all

Subterms

    More stories

    • 125 Shares139 Views

      in Rooms

      CO Adaptive overhauls Queens home to meet Passive House standards

      by

      Brooklyn studio CO Adaptive has retrofitted a terraced house in Queens, New York to meet Passive House energy efficiency standards.

      The 1,152-square-foot (107-square-metre) brick townhouse was originally built in 1945 and has undergone a considered “deconstruction” process during its recent renovation.
      Throughout the home, CO Adaptive removed perimeter flooring to install a membrane, then replaced it with reclaimed boards at an angleRather than throwing out the contents of the existing structure, all of the removed materials were separated by type and sent to new homes.
      The renovation work revolved around the goal of the unit becoming a Passive House – or Passivhaus – a certification that recognises outstanding energy efficiency in buildings.
      The kitchen was fully replaced using maple-faced plywood for millworkThis is the first project undertaken by CO Adaptive Architecture’s construction management arm, CO Adaptive Building.

      “We believe building to Passive House standards is the future of ensuring resilience for our cities, particularly in the restoration and upgrade of the older building stock,” said CO Adaptive co-principal Ruth Mandl.
      “We want to work on simplifying and scaling this endeavor; ideally ensuring that we can bring the cost down on Passive House for our clients, and make it a solution that is more affordable and available.”
      Counters and backsplash are made from blue porcelain with coloured specklesChanges to the layout of the compact two-storey, three-bedroom home were kept to a minimum since the room program was already efficient.
      The perimeter of the existing wood floors and subfloors was removed, enabling the team to install an airtight membrane that seals the wood joists – which were in good condition – to prevent heat loss.
      Bright blue was chosen for new window and door framesWhere the flooring was removed, reclaimed red oak planks that matched the originals were laid at an angle to highlight the minor intervention.
      Larger windows were added to bring more light into the dining room, which overlooks a new rear deck.
      Upstairs, features include a built-in ladder that provides roof access via a skylightThe home was refitted to be fully electrified, powered by a solar canopy from Brooklyn Solarworks on the roof, and is now net positive, according to the studio.
      “The solar array provides more than enough energy to cover the significantly reduced heating and cooling loads of the building, in addition to heating water, cooking with an induction stovetop and charging an electric vehicle,” said CO Adaptive.
      Through-wall AC units were replaced with an energy-recovery ventilator systemAny holes in the exterior previously used for through-wall air conditioning units are now occupied by an energy recovery ventilator system, which helps to control the interior humidity.
      All changes to the facade are denoted by a checkerboard brick infill pattern, similar to the approach taken inside.
      Black-and-white details, such as the bathroom tiles and fixtures enliven the minimal interiorsSouth-facing openings are shaded by Hella operable Venetian blinds, coloured bright blue to match the new window frames.
      Natural materials were prioritised inside, such as a lime and sand-based plaster layer that allows the masonry walls to breathe.

      CO Adaptive Architecture converts Gowanus foundry into flexible theatre spaces

      The kitchen millwork is maple-faced plywood, while the countertops and the backsplash are blue porcelain with coloured speckles.
      The red kitchen floor is made of solidified linseed oil, pine resin and sawdust, which forms a natural linoleum that’s soft underfoot.
      On the south-facing front of the house, openings are shaded by Hella operable Venetian blindsOther details include a ladder built into the wall on the upper-floor landing that provides access to the roof via a skylight.
      “This project prioritises careful deconstruction rather than demolition, to ensure that whatever is removed is either reused or sorted for down or up cycling,” said CO Adaptive co-principal Bobby Johnston.
      A solar array added to the roof provides more energy than the house needs to runAmong the firm’s previous renovations is an industrial building in Gowanus converted into bright and spacious theatre rehearsal spaces, which was shortlisted in the rebirth project category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Passivhaus is a popular standard for achieving energy efficiency in residential and other buildings, with other recent examples to have achieved this certification including a stucco-clad, cube-shaped holiday home in Mexico, and a house in the UK with an undulating green roof and timber cladding.
      The photography is by Naho Kubota.
      Project credits:
      Architect: CO Adaptive ArchitectureConstruction management: CO Adaptive BuildingMEPS engineers: ABS EngineeringStructural engineers: ADoF Structural EngineersConstruction manager: CO Adaptive BuildingSolar panel installation: Brooklyn SolarWorksKitchen millwork: ArmadaWood flooring, stair and other millwork: Trilox

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight offbeat red-and-green home interiors that prove opposites attract

      by

      Interior designers are finding interesting ways to pair red and green – a combination more typically associated with Christmas – to create quirky colour-block interiors. This lookbook brings together recent examples of how it can be done.

      Set on opposite sides of the colour wheel, red and green are inherently compatible, each helping to offset the other.
      Combining two such bright colours in a residential interior can sound daunting, even without their festive affiliation. But a slew of recent projects show that they can have a place in modern interiors.
      Below, we’ve collated eight home interiors that prove this colour combination isn’t just for Santa, combining subdued green tones with warmer hues ranging from pink to crimson.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring clerestory windows, exposed ceiling beams and kitchen skylights.

      Photo by Yannis DrakoulidisTrikoupi Apartment, Greece, by Point Supreme Architects
      Colourful built-in furniture pieces define different areas inside this Athens apartment in the wake of a renovation by local studio Point Supreme Architects, which saw many of the home’s partition walls removed to make the interior feel more sunny and spacious.
      Among them is a stained plywood storage wall that runs along one side of the apartment, providing a dramatic contrast with the oxblood-coloured kitchen cabinets and the glossy Ferrari-red island.
      Find out more about Trikoupi Apartment ›
      Photo by José HeviaCasa Milc, Spain, by Lucas y Hernandez Gil
      Spanish studio Lucas y Hernandez Gil aimed to bring personality back to this 19th-century Madrid apartment, which had been renovated one too many times, with the addition of playful shapes and “warm and friendly” colours.
      Painted a pale sage green from floor to ceiling, the kitchen features a crimson dining table from the studio’s own furniture brand Kresta Design that was brought in to mirror the gently curved walls.
      “The kitchen is designed as a play of opposites between materials and shapes,” co-founder Cristina Domínguez Lucas told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Casa Milc ›
      Photo by Joe FletcherRedwood House, USA, by Studio Terpeluk
      Unexpected colour combinations help balance out the timber-heavy interiors of this Albert Lanier-designed house in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, renovated by local firm Studio Terpeluk.
      A baby pink kitchen and minty green storage unit shine against the Douglas fir flooring and red cedar walls, alongside classic furniture pieces including a red-lacquered version of Carl Hansen’s Wishbone Chair.
      “Color was a recurring theme in the exquisite and eclectic art collection of the owners,” studio founder Brett Terpeluk said. “This went perfectly hand in hand with my interest in mid-century Italian design and its bold use of color.”
      Find out more about Redwood House ›
      Photo by José HeviaRelámpago House, Spain, by H3O
      Zigzagging partitions nod to the history of this lightning-struck home, renovated by Spanish studio H3O and painted in pastel primary colours inspired by the “radical, fun and optimistic spirit” of 1970s pop art.
      Even the floors are finished in a pale green resin, providing a counterpoint to the coral pink and butter yellow of the walls.
      Find out more about Relámpago House ›

      Berlin apartment, Germany, by Gisbert Pöppler
      Berlin studio Gisbert Pöppler has renovated an apartment that occupies a glass pavilion on the roof of a 1930s residential building in the city’s Mitte neighbourhood.
      Custom furnishings and fixtures – including mint-coloured cabinetry and cherry red-lacquered wood panelling – were added to help the home fit its owner like a “tailor-made suit”.
      Find out more about this Berlin apartment ›
      Photo by Félix Dol MaillotUnivers Uchronia, France, by Uchronia
      French studio Uchronia, crowned emerging interior designer of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards, is known for its fearless use of colour. And the home of founder Julien Sebban is no exception.
      The Parisian apartment was designed as a homage to the 1970s, with reddish-brown walnut burl surfaces, wavy wainscoting and patterned green tiles that match the poured resin floor.
      Find out more about Univers Uchronia ›
      Photo by French + TyeGraphic House, UK, by Office S&M
      This Edwardian terrace home belongs to a couple of graphic designers, whose love for art deco forms and adventurous colours informed the interior scheme by architecture studio Office S&M.
      “In this project, colours and shapes have been used to help define key moments throughout the house and tell a story about the building’s function and history,” Office S&M co-founder Catrina Stewart told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Graphic House ›
      Photo by Taran WilkhuForest Gate House, UK, by PL Studio
      This London townhouse belonging to a couple and their chihuahua puppy brims with shades of green and blue, while details in various pinkish hues bring a sense of overall “warmth and joy” to the palette.
      “We wanted to create a home that reflected our clients’ personalities and joyful spirit, a home filled with positive energy,” design firm PL Studio told Dezeen.
      “They were not afraid of mixing different shades and colour combinations, so we went for bright, bold and fearless.”
      Find out more about Forest Gate House ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring clerestory windows, exposed ceiling beams and kitchen skylights.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares149 Views

      in Rooms

      Khan Bonshek arranges east London home around brick “spine wall”

      by

      Architecture studio Khan Bonshek’s founders have remodelled their own terraced house in east London around a central brick wall, carrying out the majority of the work themselves.

      Named Two Up, Two Down, the house was renovated and extended by Sabba Khan and Mark Bonshek, who founded Khan Bonshek in 2021.
      With the studio acting as client, architect and contractor, the couple aimed to rearrange the home’s interior and add small additions to make the most of the space.
      Khan Bonshek designed their own home in London”The house represents our guiding philosophy; how to make the most with very little,” the couple said.
      “Most expensive new builds are about packing in rooms and low ceilings,” continued Bonshek.

      “We’ve taken a volumetric approach. We sought to create expanse, have views beyond rooms and create something humble through spatial arrangement.”
      The house is arranged around a central brick wallThe studio removed all the existing internal walls in the terrace, which the couple acquired in 2018, before adding a central grey brick “spine wall” through the centre of the building.
      This wall supports the stairs, which are visible in the front room, and runs the full height of the home adding a natural, textural element.
      A rear extension was replacedTo improve flow and openness in the house, two small extensions were added. On the ground floor, the existing extension was replaced with a full-width brick addition, which now contains the light-filled kitchen.
      At the top of the house, the existing loft conversion was extended with the addition of a timber-framed dormer.

      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

      To further improve the sense of space, the walls enclosing the bathroom and study on the first floor were replaced with curtains.
      In the bathroom, a section of the ceiling was removed to create a double-height space.
      A timber framed dormer increased the loft spaceDuring the demolition, Khan Bonshek salvaged materials, which were reused in the reconstruction.
      These materials were supplemented with accessible materials such as plywood and yoghurt pots along with salvaged teak, black marble and brass.
      A double-height space was created in the bathroomAccording to the couple, the focus of the renovation was to create a home that would be an enjoyable place to live in, rather than adding value to the property.
      “We were very clear from the outset that we were creating a comfortable healthy home, rather than an asset,” said Khan.
      “We need to get to a place where we change policy and attitudes around housing as assets and instead to places which offer a reprieve and comfort.”
      The stairs are connected to the spine wallKhan believes the home can be an example of how existing terraced houses in the UK can be upgraded and argued that the government should amend tax laws to encourage renovations
      Refurbishments in the UK currently incur 20 per cent VAT, levies that are not applied on new build developments.
      “We have a duty to provide housing from the existing stock,” Khan added. “Think about all the embodied energy and why that’s such a better option than demolishing and putting up lots of new buildings.”
      The home is located in east LondonOther London home extensions recently featured on Dezeen include a minimalist extension to a Victorian home and a Grade II-listed villa with a wood-filled extension.
      The photography is by James Retief.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Eames Institute renovates 1990s industrial building to house headquarters

      by

      The design team at the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity has renovated an industrial building in California to host the organisation’s headquarters and a 40,000-object archive.

      Launched in 2023, the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the Eames legacy through digital and physical public programming, including hosting tours of the designers’ extensive archive.
      The Eames Institute has renovated an industrial building to house offices and an archive dedicated to its designersThe institution recently completed a gut renovation of a building previously dedicated to the manufacturing of medical devices, opening up the floor plans on two storeys to accommodate staff.
      Originally built in 1997 and designed by California architect Jim Jennings, it features a saw-tooth-shaped body with a glass-enclosed lobby at its front that follows the form of its site, a wedge-shaped parcel tucked in between the off-ramps of a highway.
      The building was originally built in the 1990s by local architect Jim Jennings”The space began as dated, awkwardly-scaled private offices,” said the team.

      “Recognizing the innate value of Jennings’s design and the building’s history, The Eames Institute’s internal design team set about transforming the interiors to better fit its architectural bones.”
      “The renovated office channels the design genius of Ray and Charles Eames and notably showcases vintage furnishings from the Institute’s namesakes.”
      The new offices encompass a 2,755-square-foot (255 square metre) first-floor workspace and a 4,793-square-foot (445 metre) second-floor space, while the archive, a gift shop and a small gallery take up the rest of the building.

      The offices feature an exposed wooden structure, white walls, and Eames furniture and other pieces in the designers’ characteristic primary colour palette spread throughout.
      They are designed for “multi-disciplinary” work, with an assortment of different seating arrangements such as enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces offered for employees, including a long, wooden bar and multiple lounge areas.
      A mixture of enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces offers a variety of workspaces”Key initiatives included designing offices that offer a wide breadth of work points for both individuals and groups, as well as offering both opportunities for heads-down focused tasks and more social and collaborative activities,” said the team.
      Besides the “countless” Eames furniture pieces, lighting by Isamu Noguchi, textiles designed by Alexander Girard for Maharam, and furniture by MillerKnoll and vintage Herman Miller fill the space.

      Manual creates branding for Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity with “dynamic configurations”

      “The interior design drew from the wellspring of creativity and design excellence intrinsic to the organization’s identity and – as everything the Institute oversees – honors the rich legacy of Ray and Charles Eames.”
      The completion of the offices coincides with the opening of the Eames Archive, which encompasses a collection of “tens of thousands of artefacts” including furniture and objects organized among rows of shelving.
      The Eames’ characteristic primary colour palette marks the interior designThe institute offers guided tours of the archive led by chief curator and Eames granddaughter Llisa Demetrios.
      It also oversees the Eames Ranch, a Sonoma Country property dedicated to “land stewardship, habitat restoration, farming, and ranching” which is currently under renovation.
      Recently, it announced new branding by design agency Manual while Reebook released a series of sneakers that incorporate Eames design signatures.
      The photography is courtesy of the Eames Institute

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      David/Nicolas balances classic and contemporary in renovated Gio Ponti apartment

      by

      French-Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas has refurbished a Milan apartment from the 1920s, bringing in contemporary details while retaining features added by Italian architect Gio Ponti.

      The art deco-style apartment, originally designed by Mario Borgaro in 1923, was refurbished by Ponti in 1952. Since then, much of the fit-out was torn away by the apartment’s previous owners, who auctioned off some of the furniture and wall panelling.
      David/Nicolas has redesigned the interiors of a 1920s Milan apartmentThe current owner, investment banker Michele Marocchino, initially brought on David/Nicolas to create wainscoting for two of the rooms, The Studio and The Dressing, which sit between the living room and the bedroom.
      But Marocchino later decided that the studio’s founders, David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, should work on the entire space to reimagine Ponti’s recognisable style for the 21st century.
      The updated interior pays homage to Gio Ponti’s refurbishment from 1952″Our goal was to honour Gio Ponti’s design by incorporating his vision while integrating our own identity, avoiding a mere replica of the original,” the duo told Dezeen.

      “The signature elements of a Gio Ponti space include intricate details, wooden joinery, distinct edges of wooden panels and a floor plan that creates engaging visual directions by redefining the way the space is lived, as well as creating specific perspectives that guide the eye.”
      David/Nicolas’s design balances classic and contemporary elementsThe refurbished apartment, now dubbed Casa di Fantasia, comprises a spacious kitchen, a dressing room, a primary bedroom and another bedroom with a multifunctional room at the back of the apartment.
      Other distinct spaces include a large living room with a bar, plus a study and movie room.
      David/Nicolas’s approach to the redesign was dictated by Ponti’s work on perspectives, recreating rooms lost during previous renovations while respecting their original proportions.

      Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

      Ponti’s use of swirly radica wood in his refurbishment was referenced through decorative tiger-patterned marquetry, which was used to adorn several of the rooms.
      “The tiger wall pattern is a reinterpretation of the Radica wood panelling, which has a similar movement to the tiger pattern,” the duo explained.
      “We thought it was a good idea to use it, as it diverges from the original design while still maintaining a similar movement in the wood.”
      Tiger-patterned walls offer a modern reinterpretation of Ponti’s use of Radica wood Key features of Ponti’s refurbishment that David/Nicolas discovered were still in place include the panelling around the entryway as well as a pink bathtub and shower unit, which the duo refurbished.
      Tiles by Italian sculptor and ceramist Fausto Melotti that originally covered the entire bathroom were also retained.
      “Since many of these tiles were sold at a Philips auction, we utilised the remaining ones on the wall behind the vanities,” said David/Nicolas. “To enhance these tiles and the bathtub, we covered the rest of the walls with micro concrete.”
      Ponti’s pink bathtub and shower units were retainedDavid/Nicolas also designed a plethora of new furniture pieces for Casa di Fantasia, such as the two main couches of the living area, the sofa in the library, a free-standing bar, the lamp above the dining table and some sconces in cast aluminium.
      Both hailing from Beirut, Raffoul and Moussallem met while studying architecture at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in 2006 before going on to found their studio in 2011.
      Tiles by Fausto Melotti now serve as a backsplashPreviously, David/Nicolas created furniture inspired by the night sky and Beirut’s history, which went on display for an exhibition titled Supernova at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in New York City in 2019.
      Other Milan apartment refurbishments that have recently been featured on Dezeen include Teorema Milanese’s marble makeover by Marcante-Testa and Untitled Architecture’s overhaul of a small attic.
      The photography is by Sara Magni.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Tutto Bene uses silk and glass details to create “artist’s loft” Cubitts store

      by

      Design studio Tutto Bene looked to surrealist artworks and Italian modernist exhibition design when creating the interior for this eyewear store in Islington, north London.

      Set in the Angel area, the 60-square-metre store belongs to eyewear brand Cubitts and features an interior concept conceived by Tutto Bene based on the architecture of the space itself.
      A 1960s glass and chrome chandelier decorates Cubitts’ Angel store”It’s a long, slim room with an atelier atmosphere due to the strong contrasts of light and shadow,” the studio’s co-founder Oskar Kohnen told Dezeen.
      “The atelier feeling immediately evoked a sense of being at an artist’s loft, this feeling of residential elements mixed with workshop-like rawness is what we wanted to embrace.”
      Design studio Tutto Bene referenced art movements and artworks for the interiorTo underline this feeling, the studio added decorative pieces that nod to different art movements throughout the space.

      “The individual elements of the store design reference surrealist artworks and Italian modernist exhibition design from the 1940s and 50s through play on perspective, rational spatial composition and painterly use of colour,” Kohnen said.
      Green silk panels were placed along an entire wallA skylight lets plenty of light into the Cubitts shop, which Tutto Bene reflected via glass details placed inside the store.
      “We didn’t want to over-complicate the dynamic of the space,” the studio’s co-founder Felizia Berchtold told Dezeen.

      Tutto Bene references Streamline Moderne in tiny New York eyewear store

      “Instead we placed monolithic elements within it that offer points of interest and grounding,” she added.
      “Each element speaks a clear material language. There are hues of greens and yellow, the transparency of the nile glass, as well as areas of black that balance the space’s abundance of natural light.”
      Glass details reflect light in the storeThe slim, rectangular store features glass shelves set against a backdrop of sage-green silk from fabric house Holland & Sherry along the entire right-hand wall, in another reference to art and artworks.
      “The long shelf stretching the entire length of the space represents an artist’s easel, as well as exhibition tableaus,” Berchtold explained.
      “The natural slubs and beautiful colour variation that the silk brings provide a reverent backdrop for the frames displayed on it, whilst being a quiet artwork in itself.”
      A black volume stores custom-made framesAlong the left-hand side, Tutto Bene placed black storage and display volumes, as well as Cubitts’ eye-examination room.
      Kohnen and Berchtold designed many of the furniture pieces personally for the interior, among them an undulating orange seat.
      The store is located in Angel, Islington”Most elements are bespoke pieces we designed, including the Uovo chaise,” Berchtold said.
      “Then there’s some vintage treasures such as the 1960s glass and chrome chandelier and a group of FontanaArte prism-like pieces that complement and contextualise our fixture designs,  as well as photographic works by Lee Miller, casting the store through her surrealist lens.”
      Tutto Bene has previously designed the interior of Cubitts’ first New York store as well as the steel-and-mirror Nightingale restaurant in London’s Mayfair.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Design by 83 completes “simple and contemporary” Buddhist meditation centre in Busan

      by

      Architecture office Design by 83 combined traditional references with modern forms and finishes when designing this Buddhist temple and education space in the South Korean city of Busan.

      The Bohyun Buddhist Meditation Centre was created as an urban outpost of the Bohyunseonwon temple in the mountains of South Gyeongsang Province, which was hard to reach for many devotees.
      Design by 83 has designed the Bohyun Buddhist Meditation CentreDesign by 83 was tasked with creating a facility containing a religious shrine along with spaces for teaching about Buddhism and living quarters for two Bhikkhuni monks.
      The studio looked to borrow from the history of Korean architecture while introducing a contemporary design language that feels appropriate to the urban setting.
      Clean-lined forms and pared-back materials introduce a modern design languageThe building features clean-lined forms punctuated by carefully positioned windows alongside a pared-back material palette that nods to traditional temple architecture.

      “The exterior retains the classic image of a temple constructed in traditional East Asian wooden architecture but modernises it by employing metal materials that mimic the colour of wood for the windows and doors,” the architects pointed out.
      “It is finished with monolithic tiles and granite, achieving a simple and contemporary look without elaborate decorations.”
      Detachable paper lanterns are incorporated across the building’s ceilingsThe basement level contains a dining hall used by monks and devotees. Its simple decor pairs traditional wooden window frames with modern grey tiles.
      Visitors entering from the street immediately encounter a wall with a circular opening that frames a view through to a Buddha statue in a matching circular alcove.
      The main hall features an altar dedicated to BuddhaA reception desk is positioned to the right of the entrance and the main space is used as the education area.
      A wall clad with vertical timber panelling conceals the doors to service spaces including a store room and WCs.

      Yussef Agbo-Ola creates jute and hemp temple for Sharjah Architecture Triennial

      The main hall on the first floor was designed in collaboration with a master carpenter who specialises in building traditional Korean hanok houses.
      The space features an altar dedicated to Buddha, along with matching furniture and an intricate mural known as a taenghwa.
      A dining hall in the building’s basement level features simple decorThe hall’s ceiling incorporates recesses filled with coloured paper lanterns that devotees can hang names from or use to make wishes.
      “The prayer lanterns are designed to be regularly spaced and easily detachable, reflecting the concept of creating new from the old,” Design by 83 said.
      The monks’ living quarters are intentionally pared-backA set of traditional Korean sliding doors lining one side of the room conceal a small kitchen area that can be used for preparing light refreshments.
      A simple brick-lined staircase leads up to the living quarters on the second floor, which are intentionally minimalist to ensure a comfortable and calming environment for the two monks residing there.
      Other Buddhist temples that have recently been featured on Dezen include one set in a valley next to the ruins of the Great Wall of China and a stepped concrete design in Tokyo.
      The photography is courtesy of Design by 83.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares119 Views

      in Rooms

      Tile mural fronts Cult Gaia Miami boutique by Sugarhouse

      by

      A hand-painted tile mural covers the front of this Miami Design District boutique designed by New York studio Sugarhouse Design and Architecture for fashion brand Cult Gaia.

      Sugarhouse Design and Architecture designers Jess and Jonathan Nahon followed up their New York City store for Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Larian Hekmat with a flagship in Miami intended to align with the brand and the location.
      The gabled front of the Cult Gaia boutique in Miami is covered in a hand-painted tile muralThe duo “sought inspiration from temple architecture, Larian Hekmat’s Persian heritage and iconic historical archetypes” for the 1,502-square-foot (140-square-metre) retail space, and also modelled the building on local casitas.
      To cover the gabled front facade, Design and Architecture commissioned artist Michael Chandler to create a mural using ceramic tiles.
      The mural by artist Michael Chandler is titled Tree of Life and references Henri Rousseau’s painting The DreamThe resulting 1,800-piece Tree of Life mural is based on French post-impressionist artist Henri Rousseau’s painting The Dream.

      “The hand-painted ceramic mural depicts a silhouetted tree with its branches extending across the storefront, featuring stylised vegetation, birds and flower-crowned nymphs,” said Sugarhouse Design and Architecture.
      In the centre of the store’s first space is a concrete sculpture by Angela LarianPainted in blue “lapis lazuli” hues, similar to those that decorate Persian mosques, the artwork references everything from Indian textiles to botanical illustrations.
      A trio of arched openings in the facade contain windows and a larger, recessed entryway that holds wood-framed glass doors and aligns with the store’s central axis.
      The 12-foot sculpture of the Greek goddess Gaia stands below an oculusThe first in a series of interiors spaces is an open room decorated in creamy Bianco Avorio limestone and Bianco Santa Caterina travertine.
      Unlacquered brass rods, designed to mimic Cult Gaia’s jewellery, drop from behind ceiling coves to display garments and custom amorphous mirrors by New Vernacular Studio hang on the walls.

      BoND’s PatBo Miami boutique features soft curves and floral touches

      On both sides of the central axis, sandstone blocks are stacked into vertical checkerboard grids that allows accessories to be displayed in the gaps.
      These partitions enclose the fitting rooms, which can be illuminated from within so that light glows through a translucent membrane and the grid holes.
      “Designed to reference rock-cut cave temples, the structures provide privacy while also allowing merchandise to be displayed within their illuminated niches,” said the team.
      In the second space is a banyan tree that grows from a pale-green sofaA second space identical to the first is reached past the threshold created by the fitting rooms, and a bar is hidden beyond a brass door on the far wall.
      Over each of the two main rooms presides a domed ceiling and a seven-foot-wide oculus, based on the roof of the Pantheon in Rome.
      Brass rods drop from behind ceiling coves to display garments and custom amorphous mirrors hang on the wallBelow the first is a 12-foot-tall concrete sculpture of the Greek goddess Gaia – after whom the brand is named – by Larian Hekmat’s mother, artist Angela Larian.
      “An elongated, Giacometti-like female nude that soars toward the heavens, the work is a foil to the nymphs from the facade and her angularity is intentional: like the brand, this is a fully composed, confident, and in control Gaia,” said the team.
      The banyan tree also sits below a domed ceiling and oculus, which are based on the roof of the Pantheon in RomeIn the second room, a large banyan tree reminiscent of the facade decoration is planted within a serpentine sofa designed by Brandi Howe.
      “Like the sacred tree from Buddhism, it invites visitors to sit and achieve their own awakening within this temple of fashion,” the team added.
      Sandstone blocks are stacked around the fitting rooms, which glow from within, and are used to display accessoriesMiami Design District is home to a host of luxury fashion brands, which have each taken a unique approach to designing their stores both inside and out.
      Brazilian brand PatBo recently opened a flagship in the neighbourhood with a pink slatted facade by BoND, while Kengo Kuma and Associates is set to create a sculptural block of buildings nearby that will also serve as retail locations.
      The photography is by Kris Tamburello.

      Read more: More