Architects’ studios

Subterms

    Latest story

    125 Shares159 Views

    Studio Jean Verville Architectes adds “graphic dimension” to brutalist apartment

    by

    Bright yellow accents stand out against concrete and metal surfaces within this “creative laboratory” that architect Jean Verville has created for himself inside a residential tower in Quebec City.

    The Canadian architect, who is currently dividing his time between practice and teaching at the School of Architecture of Laval University in Quebec City, designed the 79-square-metre apartment as a space he can both work and reside in.
    A pair of bright yellow lamps extend over the commercial restaurant furniture in the live-work apartment’s kitchenVerville, founder of Studio Jean Verville Architecte, describes the project as “an architectural experiment orchestrating a space with a graphic dimension”.
    The 1970s tower in which the residence is located was designed by architect Marcel Bilodeau and faces the Plains of Abraham Park in front of the St Lawrence River.
    The stainless steel furniture blends with the raw concrete shell of the brutalist building”Like an observation post offering breathtaking views of the Laurentian Mountains, the urban landscape, and the St Lawrence River, the interior comes alive with an immutable body-to-body relationship between transparency and reflection, while transforming realities through distancing and multiplication,” said the architect.

    The residence was completely gutted to leave a raw concrete shell, with windows on the north and south sides ushering light into the deep space.
    Verville inserted a series of glass and mirrored partitions to divide up the space, allowing for various layout optionsInstead of solid walls, Verville installed a series of sliding partitions so he could open up or close off areas as desired.
    These glass and mirror panes are mounted on metal tracks and bounce the natural light through the apartment, allowing the compact unit to feel larger than it is.
    An area furnished as a living room contains a rust-coloured sofa and a black-lacquered chair”By addition or subtraction, this flexible system fragments the plan into six layout alternatives with undetermined functions, offering up to seven distinct sub-spaces,” said Verville. “Meanwhile, flexible blinds with a metallic finish allow the option of openwork borders, as well as total privacy.”
    Beside the south-facing balcony is a kitchen, which features stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture that blends with the grey concrete shell.
    The partitions are mounted on metal tracks and can be opened and closed as desired to alter the layoutA central island is fitted with two sinks, each with a large balanced-arm lamp in bright yellow mounted on the wall behind.
    The lamps can be adjusted into position above any area of the kitchen counter to aid with food preparation.
    The concrete bedroom is solely furnished with a low bedRooms suggested by the partitions include a sleeping area furnished only with a simple low bed and a study where a simple metal desk faces a window.
    The living area is populated by a rust-coloured sofa and a black lacquered chair arranged around a pair of mirrored coffee tables.

    Jean Verville converts backyard shed into minimalist studio in Montreal

    “The strategic positioning of domestic equipment maintains constant physical and visual permeability to neutralise the compactness of the unit,” Verville said.
    Services, pipes and ductwork are all exposed throughout the apartment, demonstrating how it operates as a functional space.
    Verville considers the space a “creative laboratory” in which he can experimentOther eclectic items peppered through the residence give the feel of a creative laboratory, in which its occupant experiments with space and the act of living within it.
    “Glass vials of all kinds, models and various explorations, utilitarian objects, and plants rub shoulders on the shelves, revisiting the spirit of the cabinet of curiosities in a playful presentation of everyday life,” said the architect.
    Verville frequently inserts himself into the photo sets of his projectsVerville is known for its minimalist material-focused projects, as well as for playfully inserting himself into the photographs of completed – as evidenced in this set.
    He can also be seen wandering around in a cape through a Montreal apartment designed for a music composer, hanging out of a loft in a shed he converted into a workspace and balancing on the roof of an A-frame forest cabin.
    The photography is by Maryse Béland, Maxime Brouillet and Antoine Michel.
    Project credits:
    Studio Jean Verville Architectes team: Jean Verville, architect – lead designer; Gabriel Ladouceur, studio coordinator, professional and scientific MA architecture candidate; Guillaume Turgeon Solis, technical specialist; France Goneau, artistic advisor; Tania Paula Garza Rico, architectSpecial collaborations: Loïc Bard, art furniture; France Goneau, ceramic sculpturesContractor: Nomad Construction

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Mind Manifestation lines self-designed studio in Pune with perforated bricks

      by

      Indian practice Mind Manifestation has set up its studio in a converted apartment in Pune and designed the interior to reflect how the local landscape changes colour from season to season.

      Pale green lime plaster and perforated bricks transform the 120-square-metre flat into a workspace that is both compatible with Pune’s tropical climate and reflective of the grassy hillside on which it is set.
      Perforated bricks line the reception area of Mind Manifestation’s studio”The material palette has been tastefully chosen so as to match with the different shades of the hill throughout the year,” Mind Manifestation explained.
      “Thus nature flows through to the indoors and the space becomes part of nature.”
      Seating in the reception area is crafted from recycled cardboard tubesThe office is fronted by a small reception area, where both the floor and desk are lined with perforated bricks.

      Here, visitors can sit and wait on a bench that curves around one corner of the space, fronted by recycled cardboard tubes.
      Just behind the reception desk is a door that leads onto a small terrace, which is also floored with bricks to foster a seamless connection between the studio and the outdoors.
      The window seat looks out across a hillsideBeyond the studio’s entrance area are a few rows of oakwood desks with cane-backed office chairs. There’s also a deep-set window seat that offers views over the sunny eastern side of the hill.
      Walls here and throughout the rest of the office are washed with lime plaster, specifically selected by Mind Manifestation for its breathability. The floors, on the other hand, were poured over with terracotta-coloured concrete to match the bricks.

      MVRDV’s “mountainous” Future Towers provides low-cost accommodation in India

      To one side of the plan is a large meeting room centred by a wooden table. The same cardboard tubes that feature in the reception were used here to clad the table’s cylindrical base and to create a textured wall feature.
      At the back of the space is a chunky concrete ledge where staff can recline as well as a shuttered window.
      Green lime plaster covers the meeting room’s wallsAdditional work areas can be found towards the rear of the floor plan, along with a more casual meeting room where staff can gather for brainstorming sessions or team lunches.
      This room is fronted by a series of perforated brick screens that allow cooling winds to pass into the interior. Bricks were also used to build a block of tiered seating at the back of the room.
      Perforated bricks also create screens in a secondary meeting roomArchitecture and design studios often take on the responsibility of creating their own offices.
      In London, the couple behind local practice 2LG Studio established a workspace in their four-bedroom home, while Esrawe Studio set up its Mexico City office inside a former dance hall, taking care to preserve the building’s weathered ceiling trusses.
      The photography is by Hemant Patil.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Mind ManifestationLead architects: Anand Deshmukh, Chetan LahotiDesign team: Pranjali Ekre, Dipti Kanade, Vidisha Paltewar

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Concrete dominates INC Architecture & Design's offices in NYC

      by

      The offices of INC Architecture & Design in New York City’s SoHo are filled with eclectic furniture and plants that contrast the primarily concrete interiors.

      INC, founded by architects Adam Rolston, Gabe Benroth and Drew Stuart, moved to a 1930s building on Varick Street after scaling up from its previous location on 19th Street.
      INC’s offices are located in a 1930s building on Varick StreetThe new space is dominated by concrete, which forms the walls, floors, ceilings, and nine mushroom columns that form square bays across the plan.
      “The space was peeled back to its essential architectural shell,” said the studio, which sandblasted the concrete to a raw finish.
      A grand marble-topped desk greets visitors upon arrivalMeanwhile, the flooring was polished to a soft sheen, to reflect the light pouring in from large windows along the west facade.

      Collaborative work areas are arranged along these windows. They range from a long communal table to informal lounges comprising an eclectic mix of vintage furniture.
      The studio stripped back the space to its concrete bones”The furnishings are decidedly residential in character and include antiques, custom upholstery, custom casegoods, custom raw silk rugs, polychrome raw leather, polished stainless steel, solid ash and polychrome marbles,” the team said.
      Upon entering the offices, a grand marble-topped desk supported on two polished-chrome cylinders is positioned in front of a dark green wall.
      Desks are lined up through the centre of the officeTo the right are conference rooms, divided by partition walls painted pale pink and lined with acoustic panels.
      A circular aperture provides a view from one meeting to a communal lounge on the other side.

      BIG moves New York office to bright space in Dumbo

      “Simple secondary architectural elements were developed to provide for the more private functional requirements of the studio, and to define spatial subdivisions which break down the space but that maintain the open studio format so critical to our way of working together,” INC said.
      Wooden desks are lined up in rows through the centre of the office, running from the collaborative areas to an expansive material bank on the opposite side.
      An expansive material bank is displayed towards the back of the spacePlants are used abundantly throughout the space, adding life and offering a contrast to the grey and brown tones.
      “Our space is filled with greenery, collected materials, prototypes, objects and details drawn from our projects, our wanderings and our passions,” said the INC team.
      Polished concrete floors reflect the light entering from large windowsOther offices of architecture firms in NYC include BIG’s bright space in Dumbo, while we rounded up 10 self-designed studios by architects and designers in a recent lookbook.
      The photography is by Eric Laignel.

      Read more: More

    • 88 Shares149 Views

      in Rooms

      Ten self-designed studios by architects and designers

      by

      From a forest cabin to a converted chapel, our latest lookbook features ten workspaces from the Dezeen archive that were created by architects and designers for their own use.

      Highlights include Benjamin Hubert’s design for his studio Layer, the Lisbon practice of Portuguese architects Aires Mateus and a colourful couple’s office for the duo behind interiors firm 2LG Studio.
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with clever built-in furniture, plant-filled hotel interiors and residences with decorative vaulted ceilings.
      Photo is by Rui CardosoAtelier Cecílio de Sousa, Portugal, by Aires Mateus
      Architecture practice Aires Mateus restored four storeys of an 18th-century building in Lisbon to create its studio, retaining and restoring many original features including the decorative plasterwork and elaborate ceiling murals.

      The converted office contains two model-making areas as well as several work- and meeting spaces. These include the grand Noble Room, where simple wooden chairs and a pared-back workbench made from pale timber contrast with the otherwise elaborate interior.
      Find out more about Atelier Cecílio de Sousa ›
      Photo is by Mikey EstradaYa Vsesvit, Ukraine, by Yakusha Design
      Black brick partitions divide up the monochromatic studio of Ukrainian designer Victoriya Yakusha to create a number of smaller offices, the grandest of which is centred on a chunky desk crafted from a single block of sandstone.
      Most of the furnishings and ornaments in the interior were made by Yakusha’s furniture brand Faina, allowing it to double up as a showroom.
      Find out more about Ya Vsesvit ›
      Photo is by Iwan BaanOffice in the Woods, Spain, by SelgasCano
      Set in a woodland near Madrid, the office of Spanish architecture studio SelgasCano (top and above) is semi-sunken into the forest floor, with a transparent north-facing wall providing views of the tree canopy above.
      Parallel banks of wall-mounted desks are lined up on the other side of the tunnel-like space, where they are shielded from the direct sun.
      Find out more about Office in the Woods ›
      Photo is by Simone BossiAMAA, Italy, by Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo
      Venetian practice AMAA inserted a steel-framed two-storey glass volume into an abandoned plumbing factory in Italy to house its own office, which accommodates not just workspaces but also a small library.
      A sunken level that was once used for pump testing now houses a wood-fronted staff kitchen that can be accessed via a poured concrete staircase, designed to be in keeping with the building’s industrial material palette.
      Find out more about AMAA ›

      Another Studio, Bulgaria, by Andrey Andreev and Petya Nikolova
      In a bid to encourage teamwork, Another Studio removed all of the non-bearing walls in its office in Sofia and replaced them with customised plywood shelving, which maintains sightlines throughout the office while providing crucial storage.
      Translucent white cotton curtains can be used to further divide up the space, while removable boxes integrated into the storage system provide additional seating and side tables when required.
      Find out more about Another Studio ›
      Photo is by Toon GrobetThe Waterdog, Belgium, by Klaarchitectuur
      Klaarchitectuur left the original walls of this heritage-listed chapel in Limburg largely untouched when converting the space into a studio, choosing instead to insert a number of crisp white boxes into the interior.
      This stacked, standalone structure now houses separate offices for the practice’s different departments, alongside monochrome meeting rooms and casual work areas.
      Find out more about The Waterdog ›
      Photo is by Annette KislingSauerbruch Hutton studio, Germany, by Sauerbruch Hutton
      Sauerbruch Hutton renovated a former Prussian military uniform factory in Berlin and added a third floor to its roof to accommodate the practice’s office alongside a studio for conceptual artist Karin Sander.
      Roof lights allow sunshine to filter into the new top floor, which accommodates a reception and conference room, as well as a gallery leading to a library and a series of smaller offices and meeting rooms.
      Find out more about Sauerbruch Hutton’s studio ›
      Photo is by Megan Taylor2LG Studio, UK, by Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe
      Married design duo Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe of London’s 2LG Studio managed to integrate a shared workspace into their four-bedroom home by knocking down the walls around their kitchen.
      The resulting open-plan office area is centred by a pill-shaped jesmonite table that the studio made in collaboration with artist Olivia Aspinall, surrounded by velvet chairs from Danish furniture brand Menu.
      Find out more about 2LG Studio ›

      Layer studio, UK, by Benjamin Hubert
      The converted warehouse that is home to London design studio Layer functions not just as a workspace but also as a gallery, with recent product designs, samples and prototypes on show in colourful display boxes to serve as inspiration for the team.
      All rooms are open-plan save for a translucent black plexiglass cube that functions as a private conference room and is centred on a bright red Ripple table, designed by the studio’s founder Benjamin Hubert for Canadian manufacturer Corelam.
      Find out more about Layer studio ›
      Photo by Sam NoonanTree Top studio, Australia, by Max Pritchard
      Nestled into a tree-covered slope behind his house in Adelaide, Australian architect Max Prichard has built a six-metre-tall cylindrical cabin to house his own mini-studio.
      The structure is clad in sheets of locally sourced hoop pine, while dark hardwood batons laid across the walls and floors mirror the radiating roof beams and line up with the wall of built-in storage.
      Find out more about Tree Top studio ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing sleek co-working spaces, homes with clever built-in furniture, plant-filled hotel interiors and residences with decorative vaulted ceilings.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Twelve Berlin architecture studios photographed by Marc Goodwin

      by

      British photographer Marc Goodwin has gone behind the scenes at 12 architecture studios in Berlin including Barkow Leibinger and Sauerbruch Hutton for the latest in his photography series exploring where architects work.

      Goodwin, who is the founder of studio Archmospheres, has documented architecture studios in cities across the world including Istanbul, Shanghai and São Paulo.
      Following a brief hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he is now continuing his global tour by visiting offices across Europe including those in the German capital.
      “We are working our way around Europe at the moment and Berlin is of course one of the major stops on that tour,” he told Dezeen.
      “The idea was to go there two years ago but a little something got in the way.”

      São Paulo studios of Brazilian architects including Paulo Mendes da Rocha captured in photos

      The Berlin series offers a glimpse inside 12 architecture studios including Barkow Leibinger, LAVA, Sauerbruch Hutton and Studio Karhard, the designer of the city’s renowned nightclub Berghain. The studios range in size from three employees to 140 members of staff and occupy a mix of purpose-built offices and adaptively reused buildings.
      Goodwin described the experience as “Vorsprung durch Technik” – referring to the famous slogan of German carmaker Audi, which translates as “progress through technology”.
      “There was little of the Bohemian Berlin of bygone days – that was what struck me most,” Goodwin explained.
      “It seemed a very professional place of work and I’ll be interested to compare it with upcoming shoots in Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.”
      Scroll down for a look inside 12 architecture studios in Berlin:

      Barkow Leibinger
      In this space since: 1997Number of members of staff: 80Building’s history: located at Schillerstraße 94 by Georg Lewy

      Bundschuh Architekten
      In this space since: 2007Number of members of staff: nineBuilding’s history: former counselling centre

      Christoph Hesse Architects (Berlin)
      In this space since: 2018Number of members of staff: threeBuilding’s history: old workshop

      FAR
      In this space since: 2019Number of members of staff: 10Building’s history: new build

      Graft
      In this space since: 2007Number of members of staff: 90Building’s history: former carburetor production facility

      Studio KarhardIn this space since: 2010Number of members of staff: nineBuilding’s history: residential

      Jasper
      In this space since: 2017Number of members of staff: 26Building’s history: office building

      JWA
      In this space since: 2018Number of members of staff: 27Building’s history: commercial building

      Kleihues
      In this space since: 1989Number of members of staff: 80Building’s history: former waste-loading station by Paul Baumgarten

      LAVA
      In this space since: 2021Number of members of staff: 29Building’s history: brewery and bottle store

      Richter Musikows
      In this space since: 2015Number of members of staff: eightBuilding’s history: new build

      Sauerbruch Hutton
      In this space since: 1991Number of members of staff: 140Building’s history: historic barracks

      Tchoban Voss (Berlin)
      In this space since: 1995Number of members of staff: total: 80Building’s history: located atHackesche Höfe complex by Kurt Berndt

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      Richard Parr Associates expands own office by converting 19th-century barn in the Cotswolds

      by

      A run-down barn that was once used for storing grain now houses additional office space for the Cotswolds-based staff of architecture practice Richard Parr Associates.The 95-square-metre workspace, which Richard Parr Associates has monikered Grain Loft Studio, is shortlisted in the small workspace interior of the year category in the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
      It’s situated amongst the green fields of Easter Park Farm in the Cotswolds, which was created as part of the Woodchester Park Estate in the middle of the 19th century.

      Top image: the Grain Loft Studio includes a wood burner. Above: Richard Parr’s office features a pitched Douglas fir roof
      An old hayloft, cowshed, bullpen and dairy barn on the farm had already been converted into office space for the practice, but as the number of employees has begun to steadily increase, they realised they were in need of extra room.

      The practice’s eponymous founder, Richard Parr, decided to make use of an abandoned barn.

      Parr’s office looks through to a laidback workroom for staff
      Parr’s office is up on the barn’s first floor in what was formerly a loft store for grain.
      After years of dilapidation, the practice could only save one of the room’s original Cotswold stone walls – the rest have been replaced with expansive panels of glazing that offer views of a nearby National Trust park and Parr’s own family home, which is also on the farm.

      The workroom boasts rubber flooring and black leather furnishings
      “It’s been a joy to extend our studio space, providing much needed flexible workspace for our team,” explained Parr, who has found using the Grain Loft Studio particularly handy during the coronavirus pandemic when many have been forced to work from home.
      “With views out onto the surrounding valleys, the new studio has provided solace whilst working remotely from the team.”

      Richard Parr Associates remodels Edwardian house for Rapha founder Simon Mottram

      The room is topped by a pitched roof constructed from lime-washed beams of Douglas fir.
      Directly beneath is a 2.5-metre-wide glass table surrounded by aluminium-frame chairs, where team members can sit and work with Parr throughout the day.

      At the back of the workroom is a timber volume that houses a kitchenette
      A doorway looks through to an informal workroom that’s meant to have a darker, cosier feel.
      The floor is clad with black recycled-rubber tiles, while the ceiling is clad with textured wood-wool panels.
      One wall has been panelled with timber salvaged from a farmhouse in a neighbouring village that was once occupied by Soviet architect Berthold Lubetkin, which Parr hopes will act as a small homage to “the pioneer of British modernism”.
      In the corner of the room is a wood burner, in front of which a black leather sofa and armchairs have been placed. A kitchenette and small shower room are contained within a grooved timber volume towards the rear of the room.

      There’s a meeting area downstairs in the barn
      An industrial steel staircase leads down to the barn’s ground floor, which was previously just used as a cart bay but can now serve as a meeting room or breakout area.
      It’s simply dressed with a couple of curved bench seats that were carved from a single tree, and a white version of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen’s signature Tulip table.
      The practice preserved the space’s existing cobbled walls but has covered the floor in stable-block pavers rescued from another building on the farm.

      The exterior of the converted barn
      Richard Parr Associates was established in 2012 and works between offices in the Cotswolds and west London.
      The practice’s Grain Loft Studio will go head-to-head in the Dezeen Awards against projects such as 12 by Ortraum Architects, a music and ceramics studio that’s nestled in the back garden of a house in Helsinki.
      Photography is by Gilbert McCarragher.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Richard Parr AssociatesInteriors: Richard Parr AssociatesContractor: JM WestonFire engineer: Oculus

      Read more: More