Workspaces, Benches and Gardens: Interventions to Make the Most of Windows

Usually, a window is an exterior opening that provides lighting and ventilation to the interior of a building. This connection with the context, added to appropriate lighting, makes it fundamental in the house. It is possible to improve your design so that it has different uses. Therefore, we have compiled some tips on how to take advantage of the sill to assign new functions to a room.

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Bench

One of the most classic designs features a living area with benches in the window. That was enshrined in previous centuries, especially in Victorian architecture through the bay window. This design provides a comfortable space for conversation, reading, or contemplation of the landscape.

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Bakish House / AK. Architecture Studio. Image: © Michael Karam

Office

It is increasingly necessary to have a work area inside the house. This can be challenging in tiny spaces, but with good design, it is possible to take advantage of the lighting that a window can provide and create a small office around it.

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Apartamento MD / Estudio Itinerante de Arquitetura. Image: © Cris Farhat

Counter

Because they are openings, windows are always connecting spaces. Between rooms or on the façades, they can be designed at heights to serve as counters, which can help to blur boundaries between interior and exterior and make architecture more permeable and playful.

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TINTO Nikkei Cuisine & Bar / StudioDuo Architecture | Interior. Image: © Đỗ Sỹ

Garden

We could not fail to mention the quality of light around the window, one of the main reasons to place planters or vases next to it. The architectural green can dialogue with the city vegetation and bring the feeling of space extension.

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Paulicéia Apartment / Ricardo Abreu Arquitetos. Image: © Renato Navarro

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 26, 2022.

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Cite: ArchDaily Team. "Workspaces, Benches and Gardens: Interventions to Make the Most of Windows" [Área de trabalho, banco e jardim: como aproveitar a janela] 07 Jan 2023. ArchDaily. (Trans. Simões, Diogo) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/991021/workspace-bench-and-garden-some-interventions-to-make-the-most-of-windows> ISSN 0719-8884

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