House C: A Thoughtful Apartment Renovation in Taichung

Located in Taichung’s West District, House C is a thoughtful renovation of a 43-year-old apartment, reimagined by InOrder Studio into a calm yet playful living environment. Spanning just 65 square meters, the home is designed for a man, his dog, and the friends who occasionally gather there: an intimate domestic setting shaped by order, restraint, and subtle delight.

Rather than erasing the imperfections of the aging structure, the design responds directly to them. The existing apartment presented numerous challenges, including oblique columns and beams, a sloping floor slab, leaking window sills, and a cluttered outdoor air-conditioning unit. InOrder Studio approached these constraints as opportunities, gradually establishing a clear architectural order through layered, precise interventions.

Plywood elements are stacked in stepped layers to absorb irregular margins and mediate between old and new. A custom enclosure for the outdoor air-conditioning unit serves a dual purpose: allowing for future maintenance while doubling as integrated storage shelving. To preserve a sense of vertical generosity within the compact interior, the lighting design avoids ceiling fixtures altogether, emphasizing spatial height and openness. Window frames are concealed within thickened walls, transforming necessary structural depth into display niches that animate the interior with everyday objects.

Beyond its careful rationality, House C also reveals a playful and experimental spirit. Functional elements are deliberately deconstructed and reassembled into multifunctional details. Instead of conventional door handles, perforations in door slabs serve simultaneously as grips, wardrobe ventilation openings, Wi-Fi signal conduits, and compositional gestures within the interior. Leftover tiles from previous construction projects are repurposed, combining different square sizes with square socket panels to create an understated yet expressive material language.

Daily rituals are gently elevated through small moments of enjoyment embedded throughout the home. The bathroom offers views of the city skyline during bathing; the kitchen features a discreetly hidden faucet that preserves visual clarity; and a television concealed within a wardrobe can be pulled out for movie nights shared with the dog. These moments reflect a lifestyle that values both efficiency and pleasure, routine and spontaneity.

As described by the architects, “Space is full of order yet allows casualness in life. Details are deliberate yet playful.” This balance defines not only House C, but also the surrounding neighborhood and the rhythms of everyday life in Taiwan. The project demonstrates a quiet humility, where even the air-conditioning unit is carefully contained to avoid visual clutter in the urban environment, while maintaining a strong sense of personal expression.

All photographs are works of studio vwp