Like a forest refuge in the sky, Ana Smud has designed an apartment extension on a building rooftop. The contemplative space recreates a small domestic world with wood and exposed concrete walls creating the sensation of living in a cabin, all while situated in the middle of the sprawling concrete jungle of Palermo, Bueno Aires.

Consisting of three floors and plenty of green space, each level offers a different perspective, sometimes a long distance glance at the surrounding city and – from another spot – a more intimate examination of the neighbouring patios and courtyards. Responding to their clients growing needs, the extension doubles the existing apartments surface area. Now spanning three levels, each floor connects by an open concrete staircase, reminiscent of Tadao Ando’s The Row House. This open area offers an enriching symbiosis between nature and the big smoke, with all living zones feeling connected to that outdoor space. While the external is all about wellbeing the interior focuses on plasticity for practical layouts that can accommodate different daily routines over time.

Intervening on the ground level to make room for a kitchen, dining room and living area this floor feels open and spacious. White walls, an exposed concrete ceiling and wooden floorboards feel effortlessly naturalistic with potted plants spotted in corners and on shelves. The kitchen is simple with sandy wooden cabinetry, a grey polished cement countertop, these spaces can be separated or integrated thanks to a hidden moving panel system in white. Meanwhile travelling up a level the vibe gets distinctly more enveloping and warm as the functionality becomes more private. Internally everything is in one homogenous wood material, from the flooring and wall cladding to the ceiling. Articulated around two identical bathrooms that open up into different areas (one acting as an ensuite) this forms a central service nucleus separating the bedroom from a reading nook. With green polished concrete flooring and walls in the bathrooms, their central layout liberates the perimeter of the floor, maximising the incoming natural light. Flanked by two patios, each ‘room’ has a direct relationship with the exterior space.

Upstairs on the third level a botanic haven sits, this terrace surrounds the clients with native vegetation. Out on the wooden deck, it becomes easy to forget the immense urban sprawl below. With plasticity and transformation key tenants of this project, Ana Smud takes the concept of the flexible living experience to its limits. With the sophisticated panel system of cabinets and moving walls, the interior can be modified and manipulated according to the user’s (ever-changing) needs making this sky forest home not only beautiful but highly functional for years to come.