiritual riches.