Casa per un Giardiniere is a minimalist apartment located in Milan, Italy, designed by SOLUM. This 1960s linear building renovation in the Maggiolina district demonstrates how balcony relationships can inform interior organization through living wall conceived as greenhouse mirroring exterior balcony linearity. The project addresses a gardener client’s personality through practical material choices prioritizing greenery as central spatial element.

The modular greenhouse structure 40 centimeters thick employs green-painted wooden uprights clad with corrugated polycarbonate panels serving as doors and access panels connecting entrance and walk-in closet. This translucent spine divides service areas on one side leaving living area and bedroom open and unobstructed, demonstrating how lightweight transparent partitions can create functional separation while maintaining visual permeability and natural light distribution to service areas typically receiving inadequate illumination.

The translucent system creates reflection play enlivening space while allowing natural light reaching service areas, addressing typical Milanese apartment challenges where deep floor plates and service core positioning create dark interior zones. Custom-designed furniture at main space center separates living room from bedroom providing complete separation through two sliding doors, demonstrating how movable partitions can offer privacy flexibility appropriate for studio or one-bedroom apartment configurations.

Clinker floor tiles typical of Milan’s postwar architectural tradition cover all apartment floors evoking winter garden atmosphere while reflecting practical daily life approach. This material selection references regional building traditions while providing durable surface appropriate for plant maintenance and water exposure associated with interior gardening activities. Painted plywood, concrete kitchen countertop, and polycarbonate panels complete interior contributing to practical essential space character.

The greenhouse concept treating interior partition as horticultural infrastructure rather than purely architectural element demonstrates how client profession and lifestyle can drive spatial organization beyond conventional residential planning. This approach positions the apartment as working environment supporting plant cultivation alongside domestic functions, blurring boundaries between home and productive space.