Vincennes Duplex Transformed with Attic Conversion by Godiniaux

The Vincennes Duplex, redesigned by Atelier d’architecture Benjamin Godiniaux, presents a careful transformation of a compact 45-square-meter space. Located in a condominium on the top floor of an early 20th century building in Vincennes, France, the project focuses on reclaiming attic space to create a dedicated workspace.

Godiniaux solved the project’s main constraint by lowering the attic floor in the central area. This adjustment provided adequate height in the new mezzanine, allowing for an additional 7 square meters of floor space. The lower level now features an open kitchen and dressing room under the lowered floor, with the rest of the room retaining its original 2.7-meter-high ceiling.

In the living room area, the ceiling has been completely removed to take advantage of the height. This design option offers a panoramic view from the mezzanine and enhances the space with more natural light from the newly installed roof windows. The desk, with its large cantilevered top, serves doubly as a workspace and guardrail.

The interior palette is intentionally restrained, favoring natural oak and khaki green. The entrance and kitchen areas are deliberately darker, concealing doors and cupboards and emphasizing the contrast with the open, bright living room. A colored mirror further disrupts perception by reflecting in the living room windows. The kitchen cabinets and the access door to the hidden room are made of natural oak, and oak is also used for the handles and grips.

In the bedroom, formerly the kitchen, the oak and green theme continues, but with inverted proportions. The bathroom, accessible through a pivoting door that blends in with the dressing room doors, reveals green ceramic stoneware tiles. The open position of the door conceals the washing machine and aligns with the dressing room, creating a cohesive appearance, while the closed position offers additional cupboard space and privacy.

The design of the bathroom maintains the duality of materials, with varnished oak on the floor and green 5×5 tiles on the walls and floor. A bathtub is strategically placed under a large window, offering views reminiscent of a landscape painting.

Godiniaux’s refurbishment exemplifies a strategic approach to compact living, highlighting the potential of underutilized spaces and the impact of cohesive design elements.