Standing Architecture » Small Work, Lofts

Sculpture Studio

Alastair — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:33:23 +0000

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This Loft is a site specific live/work interior in SoHo for a sculptor who works in driftwood. This archetypical “rear window” site condition takes advantage of its local context by mapping it onto the interior elements via permanent shadows. These are overcast sky shadows and not dependent on the sun’s location. Their geometry is established by the configuration of the buildings to the west of the loft: a four-story building is sandwiched between an eleven and a six-story building. It is this slot that focuses the sky vault light through the window openings and causes the shadows to fan out in the loft. Opaque and translucent materials are used to map this phenomenon in the form of tables and wall surfaces so as not to introduce new shadows into the space. Acid etched glass and three different types of naturally dried wood from diseased Long Island trees are used for the tables. The joints trace transitions from light to dark. Brushed stainless steel frames lock the glass into position. The eleven story building forms the vertical north face of the shadows while the top of the six story building causes the south face to triangulate. This geometry is evident in the tables where the material joints of higher tables are further to the south (see floor plan). On wall surfaces, inclined color changes in the cabinets of the storage/kitchen wall occur that increase to form triangular openings to the bathroom and the sliding screen that masks the sleeping alcove.

The bathroom has a glass ceiling that continues the theme of maximization of natural light in a space deprived of it. The wall tile traces the shadows using white and grey and the same idea is continued in the terrazzo floor. The shower head pierces the glass ceiling which fogs over during a shower increasing a sense of privacy.

The six large windows have frosted Plexiglas louvers in stainless steel frames which are operable. The angle of the louvers corresponds to the direction of the light from the sky for each window. This obscures direct view of the neighbors without reducing the light level and focuses attention on the sky from within the space. The Plexiglas is held in tension to the frame by springs.

The space is artificially lit with flood lighting concealed in the window reveal and focused to emulate the daylight shadows. Task lighting is focused onto the table surfaces from spots on the ceiling.

SoHo Seclusion

Alastair — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:32:24 +0000

The site presented such problems as no light and no view. This project provided an opportunity to explore ideas of virtual imagery (reflections).The primary objective was to open the space to the sky and once introduced to keep the light “moving” until it could be refracted with the greatest benefit. This was accomplished with a large glass roof, glass block floors and a white stone floor. The stone floor formed the ground surface for a conceptual courtyard. Defined by the stripped brick and “borrowed” wall of the neighboring building to the north. This “courtyard” is the living area and the focal view for the studio.

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The bedrooms are elevated on the glass block floors allowing light and ventilation to come from the skylight. Some light will be reflected off the mirrored end wall and some light will pass straight through to the floor below. Unless it needs to be used be an occupant then a shadow will be cast. The floor becomes the vision window for the space. Privacy is controlled by a combination of vision and diffused glass block. When ultimate opacity is required then rugs are laid down. The artificial light for the lower spaces is concealed below the bed platform in the bedrooms and is filtered by the color of the glass.The large suspended one way mirror serves a number of purposes. Primarily it is used to reflect light from the sky, deep into the space. A consequence of this is to make a virtual window that partially inverts the horizontal elevation (created by the skylight) to a virtual window seen from the work space. The reflecting properties of one way mirror allow the light to be shared with the living space. So that the sky (itself an illusion) can be seen from beneath the large mirror.The combination of high and lower spaces is intended to continue the scale of the existing loft volume but form more intimate spaces for living. The bedrooms are connected by an aluminum bridge that bisects the 16′ high central space adjacent to the work space.

Lower Broadway

Alastair — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:31:15 +0000

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A stunning 5000sf space on Broadway and W 4th St NYC had been divided into smaller awkward spaces. This work was to open it up, allow the East-West light to flood in and highlight the structural vaulted character of the loft. Cast iron columns populate the space, vertically. This was contrasted with new round ductwork running horizontally for HVAC.

LED lighting was positioned throughout the space to gently illuminate the structural vaulted ceiling. Daylight sensors were coupled with a computerized control system to adjust the array of LED’s to compensate for sunlight, cloudy periods and nighttime.

NoHo Rooftop

Alastair — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:30:00 +0000

The site for this project is on the corner, top three floors of a building with spectacular views of the East Side and downtown Manhattan. It uses a very simple idea with some intriguing implications. The view axes are plotted as a grid. A new grid relative to the city grid, as described in space. Fixtures and furniture that register static viewpoints are placed on this grid. The cones of view from these viewpoints are located in space; defining interior window sizes for rooms that contain fixtures (bathroom and kitchen) anywhere along the cone. An obvious problem created by this strategy is the accidental merging of public and private space. Ultimate privacy is achieved by electrostatic glass that turn opaque at the flick of a switch.

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The switch becomes the general concept for privacy . The master bedroom shares space with the main living area and is separated by floor to ceiling sliding doors which when closed change the state of the space to private. The entry view reverses the privacy strategy. Where a public view point creates a cone of view straight trough the guest bathroom. The one way mirror works as a mirror inside the bathroom, the sink is placed in front of it and the medicine cabinet beside it. This time though the collision of public and private space requires that the electrostatic glass be connected to the lighting and turns opaque when the light is on. The outside/inside play becomes extreme at the entry where the view is framed in a wall that uses materials and form that suggests being on the outside of a building, looking in.The wall colors throughout the space are picked from the palette of the view. The red and beige are found in buildings that can be seen from the windows, in the local context. Lighting is laid out on a view grid and the stem fixtures cast a continuous line shadows on the ceiling that at night is a memory of the view axis by day.