Outdoor spaces – no matter how small – have become highly valued during the lockdown periods prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Having a balcony, terrace, or even a garden at home has become a priority for many. Demand criteria have changed and supply has followed: now there are prefabricated balcony solutions that can be installed in any apartment.
It was with the aim of finding a solution to the lack of outdoor spaces that the Spanish architect Luis Quintano developed STAYHÖME, a prototype of prefabricated balconies, which the idealista/news went to see. These balconies can be adapted to the needs and tastes of each individual, and can be made of wood, metal, or bamboo. This idea was one of the finalists in the competition that took place in Spain: “Architecture for the next day,” but so far Luis Quintano still does not have a production and commercialization contract for this product, as reported by El País.
But there are other solutions in the pipeline and possible to implement. The Dutch architect Michiel Hofman managed to bring ‘Bloomframe’ from paper to production, the windows that turn into balconies in just 55 seconds – just by clicking a button. These windows were specially designed for small apartments located in densely populated areas, as a way to expand the living space to the outdoors with a simple click. And they’re already part of some residents’ lives. The first window of this kind was installed in a building in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and has also made its way to Switzerland. Today, the product is still in the technical development and certification phase, assures the architect to the same media outlet. The solution is not expected to be on the market before January 2022.
Architects like Luis Quintano and Michiel Hofman have developed innovative solutions, such as prefabricated balconies and windows that transform into balconies, to meet the growing demand for outdoor spaces in apartments.
It should be noted that adding a prefabricated balcony or an extendable window is not an easy task. First, it is necessary to ensure the technical feasibility of the solutions to guarantee the safety of the users. Maintenance is also a key point to consider. And, furthermore, it’s also important for each municipality to authorize the installation of these solutions, which requires checking, for example, the urban planning limitations for the area in question. Since these products affect the aesthetics and structure of the building facades, it’s necessary to come to an agreement with the neighbors.
Despite the process of installing these solutions at home requiring attention to various points and stakeholders, it is important to consider that this is a pronounced need in times of pandemic.
The most recent data from idealista shows an increased demand for homes with gardens and swimming pools, rising by 41.1% between December 2019 and December 2020. In the top searches during the same period, homes with gardens saw an increased demand of 25.5%, followed by farms (22.6%), villas (8.3%), properties with four or more bedrooms (4.9%), and houses with terraces (4.3%).
Source: Idealista.pt
