Ex officina apartments and lofts

Ex officina apartments and lofts: a former workshop divides into five and becomes welcoming

This renovation, interior design, and exterior design project is located on the ground floor of a 1960s apartment building, not far from Trento’s historic centre and adjacent to the Le Albere district designed by Renzo Piano. We transformed a car repair workshop into five apartments intended for tourist rentals.

In the Dream Book, the client expressed the desire to retain in the interior design the vintage atmosphere of the existing structure. They particularly appreciated the large entrance windows, the high ceilings, and the brick-coloured band running along the base of the slightly uneven walls, with their industrial character. The well-being and relaxation oriented living spaces needed to come with a  furnished outdoor areas, a small private garden, and a convenient parking area.

Ex officina apartments and lofts: the dream

The preliminary design of the five Ex officina apartments and lofts began by exploring various layout options, ultimately leading to two typologies: two apartments with separate bedrooms and three lofts (with living and sleeping areas in a single open space). Essentially, in this renovation, little or nothing had to be demolished; instead, it was necessary to create the internal partitions, install new systems, fit new internal and external windows and doors, apply new finishes, and refurbish the exterior spaces of the property. This included landscaping, a waste disposal area, lighting, and the entrance canopy. It was also necessary to provide consulting on the design furniture and lighting fixtures to be purchased.

All the apartments are located on a single level and have different orientations: two face north onto the main facade, while the other three (the lofts) face south. Pedestrian access is via an entrance path lined with plants (a mix of grasses and nandina to the north, and a hornbeam hedge to the south). From here, large tripartite glazed doors—modelled on the existing workshop openings—lead into the apartments. These allow ample natural light to enter while perforated privacy films ensure seclusion without blocking views of the outside.

Ex officina apartments and lofts: our project between renovation, interior design, exterior design, and the built work

The interiors welcome guests by reinterpreting the industrial theme in a contemporary way. Great care has been taken to juxtapose different materials, colours, and styles, much like in overseas lofts. The result is an apparently casual but harmonious mix of modern pieces, vintage finds, and eco-design furniture—almost as if it were the outcome of decades of collecting. 

The living area in each apartment is equipped with a comfortable sofa bed and two poufs. The minimalist kitchen, deliberately designed without wall units but with open shelves, faces the dining table surrounded by armchairs made of recycled wood composite. The sleeping area is made cosy and romantic by a four-poster bed in acacia wood, which is also used for the bedside shelves, luggage racks, and even the kitchen cutting boards. The bathrooms in all five apartments benefit from natural light through large windows. Like greenhouses, they host hanging pothos plants that contribute to both hygrometric and psychological well-being. “Relaxation” is evoked by the stencil textures on the shower walls and by the graphics applied to the glass panes facing the parking area, reminiscent of the popular game Tic-Tac-Toe! The new aluminium window and door frames are finished in beige-grey, matching the resin flooring. Some accessories, such as hooks and light fixtures, are black, creating striking contrasts. These are complemented by LED spotlights, which enhance the brightness of the corridors and bathrooms in the evening and at night. Sofas, poufs, and the seat cushions in the dining areas introduce splashes of colour that blend harmoniously with the vintage posters—nostalgic reminders of the Trentino mountains of the past.