Lantern House

Lantern House 

Atelier Messaoudi Architects

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

MANUFACTURERS
Geberit, Knauf, Lafarge

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Lounes Messaoudi, Mahouche Amina, Mahmoudi Ahmed, Mezghiche Tinhinene, Zineb Kebab , Reda Ait Saada, Abdennour Hamaida

PROGRAM / USE / BUILDING FUNCTION
Private House

PHOTOGRAPHS
Reda Ait Saada

AREA
420 M²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Chlef, Algeria

CATEGORY
Houses, Renovation, Sustainability

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

Text description provided by architect.

The Lantern House is located in the city of Chlef, 200 km west of the capital city of Algiers. It is situated in a disharmonious urban environment characterized by unfinished constructions due to the lack of urban planning and architectural consulting.

This project aims to enhance the deteriorated landscape and demonstrate the potential to transform these unfinished constructions into functional and aesthetically pleasing buildings by using existing resources.

The client, who is dissatisfied with his house, has contacted us to benefit from our expertise in building transformation.

Our approach was to redesign the volume, to give an aspect of a contemporary Mediterranean house, and optimize the spatial configuration according to local culture and practices, without demolishing the existing structure or making major costly changes.

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada
Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

First, we integrated the isolated exterior stairs into the global volume. Then, we resized the windows to enhance their proportions. The massiveness and monotony of the house were reduced by incorporating a floral-patterned mashrabiya, which simultaneously provides security and privacy for the occupants.

The interior stairs were demolished and repositioned along the west gable wall to free up the northern façade where the garden is located, allowing direct visual and physical contact from the ground floor spaces such as the kitchen and the old parent's bedroom.

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada
Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

Near the entrance, in accordance with the client's needs and local culture, we created two separate living rooms for men and women.

On the first floor, we created a more intimate gathering space for the family, surrounded by the different bedrooms.

The married son occupies the main bedroom with a view of the garden, while the other bedrooms are dedicated to the youngest.

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada
Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

By eliminating the sloped roof, which is unnecessary for the area's climate, we created a spacious terrace for relaxation, dining, and meeting under the Mediterranean climate, especially during summer nights.

The interior was designed as a total work of art, encompassing everything from the bedroom furniture, kitchen, bathrooms, and dressing room to the wall art photography. 

The white, sober spaces are warmed by the use of wood for the doors, windows, and furniture. The wall art photography adds life and unique atmospheres to each room.

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada
Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

The vaulted hammam space is adorned with mosaics, and the floor is crafted from white marble. To provide optimal thermal comfort to the occupants, we created a ventilated facade with high thermal inertia, as the weather conditions in the region can be harsh during winter and especially during summer when the temperature exceeds 50°c.

The lighting work on the façade made the lantern house a landmark in the neighborhood landscape. Following the project's completion, three more homeowners on the same street contacted our office to design or redesign their construction.

Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada


Lantern House
© Reda Ait Saada

Lantern House
Courtesy of Atelier Messaoudi Architects


Lantern House
Plan - Basement floor
Lantern House
Plan - Ground floor
Lantern House
Plan - 1st floor
Lantern House
Plan - 2nd floor


Lantern House
Elevation
Lantern House
Section


Lantern House
Mashrabiya - Intimacy preservation
Lantern House
Ventilated facade Detail


Lantern House
Global Axonometric 01
Lantern House
Global Axonometric 02
Lantern House
Gif
Lantern House
Mass plan