A domestic device capable of adapting, transforming, and narrating, designed by OUT_Architecture (Office for Usable Thinking), takes shape within a converted former industrial complex, where the exploration of spatial flexibility, materiality, and light becomes an opportunity to rethink daily life as dynamic, mutable, and deeply narrative.
The project unfolds within a spacious and luminous loft, where natural light filtered through large glazed surfaces, becomes a fundamental design tool. The spaces are conceived to be constantly reconfigurable, according to a vision of dwelling that is never fixed, but instead adapts, evolves, and unfolds, as the project’s name itself suggests.
At the compositional core of Unfold is a sculptural wenge oak volume that inhabits the space not only as a partition, but as architecture within architecture. This solid, material mass both divides and connects two parts of the domestic environment, serving simultaneously as a container, backdrop, and threshold.
Conceived as an extension of an existing wall, the wooden block develops in depth, reshaping the perception of the space and introducing a visual rhythm composed of solids and voids, smooth surfaces, and articulated joints. The craftsmanship reveals a sensitivity to constructive precision and the tactile quality of materials, emphasized by the oak grain and the interplay of contrasting tones.
The interior architecture proposed by OUT_Architecture is based on a refined balance between materiality and transparency. The warmth of wood is paired with steel and glass elements, subtle references to the site’s industrial past. The kitchen, hidden and revealed through pivoting doors, takes on the appearance of a theatrical backdrop, capable of transforming the identity of the space and suggesting a staged dimension to daily life.
Interactivity is central: each movement, each gesture of inhabiting activates new relationships between users and architecture. Unfold is not a static space, but a relational machine, designed to foster new ways of living and sharing space. The environment transforms, adapts, and accompanies, without ever imposing itself.
For more info: www.out-architecture.com
CREDITS
Project: Unfold
Architect: OUT_Architecture (Office for Usable Thinking)
Location: Milano, Italy
Year: 2025
Photography: Camilla Albertini
