01 · Challenge
Narrow 1930s kitchen without natural light
A family in Utrecht Oost owned a 1930s terraced house with a narrow kitchen at the rear. The kitchen had two small window frames that let in barely any daylight. The residents were literally cooking in the dark. They wanted to open up the rear facade for a sliding door next to a fixed glass panel, so the garden became a visual part of the kitchen. The facade was load-bearing. For this facade alteration the municipality of Utrecht required a full permit application including a structural calculation.
02 · Our approach
Calculate first, then draw
We started with the structural calculation: what was the span, what did the facade above weigh, which beam was needed. For a span of 3.2 metres including the facade above, an HEA 200 steel beam was the most efficient choice. We designed the facade composition with a 1.8-metre sliding door and a 1.4-metre fixed glazed panel, allowing maximum daylight to enter even in winter. We submitted the building permit application to the municipality of Utrecht with a facade drawing, structural calculation and a colour passport for the window frames.
03 · Result
Kitchen as the brightest spot in the house
The permit was granted within 6 weeks. The HEA beam was installed in one day and the window frames were fitted three days later. The kitchen is now the lightest room in the house. Cooking feels completely different when you look out onto the garden. The residents now regularly eat at the kitchen table, something they never did before because it was so dark. A facade alteration does not need to be large or expensive to make a big difference in how you experience a home.