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    Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects create “honest” Trunk Hotel in Tokyo

    An exposed raw concrete facade fronts the Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park, which Japanese studio Keiji Ashizawa Design and Danish firm Norm Architects conceived as a minimalist retreat in the heart of the city.

    Marking the third location in a trio of Trunk hotels in Tokyo, the design of the boutique hotel was rooted in the concept of “urban recharge”, according to Trunk chief creative officer Masayuki Kinoshita.
    Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park features a raw concrete facadeThe hotel group said the idea was to balance the opposing elements of tradition and modernity as well as nature and the city and the melding of both Japanese and European craft.
    Keiji Ashizawa Design created a textured concrete aggregate facade for the seven-storey building, which is punctuated with steel-lined balconies and overlooks Yoyogi Park’s lush treetops.
    Guest rooms feature a muted colour and material paletteThe studio worked with Norm Architects to design the minimalist interior, accessed via a copper-clad entrance.

    A total of 20 guest rooms and five suites were dressed in a muted colour and material palette featuring hardwood flooring and plush Hotta Carpet-designed rugs informed by traditional Japanese architecture.
    Paper-cord chairs and tapered washi pendant lights contribute to the minimalist designDelicate rattan partition walls delineate spaces within the rooms, which open out onto the building’s balconies that were fitted with slanted ceilings in order to encourage sunlight into each room “as if mimicking the gentle transitions of a day”.
    “It’s been an interesting journey for us to find the right balance between a space that is relaxed and vibrant at the same time,” said Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.
    The interiors were designed to be both “relaxed and vibrant”The rooms are also characterised by paper-cord chairs and tapered washi pendant lights as well as abstract artworks, amorphous vases and grainy floor-to-ceiling bathroom tiles.
    On the ground floor, oak seating designed by Norm Architects for Karimoku features in the hotel restaurant, which includes a striking copper-clad pizza oven and the same rattan accents that can be found in the guest rooms.
    Rattan accents can also be found in the hotel restaurant”It is a very unique and gratifying experience in the sense that the architecture, interior and furniture, as well as the attention to detail, have created a space with such a strong sense of unity,” said Keiji Ashizawa Design.
    An open-air pool club is located on the sixth floor of the hotel.

    Keiji Ashizawa and Norm Architects design tactile interiors for “hotel in the sky”

    Sand-blasted concrete flooring was paired with thin bluey-green tiles that make up the infinity swimming pool, which overlooks the park below.
    A “glowing” firepit can also be set alight after dark, intended to create a soothing contrast with the bright Tokyo skyline.
    The Trunk Hotel features a rooftop infinity poolThe city’s first Trunk Hotel opened in Shibuya in 2017, while the second location is an offbeat one-room hotel in the metropolis’s Kagurazaka neighbourhood featuring its own miniature nightclub.
    The photography is by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.

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    Humbert & Poyet sets up Beefbar restaurant inside 16th-century Milanese chapel

    Interior design duo Humbert & Poyet has delivered an opulent setting for the Milan outpost of high-end steakhouse Beefbar, taking over the former chapel of a 500-year-old seminary on Corso Venezia.

    The studio drew on the architecture of the historic building with its dramatic vaulted nave – recently restored as part of a seven-year renovation project led by architect Michele De Lucchi – while introducing elements of Milanese modernism.
    Beefbar Milano is set inside a converted chapel”We were inspired by the major figures of the Milanese style of the 1940s and 1960s and the timeless sophistication and modernism that their designs gave rise to,” said Humbert & Poyet.
    “We wanted guests to feel transported to a place that invokes the past, present and future, and experience the inimitable sensuality and relaxed nature of the Italian spirit.”
    Humbert & Poyet introduced dining chairs by Vico MagistrettiAs the restaurant is located in a historical site, Humbert & Poyet’s wanted to honour Milanese craftsmanship, using locally-produced materials including marble, terrazzo flooring and woodwork, all sourced from Milan and nearby Bergamo.

    “This also meant that we were able to reduce our carbon footprint by cutting down transportation distances, while also being able to showcase the beauty of the raw materials native to the region, as well as the intricate work of Italian artisans living in Milan,” the studio said.
    Dark red zellige tiles provide a subtle splash of colourPrimarily, the duo sought to balance the high vaulted ceilings of the former chapel with the comparatively small footprint of the space while finding a way to integrate the kitchen into the restaurant.
    “The decision to have the restaurant, bar and kitchen open onto one another was driven by our desire to create an environment where guests could truly savour moments of conviviality,” the studio said.
    “We also consciously aimed to preserve and showcase the inherent beauty of the original space, avoiding any partitioning that could potentially detract from its aesthetic while we decided to create a pavilion structure under the vault, which the kitchen could be placed beneath.”

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    Key to this fusing of the three main spaces is the terrazzo floor, which unites the restaurant, bar and kitchen.
    Its stylised wave pattern pays tribute to Italian architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni, who left “an indelible mark on post-war Italian design and Milanese modernism”, according to Humbert & Poyet.
    “His versatile approach to architecture and design allowed him to harmoniously blend historical and traditional elements with the modern urban environment,” the studio said. “This is precisely the essence we sought to capture in our design for the Beefbar Milan.”
    Benches are upholstered in opulent green velvetThe colours found within the terrazzo informed the palette of the whole space.
    Shades of green, black, white and burgundy repeat throughout the bar and restaurant, found across curving green couches, hand-made burgundy tiles and in the onyx marble that lines the meat display cases.
    “Our selection of colours is intricately tied to the terrazzo, which creates a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing environment that enhances the overall dining experience,” the studio said.
    Fluted walnut panelling nods to Milanese cafesJuxtaposing with the austere finish of the lofty vaulted ceiling, the lower section of the room is enveloped in fluted walnut panelling, which Humbert & Poyet chose as a nod to the “aesthetic codes of Milanese cafes”.
    Dark red zellige tiles add a touch of colour to the space while tactile velvet features on the green upholstered banquettes, providing a counterpoint to the hard surfaces.
    Positioned below Humbert & Poyet’s Asterios lights, tables topped with deep green Verdi Apli marble bring a sense of “refinement and sophistication” to the space, the studio said.
    The chapel’s dramatic vaulted nave remains a core feature of the space”The marble tables are a perfect complement to the sumptuous velvet seating benches, and the marble’s organic qualities create a sense of dynamism when paired with the Carimate dining chairs by the Italian designer Vico Magistretti,” said Humbert & Poyet.
    Beefbar Milano has been shortlisted in the restaurant and bar interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.
    Also in the running is a restaurant in a former mechanic’s workshop in Guadalajara and David Thulstrup’s interior for Ikoyi in London, which features copper walls and a curved metal-mesh ceiling.
    The photography is by Francis Amiand.

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    Daisuke Yamamoto presents recycled steel chairs under Milan railway arch

    Japanese designer Daisuke Yamamoto presented recycled steel chairs on podiums of the same material as part of an exhibition in Milan, which has been shortlisted for a 2023 Dezeen Award.

    Yamamoto’s Flow project explores ways to minimise industrial waste by focusing on a single material – light-gauge steel (LGS).
    Daisuke Yamamoto presented his Flow chairs as part of the Dropcity showcaseCommonly used in construction as a strong, lightweight framing option, LGS is also one of the industry’s largest waste products, Yamamoto claims, as it is rarely recycled after demolition.
    The designer therefore chose to create a second life for the steel sheets and components as a series of sculptural chairs.
    The chairs were placed on podiums made from the same light-gauge steelHe also used LGS to form platforms for showcasing the seating designs as part of an exhibition at Milan design week 2023 that has been shortlisted in the exhibition design category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

    “This project began with the awareness that everyday recycled construction materials are disposed of, then new construction begins – a so-called ‘scrap and build’,” Yamamoto said.
    Each of the recycled steel chairs had a different form”Using the iconic LGS material – one of the most popular materials normally used in framing systems throughout the interior wall structure – we transformed it into beautifully redesigned furniture, giving the materials a second chance,” he added.
    The exhibition formed part of the Dropcity showcase, which took place inside the Magazzini Raccordati spaces at Milan Central Station during the design week in April.
    A workshop bench was also placed at the centre of the spaceThese empty railway arches have a dilapidated, industrial aesthetic with peeling floors, stained tilework and exposed utilities.
    Yamamoto chose to leave the vaulted room largely as he found it but placed a series of platforms in two rows, upon which he presented the series of chairs.

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    Track lighting was installed overhead to spotlight the elevated designs, each of which has a slightly different shape.
    In the centre of the exhibition, a workshop bench also built from lightweight gauge steel was used to fabricate more chairs during live demonstrations between Yamamoto and craft artist Takeo Masui.
    Yamamoto and Takeo Masui built more recycled steel chairs during live demonstrations”This is a landfill, a place where a volume of used LGS is collected,” Yamamoto said. “A place where the designer and craftsmen work hand in hand to recreate what was bound to be disposed into something new, a process of disassembling to re-assemble.”
    The intention was to not only showcase the material’s capabilities for reuse but also to allow visitors to engage with the process and ask wider questions about how society deals with waste.
    The demonstrations allowed visitors to engage with the processUsing waste materials produced by other industries was a key trend that Dezeen spotted during this year’s Milan Design Week, with designers and studios including Formafantasma, Prowl Studio, Atelier Luma and Subin Seol all looking to reduce the environmental impact of their products.
    The photography is by Takumi Ota.
    Future Landfill took place at Magazzini Raccordati from 15 to 23 April 2023 as part of Milan Design Week. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    D/Dock creates immersive exhibition space inside 19th-century Amsterdam gasworks

    Creative studio D/Dock has transformed a hall inside Amserdam’s former Westergasfabriek gasworks into Fabrique des Lumières – billed as the largest immersive art centre in the Netherlands.

    Commissioned by Parisian company Culturespaces, D/Dock’s design and build team transformed the double-height 3,800-square-metre hall into an exhibition space where bright, colourful artworks are projected across the floor and walls.
    D/Dock transformed a gasworks hall into an immersive exhibition spaceThe space can be adapted through the use of movable seating and adjustable sound and light systems to suit the needs of various exhibitions on everything from space travel to the work of architect Antoni Gaudí.
    “[The space] serves as a versatile canvas set against an industrial backdrop, where over 100 projectors and speakers transform the venue into dynamic worlds, from a lively jungle to an interstellar journey or an evocative art gallery, offering a spectrum of cultural and sensory experiences adaptable to various exhibitions,” managing director of D/Dock Sven Butteling told Dezeen.
    The 17-metre-tall exhibition space has a viewing platform and moveable seatingTo achieve a continuous space suitable for light projections, any openings of the 1885 building were closed up with cladding and painted to blend in with the existing brick interior.

    Taking advantage of the building’s height and scale, an internal staircase wraps around the rear facade and leads to a raised platform providing views of the main space.
    Newly built elements echo the building’s industrial heritageTwo newly built pavilions provide more enclosed immersive experiences within the main exhibition space while also operating as projection surfaces in the main hall.
    Among them is the mirror pavilion, which D/Dock clad in mirrored panels and shiny flooring tiles to create “an infinite projection space”.

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    During construction, the building’s interior was carefully restored to maintain its industrial character, with the addition of newly built and digital elements creating a contemporary arts centre that blends the old and new.
    The addition of lightweight insulation on the roof and windows, as well as acoustic and fire-rated doors, helped to enhance the energy performance of the hall.
    Pavilions provide enclosed immersive spaces for visitorsD/Dock is a creative studio of architects, artists, designers and engineers based in Amsterdam.
    Fabrique des Lumières has been shortlisted in the architectural lighting design category of the Dezeen Awards 2023. Also in the running is the glowing facade that ArandaLasch created for a Dior store outside of Doha, Qatar.
    The photography is by Ossip van Duivenbode, Marijn van Laerhoven and Eric Spiller.

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    Familien Kvistad brings colour to 1950s house in Oslo

    Vibrantly coloured tiles and textiles feature in this house renovation in Oslo, Norway, designed by locally based duo Familien Kvistad.

    The Yellow House in the Apple Garden is a 1950s house in Oslo’s Voldsløkka area, home to a family of four and their cat, “the rambunctious Caspian”.
    Familien Kvistad has renovated a Oslo homeFamilien Kvistad founders, married couple Astrid and Ziemowit Kvistad, have completely remodelled the interior using a palette that also includes solid ash joinery and lightly speckled terrazzo surfaces.
    “When they bought the house, the family envisioned painting some walls, moving the kitchen and building two new bathrooms,” the pair told Dezeen. “Over time, things naturally escalated, resulting in a complete change of layout, roof windows, new insulation, siding… absolutely everything was replaced.”
    The kitchen features solid ash cabinetsThe three-storey house has an enviable setting in a large garden filled with fruit trees. It was this that primarily attracted the owners, rather than the building itself.

    “The house was relatively old, not architecturally distinctive and outdated inside on all levels,” said the designers.
    The house was originally built in the 1950sHowever, shortly after they bought the property, the council enforced new conservation zone restrictions that made it impossible to alter the building’s exterior in any way.
    The task for Astrid and Ziemowit was to modernise the house without changing or extending its structure.

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    “This is obviously a costly project; it would have been cheaper to build a new house,” they explained.
    “However, the outer structure had to remain.”
    A terrazzo floor and ochre sofa are installed in the conservatoryThe renovation removed many of the old internal partitions, creating a more open layout. This gives the ground floor a broken-plan feel, made up of various separate but connected living and dining spaces.
    The old loft was also removed and replaced with small mezzanines, revealing the sloping roof beams and increasing the ceiling height in the first-floor bedrooms and bathroom to up to four metres.
    Wooden ceiling joists are exposed throughoutThe colour scheme was based on “earthy shades” of the owners’ favourite colours.
    On the ground floor, this resulted in a feature fireplace clad in mustard-yellow Kaufmann tiles, a lounge sofa upholstered in a plum-coloured Kvadrat textile and a storage bench topped by forest-green cushions.
    A storage bench topped with green cushions lines the main living spaceAn abundance of wood brings balance to this bold palette, with Douglas fir flooring from Dinesen and solid ash kitchen cabinets matching the exposed ceiling joists.
    This level also includes a sunken conservatory featuring large plants, a terrazzo floor, an ochre-toned sofa and electric-blue cushions. On the wall, an expressive painting displays similar colours.
    Custom-designed wall carpets adorn the primary bedroom”During the renovation, the family sold most of what they already owned,” said Astrid and Ziemowit. “This meant that all the furniture was purchased new.”
    “However, they did have some art from before,” they added. “Much to our delight, they fit perfectly into both the colour palette and the style.”
    In one of the children’s rooms, a staircase doubles as a shelving unitUpstairs, the primary bedroom features a pair of tufted wall carpets designed and made by Familien Kvistad, depicting abstract landscapes.
    One of the two children’s bedrooms features a playful storage unit that doubles as a staircase, while the other has a ladder to provide access to the mezzanine loft above.
    The family bathroom combines green tones with terrazzoThe bathroom has a more mellow character, combining terrazzo sanitaryware with calming green tones. The basement floor mainly serves as a utility area, although it does include an extra bathroom and a living room that doubles as a guest bedroom.
    Other recently completed homes in Norway include a “house of offcuts” by Kolman Boye Architects and a villa on piloti by Saunders Architecture.
    The photography is by Magnus Berger Nordstrand.

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    Terroir revamps 1960s Tasmanian office “using no new resources at all”

    Architecture studio Terroir has turned an abandoned 1960s office into its own workspace in Hobart, Australia, reusing the existing structure and timber framework.

    Terroir designed the office as “a small experiment that challenges the paradox of sustainable architecture”, adding as little as possible – with the only new elements being electrical cabling for power and internet.
    The office workspaces are organised around a central corridorThe 192-square-metre offices is divided by wooden framework retained from the previous fit out, which was revealed by stripping away old wall finishes.
    Some existing walls and partitions were removed and reconfigured into a desired layout, instead of acquiring new materials.
    Windows create social connections between adjacent workspaces”We asked whether we could produce a workspace that is driven by Terroir’s commitment to supporting the interactions of people in place, but in a way that uses less resources than ever before – by using no new resources at all,” Terroir’s founding director Scott Balmforth told Dezeen.

    “By re-using everything, we had to be open to some wit and humour in some of the unconventional staging of work activities, with the peek holes and nooks and windows adding a layer that we would likely not have explored in a conventional fit out.”
    The office fit out by Terroir features existing timber frameworkSpread across one level, meeting rooms and office spaces were organised around a central corridor, with a communal work area located at the rear and a waiting area at the entrance.
    Windows and cubby holes within the framework were designed as playful connections between adjacent work spaces, while glass panels were used to separate the communal area and meeting rooms.

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    Terroir complemented the timber floors and partitions with lightly coloured walls featuring paint strips that highlight cracked plaster as a celebration of the buildings previous life.
    The lack of decorative finishes and rough surfaces was designed to character and charm to the office interior.
    Office shelving and a bench are made from recycled timberThe studio’s low carbon approach extended to the furniture, with waste timber reused to create an office bench as well as shelving units.
    Terroir is a collective of architects and urbanists operating between Australia and Denmark. The project has been shortlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
    The photography is by Brett Boardman.

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    Spacon & X designs “hyper-eclectic” showroom for car dealer Lynk & Co

    Danish design studio Spacon & X has carved a cave out of cardboard and installed a bare tree in the Lynk & Co car showroom in Düsseldorf, Germany.

    The studio aimed for the 400-square-metre space to have more of an impact than the cars on show.
    A mesh curtain separates the car from the rest of the showroom”The overall design is in intentional contrast to your average car dealership, with the spatial design as a louder experience than the actual product – the car,” Spacon & X founding partner Svend Jacob Pedersen told Dezeen.
    “The spatial design is hyper-eclectic, with a new immersive spatial experience waiting to ambush you around each corner.”
    A purple light floods the showroom from the outsideLynk & Co describes its showrooms as “clubs” from which members can buy, lease or borrow a car, and the Düsseldorf space was designed not to look like a traditional showroom from the exterior.

    Instead, purple lights, clothes on hangers and a corner with a colourful sofa makes the car dealership resemble a lifestyle store.
    The Lynk & Co showroom contains a variety of materialsOnce inside, customers are met by an unusual, cave-like space.
    “The cave space is made of multiple plys of laser-cut sheets of cardboard,” Pedersen said.
    Spacon & X created a cardboard cave for the storeOne car is always on display inside the dealership. This sits next to the cardboard cave, and is partly hidden behind a light chain curtain.
    Spacon & X worked with multiple different materials, including bare wood and aluminium, to create the Lynk & Co space.

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    “With the very eclectic direction of the space, a wide palette of materials have been brought into play,” Pedersen explained.
    “To highlight a few – cardboard has been used for the cave, to create an unexpected balance between the immersive and organic expression of the cave and a very familiar, inexpensive material like cardboard,” he added.
    “We have used aluminium chain curtains to create a light transparent frame around the car on display.”
    The meeting room has an all-pine interiorThe studio also created an organic feel for the Lynk & Co meeting room, which has an all-wood interior with a pale tree at its centre.
    “Another material to highlight is the all-raw pine meeting room with an actual tree stripped of the bark, underlining our appreciation of raw untreated materiality,” Pedersen said.
    A “melting” streetlight features in the showroomFor the main space, Spacon & X designed a “melting” corner, with a streetlight that has bent over and chairs that appear to float into a puddle on the floor.
    The showroom’s “disco” bathroom has a bright-red colour palette with an op-art style black-and-white patterned floor that resembles an interior in a David Lynch film, while a fitting room has been filled with large gold baubles that appear to sprout from a wall.
    The bathroom has an op-art design”Our spatial expression creates a tapestry of diverse scenarios within the Düsseldorf store, from serene conversations to otherworldly caves,” the studio said.
    “We seamlessly blend contrasting elements, from warm wooden meeting rooms to rough concrete displays, and from melting furniture lounges to dazzling champagne fitting rooms.”
    Spacon & X has previously designed the interior for restaurant Noma’s burger spinoff POPL and created a kiosk-like design library for its own Copenhagen HQ.
    The photography is courtesy of Lynk & Co.

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    Appareil Architecture designs Montreal dental clinic to feel like “someone’s home”

    The minimalist interior of this Montreal oral surgery clinic by local studio Appareil Architecture “adopts a residential aesthetic” to help patients and employees feel relaxed.

    The Maxillo Tandem clinic in the city’s Technopôle Angus neighbourhood provides maxillofacial surgery, which deals with diseases, injuries and defects of the mouth, teeth and jaws.
    Appareil Architecture designed the dental clinic to feel more like a home than a medical facilityThe clinic’s founder, surgeon Anne-Frédérique Chouinard, gave Appareil Architecture a “carte blanche” to design the space differently to typical medical facilities.
    “The clinic adopts a residential aesthetic with durable materials to create an inviting, refined space that centers on well-being,” said the studio.
    Built-in seating wraps around the perimeter of the reception areaUpon entering, patients are met by a reception desk clad in vertically laid, off-white ceramic tiles that also cover the wall behind.

    “Their vertical positioning adds texture and rhythm to the wall, bringing the space to life, while remaining functional and easy to maintain,” Appareil Architecture said.
    Pale upholstery, linen curtains and beige walls all add to the serene atmosphereThe waiting area to the left is furnished with built-in seats that form a U shape around the perimeter and under a large window, while a double-sided island in the central adds additional seating.
    Polished concrete flooring and beige walls complement the pale upholstery and linen curtains, together creating a serene atmosphere.
    Off-white tiles clad the reception counter and the wall behind, adding texture and rhythm”All lend a reassuring character to the space,” said the architects. “In addition to a soft, peaceful colour palette, these materials contribute to the soothing, comforting ambiance.”
    On either side of the symmetrical reception counter, oak-framed doors with fritted glass panes both lead through to the treatment area.
    Oak-framed doors with fritted glass panes lead from reception to the treatment areasA central block of rooms for staff – also wrapped in the off-white tiles – runs back from the reception area, dividing the clinic into two sides.
    “This central structure naturally delineates the space, creating an efficient traffic flow that allows people to move easily in both directions,” the studio said.
    A U-shaped corridor connects the dentists’ offices, operating rooms and staff areasThe corridors continue the white and wood material palette and provide access to the dentists’ offices on the left side and operating rooms along the right.
    All of these rooms are also sparsely furnished and have a clean aesthetic, and are purposefully placed away from the reception area for patient privacy.

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    At the back of the clinic is a space with a communal kitchen for employees to take breaks, which is oriented to enjoy afternoon light.
    “In the morning, the dentist’s offices, positioned on the window side, are flooded with natural light,” said Appareil Architecture.
    A minimalist approach was also taken in the consultation rooms”In the afternoon, this light pours into the staff areas and illuminates the central structure,” the team added.
    A wood-panelled wall topped with clerestory windows incorporates the staff kitchen facilities and storage, while a concrete island with rounded ends incorporates a cylindrical structural column.
    A communal kitchen for staff is located behind a wood-panelled wall at the back of the clinicSince Maxillo Tandem is part of an ecological real-estate project, the architects had to comply with strict energy efficiency targets, on top of meeting the medical operating standards.
    Overall, the clinic has been well-received by both patients and staff, according to Chouinard. “The customer feedback is very positive,” she said. “They feel like they’re in someone’s home, rather than a clinic. That was my intention.”
    A kitchen island with rounded ends incorporates a structural concrete columnAppareil Architecture has applied its minimalist style to many residential projects in and around Montreal, including an updated 1960s home, a stark dining extension to a city residence and a black metal cabin hidden in the forest.
    The studio has also designed a handful of more colourful interiors for hospitality spaces, such as a cafe and artist workshop in the city, and a restaurant inside a former factory.
    The photography is by Félix Michaud.
    Project credits:
    Client: Anne-Frédérique ChouinardContractor: Hub ConstructionWoodworking: Blitz DesignReception counter lighting: Lambert & FilsKitchen island: Béton Johnson

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