/tagged/architecture/page/2

{Specht Harpman have executed a renovation on a micro-loft in Manhattan, New York. It is a testament to good space planning and design! I could live here, though I’d probably want a bigger cooktop!}

From Specht Harpman

This apartment was one of the most unusual residential renovation projects we’ve ever been involved with. Located at the top of a brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the footprint was a tiny 425 square feet, but the space stretched vertically for approximately 25 feet, and had access to a roof terrace. As it existed, the arrangement was so awkward that there wasn’t even a reasonable place to locate a bed or a couch.

Our solution created four separate “living platforms” inserted within the space that provide room for all the essentials and still allow the apartment to feel open and light-filled. The lowest level is an entry and kitchen space, and a few steps up is the main living area. Above the living area is a cantilevered bed pavilion that projects out into the main space, supported on steel beams. A final stair leads up to a roof garden. All the spaces flow into one another and the idea of distinct “rooms” is dissolved; in fact, the only door within the space is the one into the bathroom.

Given the miniscule size of the apartment, every inch of space is put to use. Stairs are not merely for circulaton through the apartment, but feature built-in storage cabinetry and drawers below. The main bath and shower, in fact, are also built below the primary staircase. The kitchen featured fully concealed appliances, flip up high storage units for easy access, and a countertop that wraps into the main living space, becoming a virtual “hearth” with built-in entertainment system. There are no traditional closets in the entire apartment.

Materials throughout are selected to emphasize the spatial characteristics of the project. The perimeter is light, with painted (existing) brick, glass backsplashes and shelving, and white lacquered kitchen cabinets, stair cabinets, and fittings. The cantilevered bed pavilion is clad in dark wood, and anchors the space – a central object around which everything revolves. A dark wood floor and wood stair treads lead through and around the apartment, spiralling up onto the wood deck at the roof. Given the number of built-in features, furnishings are minimal in number, with only a couch, coffee table, bed, and a side chair necessary.

2 weeks ago  13 notes

{Surface Treatment. Some working inspiration for Thursday morning.} 

3 weeks ago  5 notes

{Different stairs - all modern - by A-Cero.}

3 weeks ago  26 notes

{Kinda digging this project.}

3 weeks ago  20 notes

{Woodskin. Video for my previous post.}

4 weeks ago  1 note

{ Milan-based design studio MammaFotogramma have created a type of flexible, ‘Woodskin‘ triangular tiles of Russian plywood.Inspired by the potential they saw in the material, team-members Giulio Masotti and Gianluca Lo Presti incorporated the material into the design of a rock-climbing gym in Montreal, which they were working on.}

4 weeks ago  2 notes

{Architects  AR Design Studio designed the renovation of this stables-come-contemporary cottage. The concept was to preserve the existing while making any new additions simple and pure in order to let the original character shine. This results in an innovative arrangement of spaces according to the Stable’s existing layout, in order to maintain many of the existing exposed timber interior walls. These were then cleaned, stripped back and refurbished to reveal an exquisite amount of detailing and craftsmanship. In order to respect the character of the property a clean, contemporary and neutral approach was taken to the rest of the renovation which juxtaposes perfectly with the original timber walls, allowing them to stand out as pieces of art against a beautifully simple contemporary backdrop. Many of the existing features were refurbished and re-purposed for use in the home environment; the original horse troughs were cleaned and converted for use as sink basins, the old horse ties act as towel rings in the bathrooms and original doors are preserved where possible to give a sense of real period character.}

4 weeks ago  7 notes

{Architect Carlos Aparicio’s stair in his Manhattan skyscraper duplex. I like how they treated the space under the stair.}

{Architect Carlos Aparicio’s stair in his Manhattan skyscraper duplex. I like how they treated the space under the stair.}

1 month ago  3 notes

{Let’s start the last day of the week with some beautiful interior photography by Massimo Listri, perfectly capturing volume and detail. The first one in particular, is giving me calm. Love the simple walls and the more decorated ceiling, but all in white… the emptiness of a big interior. LOVE.}

1 month ago  6 notes

{A change of pace from some of the very decorated spaces I’ve been posting recently. This award-winning project is by Johnson Chou’s team in Toronto, and I literally pass by this space every week. I love the approach and the minimalism; read below for the design concept.}

Design Concept:

To create a building of paradoxes much like it’s site: a building of simple form juxtaposed against a context of a cacophony of form, detail and colour; to create a building passive by day and active at night; direct access from exterior yet complex interior movement and parti.

Strategies employed:

1. To create a building and interior that appears and is experienced such that it encourages within the visitor a sense of detachment to the surroundings. This design strategy is intended to ensure that the potential purchaser is made aware of the project’s central downtown location and the unique historical character of the neighbourhood. The concept is to create a building that is an apparatus for viewing and to be viewed. Strategies include “lifting” the building from the street and utilizing white as the predominant colour to contrast the interior from the exterior views.

2. Heightened sense of movement and view. With the glass walls on the north and east sides of the building allowing views directly into the interior of the sales centre, one is drawn to the building by it’s interior elements and the model suite facing King Street. As one walks around the building the “architectural promenade” begins at the gentle ramp that leads to the entrance of the building and the reception desk.

At the reception desk one has a view of St. James Cathedral ‐ the interior of the sales centre functioning as a framing device focusing and defining the view. The visitor then proceeds past the lounge and a cylindrical acid‐etched glass partition and into an intimate corridor that exhibits the “Builder’s Story”. From there the corridor expands to a suspended panel exhibiting the suite plans (which are individually removable) and the  material sample finishes. There is yet another view of the cathedral that is gradually exposed with the model of the development.

The space then opens up into a gathering area that includes a glowing touchscreen monitor wall, architectural model and closing tables, all against the backdrop of the cathedral. The monitors, plans, materials and model are intended for the purposes of the sales agents to work in unison. From this open space one enters the model suite, a prototypical 600SF suite that includes living/dining, library, bedroom and bathing areas.

3. An active and passive building. By day the building and it’s interior is passive – a space of calm against the movement and activity of the exterior, framing views of its context. At night the interior lights turn off automatically and a pair of projectors illuminate (by means of a special film) the glass walls that transform the clear glass walls into projection screens. A video of the proposed development is projected onto the glass. The model suite is also illuminated in the evening to attract evening passersby.

1 month ago  6 notes

{This inner city home is designed for a single client as a retreat from a busy professional life. The 400 m2 site was purchased with an approved Resource Consent for a family home – and so a revised brief was developed to fit into the approved envelope. The site is developed to its maximum both visually and physically, with a play on transparency and the flow of spaces from in to out. A variety of outdoor rooms complement the bold pavilion forms. They are linked by a circulation gallery – which also creates an axial focus for the full length of the site on entry. The street pavilion has the potential to become two guest rooms which share a bathroom and lounge area. The rear pavilion is private and contains an indulgent main bedroom suite. Sliding glass panels disappear into pockets to create open balconies for living and sleeping, and focus on the central courtyard as their oasis. The street facade is particularly private with only a hint of the sophistication that lies beyond in the selection of colour and materials. Architex.}

1 month ago  1 note

{Modern stairs. 1. 2.}

1 month ago  1 note

{Specht Harpman have executed a renovation on a micro-loft in Manhattan, New York. It is a testament to good space planning and design! I could live here, though I’d probably want a bigger cooktop!}

From Specht Harpman

This apartment was one of the most unusual residential renovation projects we’ve ever been involved with. Located at the top of a brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the footprint was a tiny 425 square feet, but the space stretched vertically for approximately 25 feet, and had access to a roof terrace. As it existed, the arrangement was so awkward that there wasn’t even a reasonable place to locate a bed or a couch.

Our solution created four separate “living platforms” inserted within the space that provide room for all the essentials and still allow the apartment to feel open and light-filled. The lowest level is an entry and kitchen space, and a few steps up is the main living area. Above the living area is a cantilevered bed pavilion that projects out into the main space, supported on steel beams. A final stair leads up to a roof garden. All the spaces flow into one another and the idea of distinct “rooms” is dissolved; in fact, the only door within the space is the one into the bathroom.

Given the miniscule size of the apartment, every inch of space is put to use. Stairs are not merely for circulaton through the apartment, but feature built-in storage cabinetry and drawers below. The main bath and shower, in fact, are also built below the primary staircase. The kitchen featured fully concealed appliances, flip up high storage units for easy access, and a countertop that wraps into the main living space, becoming a virtual “hearth” with built-in entertainment system. There are no traditional closets in the entire apartment.

Materials throughout are selected to emphasize the spatial characteristics of the project. The perimeter is light, with painted (existing) brick, glass backsplashes and shelving, and white lacquered kitchen cabinets, stair cabinets, and fittings. The cantilevered bed pavilion is clad in dark wood, and anchors the space – a central object around which everything revolves. A dark wood floor and wood stair treads lead through and around the apartment, spiralling up onto the wood deck at the roof. Given the number of built-in features, furnishings are minimal in number, with only a couch, coffee table, bed, and a side chair necessary.

{Surface Treatment. Some working inspiration for Thursday morning.} 

{Different stairs - all modern - by A-Cero.}

{Kinda digging this project.}

{Woodskin. Video for my previous post.}

{ Milan-based design studio MammaFotogramma have created a type of flexible, ‘Woodskin‘ triangular tiles of Russian plywood.Inspired by the potential they saw in the material, team-members Giulio Masotti and Gianluca Lo Presti incorporated the material into the design of a rock-climbing gym in Montreal, which they were working on.}

{Architects  AR Design Studio designed the renovation of this stables-come-contemporary cottage. The concept was to preserve the existing while making any new additions simple and pure in order to let the original character shine. This results in an innovative arrangement of spaces according to the Stable’s existing layout, in order to maintain many of the existing exposed timber interior walls. These were then cleaned, stripped back and refurbished to reveal an exquisite amount of detailing and craftsmanship. In order to respect the character of the property a clean, contemporary and neutral approach was taken to the rest of the renovation which juxtaposes perfectly with the original timber walls, allowing them to stand out as pieces of art against a beautifully simple contemporary backdrop. Many of the existing features were refurbished and re-purposed for use in the home environment; the original horse troughs were cleaned and converted for use as sink basins, the old horse ties act as towel rings in the bathrooms and original doors are preserved where possible to give a sense of real period character.}

{Architect Carlos Aparicio’s stair in his Manhattan skyscraper duplex. I like how they treated the space under the stair.}

{Architect Carlos Aparicio’s stair in his Manhattan skyscraper duplex. I like how they treated the space under the stair.}

{Let’s start the last day of the week with some beautiful interior photography by Massimo Listri, perfectly capturing volume and detail. The first one in particular, is giving me calm. Love the simple walls and the more decorated ceiling, but all in white… the emptiness of a big interior. LOVE.}

{A change of pace from some of the very decorated spaces I’ve been posting recently. This award-winning project is by Johnson Chou’s team in Toronto, and I literally pass by this space every week. I love the approach and the minimalism; read below for the design concept.}

Design Concept:

To create a building of paradoxes much like it’s site: a building of simple form juxtaposed against a context of a cacophony of form, detail and colour; to create a building passive by day and active at night; direct access from exterior yet complex interior movement and parti.

Strategies employed:

1. To create a building and interior that appears and is experienced such that it encourages within the visitor a sense of detachment to the surroundings. This design strategy is intended to ensure that the potential purchaser is made aware of the project’s central downtown location and the unique historical character of the neighbourhood. The concept is to create a building that is an apparatus for viewing and to be viewed. Strategies include “lifting” the building from the street and utilizing white as the predominant colour to contrast the interior from the exterior views.

2. Heightened sense of movement and view. With the glass walls on the north and east sides of the building allowing views directly into the interior of the sales centre, one is drawn to the building by it’s interior elements and the model suite facing King Street. As one walks around the building the “architectural promenade” begins at the gentle ramp that leads to the entrance of the building and the reception desk.

At the reception desk one has a view of St. James Cathedral ‐ the interior of the sales centre functioning as a framing device focusing and defining the view. The visitor then proceeds past the lounge and a cylindrical acid‐etched glass partition and into an intimate corridor that exhibits the “Builder’s Story”. From there the corridor expands to a suspended panel exhibiting the suite plans (which are individually removable) and the  material sample finishes. There is yet another view of the cathedral that is gradually exposed with the model of the development.

The space then opens up into a gathering area that includes a glowing touchscreen monitor wall, architectural model and closing tables, all against the backdrop of the cathedral. The monitors, plans, materials and model are intended for the purposes of the sales agents to work in unison. From this open space one enters the model suite, a prototypical 600SF suite that includes living/dining, library, bedroom and bathing areas.

3. An active and passive building. By day the building and it’s interior is passive – a space of calm against the movement and activity of the exterior, framing views of its context. At night the interior lights turn off automatically and a pair of projectors illuminate (by means of a special film) the glass walls that transform the clear glass walls into projection screens. A video of the proposed development is projected onto the glass. The model suite is also illuminated in the evening to attract evening passersby.

{This inner city home is designed for a single client as a retreat from a busy professional life. The 400 m2 site was purchased with an approved Resource Consent for a family home – and so a revised brief was developed to fit into the approved envelope. The site is developed to its maximum both visually and physically, with a play on transparency and the flow of spaces from in to out. A variety of outdoor rooms complement the bold pavilion forms. They are linked by a circulation gallery – which also creates an axial focus for the full length of the site on entry. The street pavilion has the potential to become two guest rooms which share a bathroom and lounge area. The rear pavilion is private and contains an indulgent main bedroom suite. Sliding glass panels disappear into pockets to create open balconies for living and sleeping, and focus on the central courtyard as their oasis. The street facade is particularly private with only a hint of the sophistication that lies beyond in the selection of colour and materials. Architex.}

{Modern stairs. 1. 2.}

About:

I'm a Toronto-based interior designer, that's really more than just that. I think it's interesting to see how personalities show through what you post.

Throughout the weekdays, between 9am to 5pm, I sometimes post things I find online that are usually related to design in some way or the other. But after that, I have the 'randoms' queued up! You see my interest in design, art, illustration, architecture, photography, travel, & fashion, the things that make me laugh, that make me think, the things that excite me, and the things that I love. Soon, it won't be so random after all.

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