What is a duplex, and why does everyone want to live in one?
The duplex is a dwelling on two overlapping floors in which the living area and the sleeping area are connected by an internal staircase. This is a type of accommodation that is especially popular with younger tenants and has become very popular over the last 20 years as construction companies have started to build buildings with attics to make the most of the space.
What is a duplex?
It feels like living in a small detached house: this is the feeling that a duplex conveys. This type of apartment is characterized by two or more floors, connected by an internal staircase. The upper floors may be open plan, but not necessarily. The only difference from a small house is that the duplex apartment it is not independent, but is located inside a multi-storey condominium.
A duplex is not a small house, nor even an attic!
Although duplexes are often found on the top floor or in the attic, they are different from an attic apartment (which is on the top floor of a house) or a penthouse. A penthouse is strictly speaking a large apartment (and equipped with panoramic terraces) which is located on the flat roof of a multi-storey building and consists of a single level. It should be noted that the term attic has now become so widespread that even large attic apartments are often described as attics.
Instead it is more It’s easy to distinguish a duplex from a multi-level apartment. In a multi-level apartment there are not different floors, but different levels. This means that there is not a single staircase leading to another floor of the apartment, but one or more small stairs with a few steps leading to a separate level.
For inspiration: 5 incredible duplexes
These five beautiful duplexes are very different from each other, which means that a duplex offers many creative possibilities. Let’s start with this 500 square meter apartment in New York, designed by the architect Alireza Razavi. The duplex actually spans three floors and is technically a triplex.
