This modest home in Rotterdam is a house and a personal sandbox. Designed by Magda Sakowicz of PLNLstudio, the project unfolds as a series of work-in-progress spaces for her young family to work, play, and experiment in.

Located in the heart of old Rotterdam, the home is surrounded by old buildings dating back to the early 19th century. Over a century old itself, the first order of business was to remove all the layers accumulated over the years and restore the home’s original materials in a nod to its storied past. PLNL also looked to reconfigure the interior layout to adapt to the contemporary needs of Magda’s family.

They combined the upper levels into one family house and converted the ground floor garage into a multifunctional neighbourhood community space for events, workshops, parties and more. The floor plan is designed as a flexible adaptable open space, with all the necessary installations to accommodate different types of interior layouts and, if required in the future, convert it into a separate flat.

On the first floor, there is a kitchen with a dining room designed with the possibility of swapping places. On the second floor, a bedroom for the children sits opposite the master bedroom with a central bathroom and large walk-in closet.

The house was in disrepair when it got into the hands of Magda and PLNL Studio, requiring substantial intervention from repairing leaks to levelling floors. Not one to throw anything out, anything that was usable was repurposed, like the flooring on the ground floor that was built from materials dismantled from the upper floors.

To fill the interior with natural light, large windows were placed on the north side and skylights were installed in the new extension. Large oak and triple-glazed windows also provide excellent thermal performance, and insulating the roof from the outside allows the roof structure on the top floor to be exposed.

“NL.home is and will continue to be a work in progress for a long time to come. Due to the low budget, we had to do a lot of the work ourselves, such as chipping plaster, wall repairs and new interior walls,” Magda explains. “With two young children at our side and no building experience, it was a complicated but enlightening experience. Over time, we also learned that this endless process has its advantages. Our children have the chance to participate in this project, and we can add and improve the elements of this 3D puzzle, depending on our needs and financial resources.”

[Images courtesy of PLNL Studio. Photography by Riccardo De Vecchi.]