set architects

The 55-square-metre apartment is located within a social housing complex designed by Plinio Marconi in 1929, in the Testaccio district of Rome. The client, a young graphic designer, requested a flexible and reconfigurable space, working within a limited budget. Despite its small size, the apartment needed to accommodate a variety of functions, adapting continuously to the client’s evolving needs.

The design centres around a central core, allowing maximum flexibility in configuring the surrounding spaces. This core was created by opening two full-height passages in the existing walls, transforming the apartment’s layout through a simple yet effective intervention. Full-height pivot doors enable the space to be divided into separate rooms or, when opened, to create a fluid, interconnected sequence of freely accessible areas.

The core houses, on one side, an alcove with the main bedroom and a window, while the opposite, windowless side features a built-in wardrobe. The material and colour palette were deliberately restrained to highlight the natural qualities of each element. The standout feature is the bespoke graniglia floor, with a custom amaranth red tone and grain pattern developed by skilled artisans to suit the specific design brief. This flooring was chosen to complement the natural brushed ash used for the pivot doors.

The kitchen, custom-made in stainless steel, is designed as the focal point of the living area. Its low, monolithic form presents as a pure, abstract volume.

For the bedroom, an alcove solution was adopted, compact and intimate, to maximise space for the other living areas. Though modest in size, the project reflects meticulous attention to the potential of small-scale living and is the result of a collaborative and thoughtful process involving the client, general contractor, and specialised craftsmen.