I Turned this Old Electricity Tower into a Gorgeous Home
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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DESIGN TEAM: Gemma Wheeler; Marta Wlodarczyk
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The purpose of this channel is for entertainment only. All designs presented here are based on a brief and notional desktop study of site constraints and conditions and should NOT be taken as advice, guarantee or warrant that any planning permission or other regulatory requirement would be granted. Gemma Wheeler Architecture does not provide any legal, investment or financial advice or information and is not advising on the commercial viability or suitability of any proposals. The relevant independent expert advice regarding the relevant risks should be sought accordingly. Under no circumstances will Gemma Wheeler be held responsible in any way for any content communicated in these videos, whether by Gemma Wheeler or a third party. In no event shall Gemma Wheeler be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages, or any damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the availability, use or performance of any information communicated in these videos
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Why not having installed an external staircase??? With only 6.76m² per story, it would have made more sense to me to proceed this way to get the maximum useable space on each story while the staircase being installed in front of the front door, it may have been a veranda so the transparency could have kept the old school architectural feel while making it rather easy to build?
Ive used Opera for about a decade.
No commercials was played even tho I do not pay yt for "premium"
Thank you Opera!
I was on board; till you extruded that living room window. Totally a put off
Also the windows should be equal spaces and locations centred in the building. Yours throw the equilibrium off.
i have no background in Architecture or interior design but I could watch these videos for hours
I'm the same! I know nothing about architecture but love the idea of living in a place with a story, so these are very inspiring :)
Same!! 😁
watching the vids could be one way to learn. Who says the only way is in a traditional classroom ???
love that you showed your stair iterations! getting a closer look at the process rather than just seeing the final product is super interesting
💯
Love the stairs 😀
:the robot vacuum, verticle sander brick too: tracked system ..
Really like how you resolved the issue of the stairs, especially given how many historic tower structures use a narrow spiral staircase which isn't always the friendlier to climb. 😄
Agreed, and I do hate spiral staircases! I used to have a fairly open steel framed one in a house I lived in. Very dangerous after a couple of glasses of vino, as I found out one evening! Still got the scars 35 years later!
I really appreciate that the city wants to use the towers for something new, rather than just knocking them down.
Located at 7 Graef
Fourons, Région Flamande
I’d be more impressed if this was a program of affordable housing as versus holiday rentals. This tells me this building will be vacant for some period of the year.
When I watch your videos I always wonder how much intelligence it requires to come up with such ideas and then draw them, animate and execute them. I consider myself fairly intelligent and I could never do that. You are very gifted ❤
That’s very kind, but I would say that it comes from a lot of practice and learning from others
*knowledge 😊
@@SkyeAtenplus passion for the mission!
My sister first started making drawings with Windows Paint. It was years before she would go on to study architecture and learn to use CAD. Like others have said it all comes down to practice
Nah. Knowledge, passion and practice are important. But without very developed cognitive skills none of this would be possible. Most people wouldn't be able to create something like this even if they practiced and observed others for 50 years. What's more, a lot of people wouldn't even been able to start.
My suggestion is to leave an original interior brick wall or a partial brick wall exposed, so that the experience of living in a brick tower is visual from the inside of this tiny home. Or the wall decor are photos of the outside of this tower. If I were young again and willing to climb all those stairs, I would want to actual see that I was inside an historical brick tower.
Love that idea
Yes, agree!
I think she’s going for a ‘modern makeover’ but I totally agree with you , I personally would like it to keep certain elements to maintain the historic vibe if that makes sense. You can rent a modern apartment anywhere, this is a very unique thing and should be complimented appropriately in my opinion
As a tradesman I am so interested on the mechanical aspect ( hvac , electric, plumbing,) where do you hide the a/c and heating. Is there another exit for fire safety, perhaps an outside stairs off a balcony/ patio? All these things pose problems and it’s fascinating to see someone’s thoughts while they work out the solution! Thankyou for sharing this and making my mind think!
I wondered about the HVAC etc too. Probably the easiest solution here would be on-demand under-counter electric water heaters and shower heads, and mini-splits to provide both A/C and heat. At least that's what came to mind... not to say there's not a better solution out there.
Did I miss the refrigerator?
@@maddie4077 It's in the kitchen, a mini fridge, next to the oven.
The perforated folded-steel is a genius idea. I was afraid the addition of a staircase in concrete would occupy too much of the needed space.
Yes, and it would have blocked too much light!
it floats, doesn't it?
I'm curious if it would remain White or if black would be better. If you Google "paint chicken wire black" you can see how black mesh becomes more transparent then white/silver. So it would be interesting to see the trade off of darkening the space vs seeing through the perforation.
@@skully70 And the white is going to get gross looking the moment anyone walks up with stairs with shoes on.
@@ae2948 if it's powder coated it should be fine for awhile but I agree that or will be a general upkeep issue.
That angled bathroom is such a good idea!
Yes, I like it too. But how do you prevent water from the shower not to flood the whole floor?
@@m.rubland6737 perhaps it’s angled a little? What I’m actually wondering is where the pipes are?
@@m.rubland6737 You carefully slant the whole floor toward the drain.
The form is nice but I’m not so sure about function. Is the shower open to the stairs?Without a curtain or door to hold the heat in, the shower would be drafty-and lacking in privacy. The slanted floor’s a non-issue…I’ve seen that before.
@@m.rubland6737 You have a slight "fall" in the floor towards the drain and have an additional drain outside of the shower for any overflow.
Oh this is my new obsession. if i were a rich man. id hire you for everything. we'd cross america, transforming power stations and factories and old YMCA's into bespoke homes.
Just absolutely in LOVE with this whole thing.
The process is WORKING. Just so so SO much love,
from Detroit, MI.
Only problem I have is the modern propensity for providing windows which don’t open. This place will be stifling in hot weather.
Not to mention the dilemma of where the plumbing and electricity are going to be hidden 😮
And a serious lack of storage, you'd have to have a shed to put everything else in that people have. There are tint homes with more storage.
@@IflieI thought about that too.
What about ventilation too...especially while cooking and in bathroom.
Or in case of a fire. You need to have an escape route in mind.
I worked for a builder in Canada who only used recycle materials and equipment one incredible idea for an old mechanic’s garage we had renovated was the use of an old dry cleaner’s clothes rack where the clothes moved along the powered rack system but only half of the clothes where visible and the other half passed through the wall he had a hand crank in case of a power outage. Anyways i loved his ingenuity just like your videos your ability to create beauty with a minimal design. You obviously love a challenge and your videos are fun to watch I have subscribed and we are look forward to more of your challenges!
"art consists in making others feel what we feel" Fernando Pessoa.
you are an artist! Love your work
For those who don’t know , Fernando Pessoa is a portuguese Poet .
Thank you for share this beautiful phrase from a poet of my country.
I love it! The idea of living (even for a short amount of time) in such a narrow and constricted building would not have felt comforting to me, but your design (as always) feels natural and expansive and calming!
Agreed. In this instance would a covered porch area to sit outside the front door be allowed? How would you envision something like that for the tower. A garden spot there would make time spent at the tower/cottage complete for me. 😎 💙
As a fan of the 'Living Big in a Tiny House' channel, this place offers a lot more floor place than the tinies out there but as permanent living spaces, those have to integrate multiple storage solutions. The constraints of size though, can really fire the imagination.
I always imagine making a home out of attractive, abandoned municipal buildings I see! Also church's. Prayers.
As always, you seem to come up with the only perfect solutions! Also, noticed you always say "we", acknowledging assistance. Very admirable.
I always figured it was the royal we. Surely Gemma is the Queen of Tiny Architecture! 😂🎉👑
Me: Awe she's buggered herself with this one, there's no way she can make this work it's too small and tall! Gemma: lol hold my drink sweetie!
Exactly...where are the utility pipes going to fit to service the bathroom? Storage for clothes and food? Hot water tank heater and air conditioner and air ducts, No hard surfaced parking off road...this is a mess, the restrictions are too tight.
This isn't a mess at all. It's a property for someone with more minimalist sensibilities, you don't need lots of stuff to be happy. This property is in Belgium I believe, and air conditioning is not that common. As far as I am aware, combi boilers negate the need for hot water tanks. On road parking is common or on the grass verge. This is pretty normal.
@@andrewziolo8537 In Europe, pipes will be put into the wall. And no AC
@@andrewziolo8537 I smell... US urbanism.
Jumpsuiter already adressed most of your complaints but let me add the most pressing one: Mains connections on the first level, next to the main entrance. Electrical to right, water to the left. From the mains, the water and waste would run in that same corner up to the bathroom. In the living room, the pipes could be covered or just painted. Jumpsuiter somewhat dismissed the storage for food and clothing so let me say that you can get a double bed on which the entire mattress hinges and creates a storage under the bed and food would be stored in the already incorporated fridge and the seating in the kitchen which obviously doubles as storage..
This is pure genius
I'm speechless, such an intelligent and beautiful use of materials and space conversion! I thought in the beginning it was impossible to transform... only to bow down to such genius and knowledge.
Oh my goodness! This is an award winner! Your creativity is off the charts. So beautiful.
I really look forward to when you release a new video. I am ALWAYS enchanted and I ALWAYS learn something new or something creative or original. Thank you so much.
I’m really glad, thank you
FANTASTIC!!!
Such constructions can be found all across Polish countryside; I' ve always admired their beauty and had a thought every now and then about them being wasted as a potential living space 🙂
Obviously had ZERO idea how they could be turned into a home; it takes your talent and imagination to create THAT 😍
We have architects and designers in our family, and each have their strengths and weaknesses. I really appreciate your vision and creativity!
way too excited to not skip to the end right away before watching the rest🙃 might be my favorite building yet! super unique😍
Haha!
Seeing the possible in the impossible is your superpower, Gemma.
All that wal lspace - what a place to display an art collection!
Your vision and creativity are simply off the charts!
omg this was AMAZING and I love to see you explain "we thought about this and that" and see the final choice, and the reasons why. The bathroom is just brilliant.
SO clever, SO thoughtful!
I really appreciate seeing some of your behind the scenes and how you make decisions like the stairs!
Wow. Gemma. Simply Wow 😮
Wonderful! Not a home, but a great airbnb-place for holidays!
Whoever buys this as a home will have buns of steel.
And very little in the way of possessions due to minimal storage.
@@russellhltn1396they could add storage in the couch in the living room level. And maybe (if there's enough head height) they could attach small storage boxes under some of the stairs (maybe in the bathroom leve), where you can easily access them from the living room? It would increase visual separation but it might be worth it, and I bet it would work for books
Brilliant. I couldn’t live here because I have vertigo and the see-through stair treads would freak me out. The cast iron stairs at the top of St Paul’s in London were bad enough! But I’m sure it would be great for someone who didn’t have that problem
Ah yes I can totally see how a tower would be a nightmare then!
I get vertigo too but in this instance it’s not the see through stairs that are the problem. I feel like I could easily fall down the stairs especially from the bedroom. Walking down those slightly spiral stairs would scare me.
I sleepwalk, I couldn't either :( it's such a great design and home !
Love the use of the perforated steel for the staircase. A brilliant use of a modern material that still feels right in an old building.
My one concern is how noisy it would get, going up and down the steel stairs.
I wonder if the treads could get coated in a rubber material to dampen the sound while keeping the perforations?
You never cease to amaze me with your beautiful, practical and well thought out designs! You have created another gem! Bravo 👏 👏 👏
Brilliant design. The bathroom is incredible
Wow!! I love the solution for the bathroom!
Ah thanks, that really was fun to do
The bathroom door is genius. You always think of everything!
so brilliant !!! That bathroom is perfect
I would just like to say "WoW. That staircase is genius. Functional and aesthetically pleasing".
I’m another individual who enjoys imagining how to repurpose old structures. Your creative solutions for both the staircase (Constructed of folded and perforated steel) and the bath (the angled toilet stall with the sliding barn door) are absolutely brilliant! I was trying to figure the bathroom situation, combined with the requisite staircase, and was stumped. Additionally, your placement of the bath on the third floor (up from the living room and down from the bedroom) is another of your thoughtful considerations.
I was so excited when I began to watch because my first thought was - ‘How on earth will she make this work?’- quickly followed by - ‘ I bet she does though! ‘
And you did - I’m blown away - so much intelligence and sensitivity and boldness and just pure fantastic-ness! Great stuff!
As always, I’m amazed, delighted, and ready to move in.
Gemma drops a new video and my heart soars.🥰 In this plan, I really like the "smoke" staircase and the placement of windows that respect and follow the decorative exterior elements; particularly the brickwork. With seating on only one wall, the living space would feel like a waiting room, but when you added the large window and bench, it became cozy. It's always interesting to hear your thought process in arriving at such ingenious designs. Thanks for sharing.
Very creative, imaginative and aesthetic use of space
Lovely whimsical space. Only hazard is the pointy ends of staircase above the table. A creative design.
love the way you think, "outside the box", as they say!
The staircase made of perforated metal (in order to be lightweigt and to let light through the whole tower) is just genius!
Thank you, Gemma. I’m always amazed how you work through a project to find the perfect solution; practical, functional, and beautiful. Would an elevator have been an option? Thanks for sharing. Many blessings
Another piece of simple elegance.
If it is OK to have things protruding from the rear of the tower why not mount an elevator there and save all the space lost to the stairwell?
You need to have stairs in case of a fire. Stairs are required by law.
A very thoughtful use of space with a relaxing layout.
Gemma, you're a genius. I love how in this video you've shown us not just your choices, but the ideas you discarded on your way to making those choices - enlightening. And we all marvel at your architectural talents, but your writing is also sublime - always clear, descriptive, and insightful. What you do is incredible!
So creative and inspiring. Congratulations.
I find spectacular this work. So little space and you don?t have the feeling of narrowness. I have some doubts about the bathroom even I think it?s a very good idea to make it as a trapezoid. Congratulations! I enjoy very, very much your videos. I would have liked to be an architect myself...but I was a teacher for 40 years and I loved my carreer.
another incredible transformation .......genius
I know you’d need a bigger team to release more than one video a week, and more subscribers/monetary supporters, but I do wish we could get more of these every week. 💕 Congrats on your newest team member, Marta!
It’s a brilliant solution. I always feel better about the world when I watch your design work. As long has we have extraordinary creativity and design work like yours, we have a chance.
As usual amazing work, your talent is beyond.
Absolutely perfect!! 💚💙💜
Wonderful imagination and beautiful use of space. I love the perforated stairs. What a great idea. All in all just a great design!
What a challenging building Gemma and once again you have cracked it.
Ideal as a holiday home if, unlike me, you are young and fit and like staircases.
I love the perforated metal stairs, such a nice light solution. My favourite bit is the bathroom solution. I love the sliding wall feature for toilet privacy, really ingenious.
I think realistically it would be a very expensive renovation because you'd have to have scaffolding all the way up in order to install the new windows which would push costs up hugely. Not sure it would be worth the costs for just a holiday home unless you are super wealthy, but I loved hearing your thought process and seeing your solutions.
I absolutely LOVE these videos!
And, is it just me, but after Gemma shows the original space, I hold my breath until I see her renderings…which are so smart and brilliant!
I loved the lightweight black metal box addition to the living room -appearing to be an easy add-on-, to flood the space with light and create an "L" seating arrangement and, like the bolt-on minimal terrace option (a delight), in the language of the original steel frame above.
The floating stair hung from above is another delight to keep the lowest level open and airy.
I was mentally adding an outside flush timber shutter to the top half of a stable entrance door panel with an window internally for natural daylight, air and a view out, there being very few pedestrians here, still keeping the door hinges stair-side for an internal opening (I can't help myself!) or/and adding a small glass floor panel under the bay window for sunlight penetration from it.
The articulated roof reminds me of the children's paper fortune teller and with the top arises appearing split on your photograph, one facet could peel open for an under-mounted roof light to bring zenithal light onto the stairs, through the timber "X", without loosing the definition of the existing roof.. (I recognise my idea here is a real expense.)
I enjoyed your solution to the bathroom.
Your walk-throughs are always very clear and evocative; a lot of work visible here shows that what is simple is never usually easy.
(I really liked your fully open top floor facade option, ie no dark brick, over the front door.)
I love watching your videos soooo much. I can hardly wait for the next one
Hello Gemma, wow wow wow! This is mindblowing! Another great job! Greetings from cologne Andy
Thanks Andy
Wow! What a neat space. Thank you Gemma.
Amazing how much you do with these small spaces and the fact that they inspire you.
Your work, channel, knowledge, talent and humble love of your profession never ceases to amaze me. Filled with wonder and inspired, I look forward to every new post and am never disappointed.
I love the idea of turning these into homes, and also things like gun turrets and follies.
Instead of a stair would prefer a lift. Great design i am always impressed
I don't know if you're allowed to build a home with only a lift - because of fire safety regulations...
I love your work, as always ! You really did make a functional housing from such a narrow lil tower building :)
However, there's some modifications I would suggest (even though only take it as my personnal opinion)
- The big black modern bay estically breaks too much from the victorian style of the tower, and breaks its balance too : the tower is initially thought to be thin and pointy. I'd still suggest a wide bay to highlight the view and bring some light, but instead of standing out, following the brick arch shape of the inner wall. I like the idea of a discrete steel terrasse though.
- A source of natural light in the kitchen, the same size of the only preexisting one, and maybe an other opening in the front door to let some light pass through.
- Another steel material for the stairs with early 20th century ornements (maybe art nouveau, or old industrial ornaments) that would add more character to the inner space.
Thank you so much for your thoughts, I really enjoy the consideration you’ve given this
I love how you utilize the minimal space for maximum living!
Fashion designer and closeted Architect / Interior Designer wannabe here. Almost all my flats have had "challenging" or "non-traditional" floor plans, I relish challenges like this, it pushes us to think outside our comfort zones. Bravo, this was a very clever, thoughtful and inspiring job. Thank you for sharing your gift and you've earned my subscription. Cheers from Montreal, Canada
This really an amazing little space. The bathroom is very clever. I absolutely love the stairs. That is brilliant! I don't care for the exterior design of the bay window, but whether one approaches an edition like that by trying to integrate it, or just leave it as an obvious addition, is an aesthetic choice. I just love the original Victorian architecture and feel that, while it is very advantageous to the living space, it takes away from the exterior.
Love it! This being Belgium reminds me of another build in a water tower near Brussels airport. Much bigger but very beautiful use of space.
Is that one that Kirsten Dirksen featured years ago? I thought of that when I saw the thumbnail, too.
@@chezmoi42 exactly!
Brilliant design as always, and seeing the different options that were considered for each element was so interesting!
Very interesting. My main concern is the perforated steel stair: whilst it does a fantastic job of letting light pass through, it also lets all the dirt and debris pass through as well: directly onto the dining table and the foodstuffs on it.
Don't mean to troll or knock off your design work, which is quite impressive indeed. I used to be an architectural photographer and love architecture; but nowadays I do casual work in a building cleaning and doing odd jobs, and I humbly offer the perspective of the cleaner when it comes to dirt, dust, and dead bugs.
Spent ages scrolling through the comments and was surprised it took so long to find someone pointing this out! I was just picturing those cups on the table full of dried mud (and worse)...
Wow I was really impressed about the smart solutions that I would never have thought of myself. So smart, airy and light… Respect! Love from Sweden ❤
Another spectacular design!!! Living here in Atlantic Canada we have many Lighthouses that are abandoned or decommissioned. My husband has a fantasy to turn one into a holiday home. Prior to seeing your video ( watched it on my tv because I love seeing a large version of your content!😊) I couldn't see how you could possibly use the tiny but vertical space effectively or have any comfort. Wow- you blew my mind and my husband is thrilled at the possibilities. So happy to see your new content! Xo from Canada ❤
Thanks!
Thank you!
Your designs are just so jaw dropping amazing. I'm so impressed how you can even dream up the plans & designs you do. Another unique dwelling!
Brilliant design. I particularly like the stair idea. I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you for making them.
Its so fun to watch the thought process of a designer. Especially in such a limited space. Kinda reminds of the Blue Tower in Wimpfen Germany, altough it has a lot bigger footprint then these E Towers
Absolutely brilliant - the bay window was particularly appealing!
I love your videos and constructs!! Only change I would make is placing the toilet back adjacent to the wall that encloses the plumbing for the tub. Sharing this common wall simplifies things and allows for more room in this enclosed space. Cheers!
For the true minimalist without pets and no need for a desktop computer, it would be perfect and a cool place to live! Making the bed would be a headache, and there's no washer/dryer, but those are the only real problems I see.
I find architecture fascinating and love unique buildings e.g. one I just discovered, The Rooms, St Johns, Newfoundland. I get so absorbed by your videos. Thankyou.
I love this! The only thing I’d change is the perforated steel for the stair steps because dirt and debris will always get trodden up the stairs and fall through the holes onto your dinner table and food! Maybe perforated steel but the actual treads are not permeable.I think I’d also move the window at the foot of the bed to above the stair well and fit a small wardrobe in that nook instead! But it’s all so clever. I love the toilet sliding door and angles! So clever
I can,t believe it.This is beautiful.
Considered and brilliant use of materiality and space. ❤
Wonderful design! So cool to see that this unusual old tower can be effectively repurposed! Bravo!
The bathroom is spectacularly! Brilliant!
Wow. Amazing. Congratulations on turning that space into a beautiful home.
Oh wow I think this might be my favourite out of all the designs you’ve done
You know it's gonna be a good day when Gemma uploads :-)))) Delightful designs & exquisite explanations as always!!!!!!!
Great design Gemma, loved what you did with such a small space!!!
Thank you! 😊
What a lovely little house, it makes me so wish I could climb stairs! Everything about this house looks so perfect for a young couple starting out, or a middle-aged single person whose knees and hips work. The only thing I would change about this design is, I would add some large hanging baskets of beautiful plants to the rafters in the top/bedroom level, so that beautiful peaceful greenery would cascade down on the bedroom. (I guess you'd have to add a small ladder so the inhabitant could get up there to water the plants, but I bet that wouldn't be too difficult.)