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      Artchimboldi Menorca is a work retreat inside an abandoned girls' school

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      Hospitality company Artchimboldi and Spanish architect Emma Martí have teamed up to transform a forgotten girls’ school in Menorca into a bright and contemporary retreat for professionals.

      Established by Anna Truyol in 2007, Artchimboldi provides design-focused spaces where businesses can host meetings or team-building sessions.
      Artchimboldi Menorca’s ground floor has a living and dining spaceThe company already has two locations – a pair of modernist apartments in Barcelona – but has now opened a third, larger site in Menorca that can be used for corporate retreats.
      “In designing Artchimboldi Menorca, I wanted to transfer everything I have been able to observe and witness from my experience of welcoming all kinds of companies to the spaces in Barcelona,” explained Truyol.
      “Menorca retains its authenticity, has a very close and accessible nature, and brings a very different rhythm than the city.”

      The central table can be rearranged to suit different work and dining set-upsArtchimboldi Menora occupies an old girls’ school in Sant Lluís, a quaint village in the southeast of the island.
      The school was constructed in 1900 but was eventually abandoned, leaving the interior in less-than-ideal condition. Truyol brought in Martí, a local architect, to carry out a revamp.
      Guests can write down ideas on a four-by-four metre slate boardAlthough the building’s roof had to be completely rebuilt, insulated and waterproofed, Truyol and Marti took a light touch with the rest of the renovation works in order to highlight “the history, experiences and soul of the space”.
      The building’s original marés stone walls were preserved and freshened up with a coat of white paint, and many of its timber ceiling beams were left in place.
      Seating poufs and a wood burner appear in the lounge areaAn airy living and dining area occupies the first floor. At its heart is a custom-made table made of lacquered wood, which can be easily reconfigured into different formats for group meals, meetings or workshops.
      Beyond the table is a cosy lounge that features amorphous grey seating poufs and a wood burner with a four-metre-high flue that accentuates the height of the room.

      The Olive Houses are off-grid retreats hidden in Mallorca’s mountains

      In a nod to the building’s past, Tyrol and Marti have also included a large antique bookcase and a schoolroom-style slate board, where guests can scribble down any thoughts and ideas.
      At the rear of the room, timber-framed doors lead out onto a gravel patio with a micro cement pool.
      The patio features a micro cement poolGuests can catch some rest on the building’s first level, which much like the ground floor has white-painted stone walls. But here, polished concrete flooring is replaced with bold chequerboard tiles.
      Pre-existing partition walls were knocked through to make way for a sequence of boxy Flanders-pine sleeping pods.
      Each one is fronted by a linen curtain that, when drawn back, reveals a comfy woollen futon.
      Flanders-pine sleeping pods were incorporated on the building’s first floorSlender black ladders grant access to the top of the pods, where guests can relax during the day. Alternatively, there is a small seating area dressed with a grey sofa and woven rugs.
      Personal belongings can be stored underneath the pods or in the bespoke sage-coloured shelving unit that sits at the room’s periphery.
      Additional sleeping pods can be found in the building’s loft.
      Ladders allow guests to sit and relax on top of the podsOther retreats on Spain’s picturesque Balearic islands include The Olive Houses, a pair of off-grid dwellings in Mallorca where architects, writers and artists can work uninterrupted.
      The two buildings are minimally finished and rendered with stucco that complements the surrounding olive trees.
      The photography is by Pol Viladoms.
      Project credits:
      Design: Anna Truyol and Emma Martí ArquitecturaTechnical architecture: Manel Alzina SintesDeveloper: ArtchimboldiConstruction company: Construcciones Virfin SLCarpentry: Biniarroca SLCollaborators: Cristina Pons (North Agent)

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      AMO recreates “Provence atmosphere” with clay Jacquemus shop-in-shop

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      Dutch studio AMO has created a terracruda-clad shop-in-shop with curving tiered shelving for French-fashion brand Jacquemus at luxury department store Selfridges.

      The boutique was installed as a permanent retail space located on the ground floor of London department store Selfridges and is host to Jacquemus bags and accessories.
      The permanent Jacquemus shop-in-shop was designed by AMODesigned by AMO, the research and design arm of architecture firm OMA, it incorporates curving, floor-to-ceiling display shelving clad in a clay-based material that is said to echo materials local to Provence.
      Between rows of curving and tiered display shelving, plinths, totems, tables and chairs decorate the retail space’s interior and display the brand’s latest bags and accessories.
      Terracruda clay was used across the interiorHidden compartments and cabinets were fitted within display units to create a sense of discovery while also tying the space to the trio of surrealist Jacquemus pop-up installations that ran through May in and around Selfridges and Oxford Street.

      The permanent retail space follows as a result of the success of the Le Bleu surrealist pop-up installations that were created by Dutch experience design firm Random Studio and invited customers to explore and discover the brand’s products.

      Jacquemus creates surrealist interpretation of his own bathroom for Selfridges pop-up

      Terracruda clay was applied by hand across the interior of the store to create an uneven surface and natural look. The earthiness of the clay visually juxtaposes against the rigid and solid forms that are populated by colourful bags and accessories.
      Seating areas set within the curving displays are framed by views out to Duke Street and the nearby David Chipperfield-designed entrance that was added to the store in 2018.
      Terracruda clay was used to reference the South of France”The inspiration for the design of the Jacquemus space owes to the brand’s origins in the south of France,” said OMA partner Ellen van Loon.
      “We wanted to capture the atmosphere of Provence through the materiality of the space, which led us to approach the design in a different way altogether,” she continued.
      “Instead of working with form and deciding on the materials afterwards, we chose the materials at the outset and let them guide the shape of the space.”
      Seating areas decorate the boutiqueSwedish streetwear label, Axel Arigato recently unveiled its “upside-down” pop-up sneaker store in the luxury department store that features an office-themed interior.
      In Paris, Acne Studios opened a monolithic store on Rue Saint Honoré that is clad in Parisian limestone and references a Stockholm skatepark.
      The photography is by Lewis Ronald.

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      Ten residential interiors bolstered by exposed wooden beams

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      From a refurbished apartment in Barcelona to the home of an architectural designer in London, our latest lookbook rounds up 10 interiors that celebrate the tactility of exposed wooden beams.

      Beams are joists that support a building’s ceiling or roof. Rather than covering the interior beams, the designers below have left them as they were originally constructed, giving the homes a rustic yet industrial feel.
      Interior designers from Japan to Australia have incorporated exposed beams and columns in their projects, often integrating the existing wooden structures with contemporary elements such as cabinetry, shelving units and lighting fixtures.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing gardens with swimming pools, steely kitchens and interiors with a natural and calming organic modern design.

      Photo is by Alice GaoMorehouse, US, by James Veal and Christine Stucker
      Renovated by Brooklyn studio Stewart-Schafer for the company’s co-founders, this home in Connecticut is designed to reflect the 18 acres of woodland that surround it.
      The studio opted to fill the home with Japandi style decor and a natural, woody colour palette to complement the existing wooden floors, ceilings and other joinery.
      Find out more about Morehouse ›
      Photo is by Ulysse LemeriseThe Barn, Canada, by Louis Beliveau
      Nestled into a hillside in Mansonville, Québec, The Barn is a three-storey building that Montreal designer Louis Beliveau of La Firme studio converted from a decrepit building into a holiday home for two city dwellers.
      The 418-square-metre, light-filled interior has white oak floors, white-washed wood walls and exposed wood beams throughout, which the designers chose to keep the property’s “rustic character”.
      Find out more about The Barn ›
      Photo is by Nieve I Productora AudiovisualBookcase, Spain, by Nook Architects
      This Barcelona apartment refurbished by Nook Architects was designed to allow light to flow through the entire space. A central lightwell casts daylight into the bathroom, kitchen and storage rooms while Crittal glass partitions bordering the master bedroom give the occupants some privacy while they sleep.
      The apartment’s original colourful tile flooring, which the studio uncovered during the restoring, completes the space.
      Find out more about Bookcase ›
      Photo is by Eric PetschekChelsea Loft, US, by Worrell Yeung
      Timber columns, beams and ceiling joists were left raw and exposed in this Manhattan loft that Worrell Yeung renovated for an artist with an eclectic art collection.
      Part of the playful overhaul also involved installing new pieces of Cassina furniture, painting the walls and ceiling white and adding reclaimed pine wood floors.
      Find out more about Chelsea ›
      Photo is by Adrian GautVipp Studio, US, by Vipp
      Danish design company Vipp’s pared-back aesthetic characterises this showroom-cum-apartment in Tribeca, which serves as the founder’s pied-à-terre when they visit New York.
      Set in a former factory that dates back to 1883, the showroom is clad in a neutral grey-beige paint that matches the grey soft furnishings in the fully functional living room and bedrooms.
      Find out more about Vipp Studio ›
      Photo by James BrittainCollage House, England, by Jonathan Tuckey Design
      Architectural designer and founder of Jonathan Tuckey Design, Jonathan Tuckey chose “simple and everyday” materials in his renovation of this 19th-century steel workshop to create a characterful London home for his family and their dog.
      The designer decided to restore the original beams in the ceiling and left the bare brick walls tarnished with black marks to add to the weathered look.
      Find out more about Collage House ›
      Photo is by Yago PartalEnd of the Roc, Spain, by Nook Architects
      Situated within an apartment building in the gothic quarter of Barcelona, End of the Roc features a number of quirky designs including geometric patterned floor tiling, a 40-year-old wall covering and original wooden ceiling beams.
      Other surfaces and furnishings that Nook Architects chose to flesh out the apartment have been crafted from oak or painted black to create a sense of cohesion.
      Find out more about End of the Roc ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherGowanus Loft, US, by General Assembly
      New York studio General Assembly deliberately left the chunky timber columns and beams exposed during the renovation of this apartment in Brooklyn, sanding them down to expose more of the original woodwork.
      While an effort was made to retain the character of the former textile mill, the studio added lighter touchers to the space through grey tilting in the kitchen, polished concrete flooring and rift white oak cabinetry.
      Find out more about Gowanus Loft ›
      Photo is by Koichi TorimuraY House, Japan, by Studio Kwas
      Several striking sets of angular spruce wood columns protrude like tree trunks throughout Y House, a two-storey city dwelling in Kamakura designed for a family of five. Three sets fill the open plan living area, which has a dining room, lounge and kitchen.
      The open plan design continues on the second floor of the house, where pine beams and diagonal columns create playful partitions that divide the sleeping and play areas.
      Find out more about Y House ›
      Photo is by Suzanna Scott PhotographyCalistoga Residence, US, by Wade Design Architects and Geremia Design
      The vineyards, barns and farmhouses of northern California’s wine town Napa Valley informed this wood-clad home designed by American studios Wade Design Architects and Geremia Design.
      Awash with white walls and pale tones set off against darker tiled flooring and black window frames, the home is filled with antiques that the client collected over many years.
      Find out more about Calistoga Residence ›
      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 parquet flooring, terrazzo flooring and wood-clad kitchens.

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      Cake Architecture creates London office space spread across two contrasting floors

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      Cake Architecture has designed a workspace for London agency Ask Us For Ideas using materials and forms that are in “complimentary contrast” with each other.

      Split across the ground floor and basement of a building in southeast London’s New Cross, the office offers a new home to Ask Us For Ideas (AUFI) – a consultancy founded in 2010 to connect brands with creative studios.
      The Ask Us For Ideas office occupies a basement (top image) and ground floor (above) in southeast LondonThe interior consists of a crisp white street-facing gallery and office space on the ground floor, as well as a “speak-easy style” subterranean space with a meeting, lounge and bar area used for collaborative co-working.
      “We’re a business that centres around making connections,” AUFI founder Nick Bell told Dezeen.
      “The brief, in essence, was to create a space that was a physical manifestation of the role we play within the creative industry – a space for connection, somewhere that above being a beautiful place to work was a place that brought people together.”

      A white gallery and office space are housed on the ground floorOn a practical level, the brief called for office space for the company’s ten staff members alongside a street-facing gallery and concept store space for various events, plus enough room to host clients and agencies.
      In response, London-based Cake Architecture set out to create a place that “feels somewhere between the home and the office”, using a mixture of materials and textures to divide up the large open-plan areas into multiple zones.
      A grey carpet runs up the walls of the work area”There were a couple of references and key drivers pushing the concept for this project forward,” said Cake Architecture.
      “Firstly the AUFI website itself. It has this layered, multi-dimensional aesthetic and we thought it could be really interesting to try and translate this into 3D physical space,” the practice added.
      “We started thinking about this layered approach to space-making, removing all internal partitions, maximising light, space, air and experimenting with layers of material, texture, colour and form as a kind of 3D collage.”
      The same carpet coats a central volume that conceals the staircaseSolid partitions were removed and a spiral stair was inserted into the centre of the plan, unlocking the basement for use and further rationalising the layout and flow around the office.
      The two separate floors also provided an opportunity to create two very different moods and atmospheres.
      A spiral staircase runs between the two levels”For us, this project was an attempt at realising a holistic quality of space with materials and forms that are in complimentary contrast with one another,” explained Cake Architecture.
      “In this sense, the consistent theme is really an exercise in playing with contrast.”

      Emil Eve Architects retrofits own office in brutalist building in Hackney

      The crisp white gallery and office space on the ground floor features mesh panelled walls for mounting and displaying work.
      A silver-grey carpet applied to the walls and floors takes visitors through to the main office area at the back of the room.
      Custom steel-framed desks topped with Marmoleum-lined birch plywood provide workspace for the permanent members of staff.
      Darker walls and furnishing create a different atmosphere downstairsIn the centre of the room, a large monolith clad in the same silver-grey carpet conceals a spiral staircase made of galvanised steel that draws guests downstairs.
      Cake Architecture worked with interior designer Max Radford, who consulted on the project and steered the furniture selections including Robin Day’s injection-moulded Polyside chair from 1963 and upholstered swivel Howe 40/4 chairs.
      A long table provides space for collaborative work sessionsThe materials and colours used downstairs in the co-working space are warmer and calmer than those used upstairs, with the walls and ceilings finished in a dark brown limewash render.
      Dark hardwood flooring contrasts with areas of soft and shaggy carpet while mesh screens and a neon-yellow mesh curtain provide further subdivision.
      A bespoke aluminium and glass table takes centre stage in the meeting room and a long table stretching through the middle of the basement is used for collaborative work sessions. A selection of mid-century armchairs provides space for quieter moments.
      The dimly lit meeting room features an aluminium and glass tableA stainless steel kitchen and bar with a raised floor area serve as a platform for socialising before, during and after work.
      Furniture pieces include green Alky lounge chairs by Artifort from the 1970s, Handkerchief chairs by Massimo Vignelli and Howe 40/4 side chairs.
      Green Alky chairs by Artifort feature in the lounge areaLos Angeles design studio Spiritual Objects was commissioned to create a series of unexpected interventions for the space such as a hand-painted bouquet of flowers on the gallery window and a tulip-shaped door handle powder coated in fluorescent yellow.
      “The Tulip Pull door handle is an amazing illustration of the power and impact a beautifully made object can have on a space,” explained Bell.
      “It marks the threshold of the building and is the first thing you physically come into contact with. I believe these moments consciously and subconsciously impact people massively, setting a tone for their experience as they continue through the building.”
      Spiritual Objects created a tulip-shaped pull handle for the office’s main doorPreviously, Cake Architecture has collaborated with Max Radford on a subterranean cocktail bar in London’s Soho that uses colours borrowed from Indian artworks.
      The photography is by Felix Speller and the styling by Tamsyn Mystkowski.

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      Latest Soho House outpost in Los Angeles takes cues from California's mid-century art scene

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      Soho House has opened Holloway House, its third members’ club in Los Angeles, where colours and patterns are based on the work of artists such as David Hockney.

      Holloway House is located a few blocks east of Soho House West Hollywood but offers hotel rooms on top of lounge and dining spaces, while its sister property only has the latter.
      The Club area at Holloway House features green terrazzo flooringSpread over four floors and a rooftop, the club was envisioned by the company’s in-house design team, with nods to the bright block colours and strong geometric shapes of LA’s mid-century art scene.
      The interiors draw “inspiration from the Southern California landscape as well as the art movement in the 1950s and 1960s, when artists like Ed Ruscha, David Hockney, Robert Irwin and others found an unlikely home in the city,” the company said.
      Dark grey shelving in the library is contrasted with a boldly patterned carpetThe Club space on the ground floor features mint-green terrazzo floors accompanied by bespoke furniture upholstered in neutral-toned velvet and patterned fabrics.

      The flooring continues into the bar area – an outdoor atrium with table seating in golden textured fabrics to complement the various shades of green.
      The restaurant on the ground floor features burgundy leather boothsIn contrast, the library is decorated in dark grey, with a bold-patterned carpet and floor-to-ceiling shelving that wraps the space and is populated with artworks, books and lamps.
      Burgundy leather booths are paired with vintage chairs in the ground-floor restaurant, which has a menu built around popular dishes from other Soho House locations.
      Rows of cabanas face lounge seating and plants on the roofOn the roof, stepped rows of shaded cabanas face lounge seating, a screen of tropical planting and views of both the Hollywood Hills and Downtown LA.
      The Mandolin Mezze restaurant, an offshoot of the Mandolin Aegean Bistro in Miami, serves small plates and organic Greek wines to guests lounging on the neutral-toned outdoor furniture.

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      Colour is introduced to the rooftop through bold checked floor tiles, burgundy-piped umbrellas and an abstract mural by local artist Jessalyn Brooks.
      Other artworks throughout Holloway House were sourced from LA artists under 40 and include sculptures, photographs, works on paper, paintings and textile-based pieces.
      The building includes 34 guest bedrooms decorated with 1960s-influenced furnitureThe building also offers 34 hotel rooms set across its middle three floors.
      “Each is decorated with 1960s-inspired furniture, aged wooden floors and woven tapestries made with fabric designed in Southern California especially for the House,” said the design team.
      Holloway House is located just a few blocks from Soho House West HollywoodSoho House was founded in London in 1995 by Nick Jones and now has 36 properties as far-flung as Tokyo, Mumbai and Istanbul.
      Its other locations in California are Soho Warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles and Little Beach House Malibu, while other recent additions in the US include outposts in Austin and Nashville.
      The photography is by The Ingalls.

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      Ten living spaces with glossy surfaces that create depth and dimension

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      Mosaic tiles, red-lacquered wood panelling and sleek resin floors feature in this lookbook of 10 living spaces proving that high-shine surfaces don’t need to feel clinical.

      Glossy finishes – whether in the form of reflective paint, stone or simple sheet metal – can help to add polish and contrast to living rooms, which are traditionally heavy in plush textiles and upholstery.
      In particular, they shine in dark, compact spaces where they can mirror the light to make the room feel brighter and more expansive.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing residential swimming pools, steely kitchens and bookshelf staircases.
      Photo is by Michael SinclairHelios 710 apartment, UK, by Bella Freud and Maria Speake

      British fashion designer Bella Freud and Maria Speake of reclaimed furniture studio Retrouvius worked together to create the interiors for this two-floor London apartment, which is set in the former BBC Television Centre.
      In a nod to the building’s history, the duo worked to incorporate the “bold colour, eclecticism and glamour” of the 1970s, pairing glossy black sofas with burnt orange seat cushions, emerald green carpet and hessian-covered walls.
      Find out more about Helios 710 apartment ›
      Photo is by Robert RiegerThe Village apartment, Germany, by Gisbert Pöppler
      Living spaces in this renovated Berlin apartment by local interiors studio Gisbert Pöppler are demarcated by different surface materials.
      The entryway is panelled in red-lacquered wood, a geometric limestone relief wall distinguishes the kitchen and reflective stainless steel panels are fitted to the living room ceiling to make the room appear taller.
      Find out more about The Village ›
      Photography is by Simone BossiThe Whale, France by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard
      Architect Clément Lesnoff-Rocard aimed to create a modern take on art deco inside this apartment in a period building in Paris’s 16th arrondissement.
      This is reflected in the brass-fronted storage cabinets, columns clad in baby-blue marble and mirrored doors leading through to the sleeping quarters.
      Find out more about The Whale ›
      Photo is by Joshua McHughSleepy Hollow Residence, USA, by Lexi Tallisman
      Glossy paint was used to cover the walls and ceilings in this cosy snug in a renovated 1990s home in New York’s Hudson River Valley to create a feeling of spaciousness despite the tight floorplan.
      American designer Lexi Tallisman complemented the deep army green of the walls with an equally decadent material palette, introducing a brass-and-oak shelving unit, a blue velvet sofa by designer Steven Gambrel and a vintage chair reupholstered in creamy white leather.
      Find out more about Sleepy Hollow Residence ›
      Photo is by Giorgio PossentiCasa Mille apartment, Italy, by Fabio Fantolino
      Italian architect Fabio Fantolino only preserved a few original features when converting parts of this 19th-century palazzo into his own home in Turin.
      Instead, Fantolino used colour and texture to add character to the rooms as evidenced in this dining area, where polished concrete floors are paired with a lacquered cherry-red tabletop and a gridded partition made of smokey-grey and petrol-green glass.
      Find out more about Casa Mille ›
      Photo is by Ricardo LoureiroApartment on a Mint Floor, Portugal, by Fala Atelier
      Mint-green epoxy resin – so glassy it looks permanently wet – covers all of the floors including the terrace of this Porto apartment, designed by local practice Fala Atelier.
      “The goal was to unify all the spaces of the project, inside and outside, somehow compensating for the overall complexity of the plan,” the studio’s co-founder Filipe Magalhães told Dezeen.
      Find out more about Apartment on a Mint Floor ›
      Photo is by Pion StudioPuro hotel Kraków, Poland, by Paradowski Studio
      Polish practice Paradowski Studio proved that tiles don’t need to be constrained to the kitchen or bathroom in its design for the lounge of the Puro hotel in Kraków’s Old Town.
      Informed by the modernist murals of the 1970s, the studio commissioned local artist Tomasz Opaliński to create an intricate mosaic of lacquered tiles for the space, which is paired with soft furnishings and patterned rugs.
      Find out more about Puro hotel Kraków ›
      Photo is by José HeviaCasa A12, Spain, by Lucas y Hernández-Gil
      Shiny silver curtains and corrugated metal wall panels help to amplify the sparse natural light that filters into this duplex basement apartment in Madrid, envisioned by local design duo Lucas y Hernández-Gil.
      The studio also created a fake courtyard at the centre of the flat, complete with artificial skylights, orange grass and tall leafy plants to foster a connection to nature despite the building’s deep floorplan.
      Find out more about Casa A12 ›
      Photo is by Ishita SitwalaMumbai apartment, India, by The Act of Quad
      Polished marble floors provide a tactile contrast to the muted furnishings in this communal living room, designed by Indian duo The Act of Quad for a three-generational family in Mumbai.
      The studio added playful design elements such as spherical sculptures and undulating columns to break up the minimalist architecture of the home, which was formed by combining two flats in a suburban high-rise.
      Find out more about this Mumbai apartment ›
      Photo is by Prue RuscoeBudge Over Dover, Australia, by YSG
      Glossy travertine floors, a forest-green velvet rug and a dropped ceiling finished in reflective aubergine-coloured plaster create an “interplay of polished and raw finishes” inside this home, which Australian practice YSG has renovated in Sydney.
      This helps to create distinct zones within the otherwise open-plan interior, created by knocking down the majority of the home’s existing rabbit warren of partition walls.
      Find out more about Budge Over Dover ›
      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 residential swimming pools, steely kitchens and bookshelf staircases.

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      Konishi Gaffney converts 1950s garage into artist's studio with a sense of “civic grandeur”

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      Architecture studio Konishi Gaffney has overhauled a 1950s garage in an affluent Edinburgh suburb, adding a rhythmic facade made up of wooden battens.

      The Scottish studio was challenged with turning the existing concrete garage into a functional artist’s studio, while being sensitive to the existing Georgian property in The Grange.
      The converted garage sits beside the original stone Georgian houseKonishi Gaffney devised a scheme that involved filling in the existing garage door, raising the structure’s roof to match the height of the house’s ground floor and incorporating the property’s side gate into the facade.
      These changes unified the structure’s appearance from the road creating a sense of contemporary “civic grandeur”, as well as facilitating secure side access to the back garden.
      The grid of battens frame a window and conceal a side gate”As a practice we’ve been exploring ways of expressing the structure of cladding in projects,” said Konishi Gaffney.

      “We started by setting up the vertical timber battens and horizontal cladding in a rhythm of fins across the facade.”
      Windows and skylights allow plenty of natural light to enter the studioTimber was selected for its affordability, sustainability and its capacity to weather appealingly.
      The battens were carefully orientated to allow water to drain off them and prevent water from pooling, as well as to catch light and form interesting shadows across the facade.

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      The existing structure was insulated and the walls and ceiling punctuated by two aluminium clad windows and a skylight, providing the studio space with ample natural light for the artist to work in during all seasons.
      The creative function of the structure’s interior is referenced in the facade, which was intended to read “like a musical score,” and “continue beyond, separated from the house, like a stage-front.” according to the architects.
      Wooden elements feature in the studio’s interior as well as on its exteriorThe wooden composition of the frontage continues on into the garage’s interior, which has a ceiling clad in dark stained wood with protruding beams.
      Other garage-related projects featured on Dezeen include an orange-painted timber-framed garage extension by McCloy + Muchemwa and a garage in Amsterdam that was transformed into a family home by Barde + VanVoltt.
      The photography is by ZAC and ZAC.
      Project credits:
      Architect: Konishi Gaffney ArchitectsStructural engineer: EntuitiveJoiner: Andrew MacdonaldCladding supplier: RusswoodWindows: VelfacPhotographer: ZAC and ZAC

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      Part Office transforms Venice Beach condos into “calm” live-work units

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      Los Angeles design studio Part Office has renovated two condominiums on the California coast, as part of a wider conversion of buildings into hybrid residential and office spaces.

      Sited directly on the Venice Beach boardwalk, the Venice Lofts occupy a pair of buildings that are undergoing updates to create a 44,000-square-foot (4,088-square-metre) complex of 12 live-work units.
      Part Office used a minimal material and colour palette to transform the condos into live-work unitsPhase one of the project involved the completion of two units, as well as exterior common areas, hardscaping and landscaping in collaboration with LA studio Cactus Store.
      Finished without specific tenants, the spaces were designed to be neutral and flexible, with a restrained material palette of oak, concrete, steel and tile used throughout.
      Double-height spaces were kept open and sparsely furnished”In contrast to similar programs, where trends within start-up culture favour bold and irreverent design gestures detached from their specific users or locations, our intent was to create a calm environment that reflected a nostalgic coastal experience,” said Part Office.

      Code and structural requirements meant that the building envelopes were preserved, and that units need to have an equal division of “live” and “work” spaces.
      Accordion doors allow spaces to be separated or joined as requiredDue to the shift in office culture during the pandemic, the team chose to lend the units a less formal and more residential atmosphere. Although layouts of some units vary slightly, all are organised in a similar way.
      Lower floors are designated primarily for residential use, with necessities like kitchens and bathrooms, while other adjustable spaces are separated by rows of accordion doors.
      Concealed doors under the stairs open to provide storage spaceOpen double-height areas function as living spaces but can also be used as more casual work environments, and are sparsely populated with modular pieces crafted by LA-based Michael O’Connell Furniture.
      Open workspaces can be found upstairs, furnished with custom desks that feature angular steel bases and lime-washed ash tops. Each unit also comes with its own roof deck.

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      Grooved oak panelling used across walls and concealed doors was also lime-washed “to create a more beach weathered appearance”, and guardrails were installed with a very fine mesh “to appear like window screens overlooking the beach”.
      “Attention was placed on the detail, finish, and interaction of each material in order to elevate their appearance,” said Part Office.
      Workspaces upstairs are furnished with custom desksOn the exterior, orange glazed tiles by ceramic artist Sofia Londono were added to breezeways to demarcate unit entries, and the planting evokes windswept coastal environments.
      Venice Beach, which is known for its bohemian and creative spirit, is a popular place for small businesses like design studios and architecture firms to operate from.
      Orange glazed tiles and coastal planting were used to enliven the exterior spacesFurniture company Emeco recently opened a cactus-filled brand space in a converted an old sewing factory in the neighbourhood.
      The photography is by Taiyo Watanabe and Gustav Liliequist.
      Project credits:
      Design: Part OfficeTeam: Jeff Kaplon, Kristin Korven, Israel CejaArchitect of record: Klawiter and AssociatesContractor: Barling ConstructionLandscape: Cactus StoreFurniture: Michael O’Connell Furniture

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