trend that unites two or more rooms

Comfort, practicality and circulation are some of the keywords that sum up the integration of environments. This is a technique widely used in architectural projects to unite two or more environments in the same space without the need for walls to delimit the rooms.

“This technique comes from the context of lofts, which became popular with the population for space efficiency, and is now very sought after in any apartment, house and even corporate renovation”, adds Pietro Di Folco Penchiari, architect and founding partner of Criacon and StudioAdi.

Advantages of integrated environments

This concept provides residents, whether in the house or apartment, with more physical proximity, as it removes walls and other barriers from living areas. In addition, it also makes environments wider, fluid and cozyimproves air circulation, favors natural lighting, offers more practicality for routine activities and benefits movement through spaces.

Features that stand out

The most striking feature of an integrated environment is exactly the absence of divisions and barriers that delimit the rooms. “The partitioning of environments it is smaller than that of a conventional residence or almost non-existent, and the environments blend together”, points out Francesco Torrisi, urbanist architect and partner-director of Átomo Arquitetura.

Environments where integration is welcome

This is a technique that can be applied to the most different types of spaces in a house or apartment. It is possible to unite, for example, the bedroom with the office or even the living room with the balcony. However, the environments that are most often integrated are the kitchen and the living and/or dining room.

“Historically, in Brazil, the kitchen has always been a meeting point for family members and visitors, the meeting around the meal. Over time, the TV became another focal point of relationships in a home. So, it is natural to join these spaces, allowing the union of these two sources of recreation”, says Francesco Torrisi.

Integration and privacy simultaneously

It is totally possible to have integrated environments and guarantee, at the same time, the privacy of the people who live in that space. For this, as explained by Pietro Di Folco Penchiari, the architectural project must clearly define the needs of the residents.

“To guarantee some privacy in the integration, we suggest light retractable partitions that allow opening or closing according to the need for use”, recommend the architects Bianca Tedesco and Viviane Sakumoto, from the Tesak Arquitetura office. In this way, you can bet on the use of screens, sliding or hinged door, hollow panel or cobogós.

well-defined spaces

Although this is a concept that unifies spaces, excluding physical barriers, it is important to ensure the understanding of the separation of each environment. According to architect Francesco Torrisi, decoration and coatings are usually the most used elements to create well-demarcated spaces.

“For example, we can use rugs to mark the boundaries of a living room or a dining room, use a strong color or coating to mark a home office bench that is in the room, different floors between environments”, he lists.

For the architects Bianca Tedesco and Viviane Sakumoto, it is also possible to bet on solutions such as “counters, hollow partitions, hinged or sliding doors, unevenness in the floor (step) and even furniture making the spaces sectoral”.

Environments without interference

To prevent one space from interfering or disturbing the functions of another, it is necessary to properly sector the environments. “THEprojectneeds to be well defined, so that there are no cases like a sofa in front of a stove, or a fridge that opens to a TV. Each space needs to have a beginning and an end, separated by coatings or furniture”, emphasizes architect Pietro Di Folco Penchiari.