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    Olson Kundig and Erica Colpitts renovate mid-century house in North Vancouver

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    US architecture firm Olson Kundig and Canadian designer Erica Colpitts have renovated a mid-century house near Vancouver, warming the modernist structure with natural materials and neutral colours.

    The residence is surrounded by tall cedar trees on a quiet plot in Edgemont, a village-like neighbourhood of North Vancouver, across the water from the Canadian metropolis.
    Wood lines the ceiling and floors of the renovated home, contrasting the blackened steel structural elementsIts new owners are a family of four who relocated to the West Coast from New York City, looking for a community to put down roots.
    Olson Kundig, which has an office in nearby Seattle, was asked to update and slightly expand the building to meet the owners’ needs while respecting the original design.
    The living spaces are all connected along the back of the house, in its single-storey portionLocally based Erica Colpitts was brought on to complete the interiors with a softer, warmer feeling than typical mid-century designs.

    “The pure challenge of this home completely appealed to me,” said Colpitts. “My task was to meld Olson Kundig’s overall design for the home with an ever so slightly soft and romantic interior.”
    Dark tones in the kitchen, including the steel hood and shelving, match the building’s beams and columnsLike many homes from the period, the building has a low-slung form, a shallow roof pitch and large expanses of glass across its facades.
    Blackened steel structural elements were highlighted throughout the interior, and their dark colour is repeated across several other elements.
    The kitchen connects to the patio via a bar counter and sliding windowThese range from the guardrails and supports for the staircase unit, which connects the home’s multiple split levels, to a custom hood and shelving in the kitchen.
    The staircase is separated from the lounge by a huge bookcase that is original to the house, along with a red-brick fireplace on the other side.
    An original bookcase separates the lounge from the entry hallway and staircaseAll of the primary living spaces run along the back of the home, in the single-storey portion, facing the landscaped garden and a plunge pool through huge windows.
    Wide-plank flooring and a wood-covered ceiling connect the open-plan areas, which culminate at the dark-stained kitchen.
    Bedrooms in the two-storey side of the house follow the same design aestheticThe hues and materials chosen for the these spaces are warm and inviting, such as cream surfaces and heathered oatmeal textiles paired with cognac-coloured leather, dark flax, and deep grey.
    “This home has a decidedly neutral colour palette to go with the natural materials selected; however, it is warmly neutral and texturally layered,” said Colpitts.

    Eight renovated mid-century homes that marry period and contemporary details

    “Where colour was used, we wanted those colours and their textures to be reminiscent of a gentleman’s library,” she added.
    The bedrooms, bathrooms, and additional living areas are organised within the two-storey side of the house, where the same design aesthetic continues.
    The home’s large expanses of glass connect it to the surrounding landscape, designed by Amelia SullivanOn the exterior, weathered ebony siding and a Corten steel front door were added in keeping with the building’s modern-industrial appearance.
    “This home is a juxtaposition of all good things,” Colpitts said. “Dramatic and serene. Rustic and refined. Industrial and romantic. Exquisite and comfortable.”
    Olson Kundig aimed to respected the building’s original design while slightly expanding its footprintThe mid-century architecture style remains incredibly popular with homebuyers across the US and Canada, which has led to many renovations that align these residences with contemporary living.
    Recent examples include a Hamptons home that owner Timothy Godbold transformed to resemble a lair from a James Bond movie, and the former seaside home of modernist architect Henry Hill respectfully overhauled by Studio Schicketanz.
    The photography is by Ema Peter.
    Project credits:
    Architect: Olson KundigInterior design: Erica Colpitts Interior DesignContractor: Brent Braybrook / Braybrook ProjectsMillwork: Robin Woronko / Intempo InteriorsLandscape architect: Amelia SullivanMetalwork: Drabek Technologies

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      Dezeen Awards 2023 interiors longlist revealed

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      Dezeen has announced the 150 projects longlisted for this year’s Dezeen Awards in the interior categories, including interiors by studios Olson Kundig, Neri&Hu, Patricia Urquiola and Morris+Company.

      The 150 longlisted projects, which are in the running for awards in nine different interior project categories, are by studios located across 32 different countries including India, Slovakia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark and Latvia.
      The top three represented studio countries are the UK, with 27 longlisted entries, followed by the US with 23 and Australia with 15.
      The top project city locations are London, with 18 longlisted entries, followed by Shanghai with seven and Sydney and Paris tied with four each.
      Amongst the longlisted interiors this year are a refurbished 280-year-old courtyard house in Beijing, a textured beige ceramic home interior in Kyiv and a playful red brick-clad rooftop cafe in South Korea’s Gyeonggi-do province.

      Other longlisted projects include a monochromatic office in Barcelona, a restaurant with a curved metal-mesh ceiling in London and a retail space featuring salvaged and biomaterials.
      All Dezeen Awards 2023 longlists revealed this week
      Dezeen Awards 2023, in partnership with Bentley Motors, will reveal all longlisted projects this week. The architecture longlist was published yesterday and the design longlist will be announced tomorrow, followed by the sustainability longlist on Thursday.
      Longlisted projects have been selected from over 4,800 entries from 94 countries for the sixth edition of our awards programme, which celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design, as well as the studios and individuals producing the most outstanding work.

      Above: Sun Dial Apartment by Manuelle Gautrand Architecture. Photo by Gaelle Le Boulicaut. Top: Shiny Gold by Nelly Ben Hayoun Studios. Photo by Vinciane LebrunThe next stage of Dezeen Awards 2023 will see all longlisted projects assessed by our international jury of leading professionals including interior designers Eny Lee Parker, Nick Jones and Tola Ojuolape.
      The judges will determine the projects that feature on the shortlists, which will be announced in October. A further round of judging by our master jury will determine the winners, which will be announced in November.
      One of the nine winners of the interior project categories will then be crowned the overall interior project of the year.
      Read on for the full interiors longlist:
      Union Street House by Prior Barraclough. Photo by Ben HoskingHome Interior
      › WKA Penthouse, Antwerp, Belgium, by Bruno Spaas Architectuur› Leaside Avenue, London, UK, by Emil Eve Architects› Another Seedbed: From Domesticity to Hospitality, New York, USA, by Future Projects› House FC, Taipei City, Taiwan, by Fws_work› Atelier Chabot, Montreal, Canada, by Indee Design› Hiroo Residence, Tokyo, Japan, by Keiji Ashizawa Design› Cape Drive Residence, Hong Kong, China, by Linehouse› Mureli House, Kozyn, Ukraine, by Makhno Studio› Sun Dial Apartment, Paris, France, by Manuelle Gautrand Architecture› Kamoi House, Barcelona, Spain, by Mas-aqui› Hargrave Cottage Paddington, London, UK, by Michiru Higginbotham› Adventures in Space, London UK, by Owl› Union Street House, London, UK, by Prior Barraclough› North London Family Home, London, UK, by Retrouvius› Mexican and Galician influences in Madrid, Spain, by Sierra + Delahiguera› Belgravia Townhouse, London, UK, by State of Craft Limited› Tembo Tembo Lodge, South Africa, by Studio Asaï› Light House, Singapore, by Studio iF› Villa San Francisco, California, USA, by Studio Mortazavi› A Resolutely Maximalist Mini Loft, Bagnolet, France, by Zyva Studio
      Browse all projects on the home interior longlist page.
      Taproom in the Brewery Tenczynek by Projekt Praga. Photo by ONI StudioRestaurant and bar interior
      › Kiln at Ace Hotel, Sydney, Australia, by Atelier Ace› Frescohallen, Bergen, Norway, by Claesson Koivisto Rune Architects› Nebula, London, UK, by Common Ground Workshop› Dolly, Unley, Australia, by Genesin Studio› Mala Sichuan Bistro, Houston, USA, by Gin Design Group› Beefbar Milan, Italy, by Humbert & Poyet› Chleo, New York, USA, by Islyn Studio› Gaga Coast, Shanghai, by Linehouse› Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe, Shanghai, by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office› Noma Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, by OEO Studio› Prime Seafood Palace, Toronto, Canada, by Omar Gandhi Architects› Taproom in the Brewery Tenczynek, Poland, by Projekt Praga› Xokol, Guadalajara, Mexico, by Ruben Valdez Practice› Colemans Deli, Hathersage, UK, by SJW Architects› Cozinha das Flores and Flôr, Porto, Portugal, by Space Copenhagen› AOC Restaurant, Copenhagen, Denmark, by Spacon & X› Ikoyi, London, UK, by David Thulstrup› Light Years Asian Diner, Byron Bay, Australia, by Studio Plenty› Parconido Bakery Cafe, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, by SukChulMok› Saint Hotel, Melbourne, Australia, by Telha Clarke
      Browse all projects on the restaurant and bar longlist page.
      SABI by Grounded Living. Photo by Lean TimmsHotel and short-stay interior
      › Birch (Selsdon), London, UK, by A-nrd studio› Drift Hotel, California, USA, by Anacapa Architecture› Ace Hotel Toronto, Canada, by Atelier Ace› Ember Locke, London, UK, by Atelier Ochre & House of Dré› Capella, Sydney, Australia, by BAR Studio› Bos-Cos Sevilla, Seville, Spain, by Febrero Studio› SABI, Tasmania, Australia, by Grounded Living› Albor Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Guanajuato, Mexico, by Héctor Esrawe› Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, China, by Linehouse› Monasty Hotel, Thessaloniki, Greece, by Not a Number Architects› The Standard, Ibiza, Spain, by Oskar Kohnen Studio› Our Habitas San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, by Our Habitas› Six Senses Rome, Italy, by Patricia Urquiola› Som Land Hostel, Shanghai, by RooMoo› Heymo 1, Espoo, Finland, by Rune & Berg Design Oy› The Standard, Bangkok, Thailand, by Standard International› Hay Boutique Hotel, Polyanytsya, Ukraine, by YOD Group
      Browse all projects on the hotel and short stay longlist page.
      Folk Kombucha by Spacon & X. Photo by Hedda RysstadWorkplace interior (small)
      › The Joint Works, Birmingham, UK, by 2G Design and Build› Lincoln St Workplace, Boston, USA, by Atelier Cho Thompson› Carnaby Club, London, UK, by Buckley Gray Yeoman› Mitsui & Co, Minato-ku, Japan, by Flooat› Studio Reisinger, Barcelona, Spain, by Isern Serra› LAJ Office and Shop, Vancouver, Canada, by Marcela Trejo› Workplace for the preparation of medicine in Riga, Latvia, by MUUD Architects› ScienceIO Headquarters, New York, USA, by Office of Tangible Space› Folk Kombucha, Copenhagen, Denmark, by Spacon & X› The Forest of Knowledge – CCI Library, Mumbai, India, by Studio Hinge› Artis Ventures, San Francisco, USA, by Studio O+A› Alera, Vancouver, Canada, by Studio Roslyn› Terroir Hobart Office, Hobart, Australia, by Terroir› Chief London, London, UK, by Thirdway› WOA Second Home, Ernakulam, India, by Workers of Art
      Browse all projects on the workplace interior (small) longlist page.
      Carlsen Publisher Campus by de Winder Architekten. Photo by Mark SeelenWorkplace interior (large)
      › Government Office, Abu Dhabi, UAE, by Agata Kurzela studio› COX Sydney Studio, Australia, by Cox Architecture› Carlsen Publisher Campus, Hamburg, Germany, by de Winder Architekten› NeueHouse Venice Beach, California, USA, by DesignAgency› Here+Now, Reading, UK, by HawkinsBrown› Sony Music UK HQ, London, UK, by MoreySmith› 215 Mare Street, London, UK, by Morris+Company› 800 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, USA, by Olson Kundig› Dice, London, UK, by Sella Concept› Bay Area Research Company by SkB Architects› Canopy Menlo Park, California, USA, by Studio Mortazavi› Adidas (GOLD, Performance Zone, and RED) campus, Portland, USA, by Studio O+A› World of Klarna, Stockholm, Sweden, by Studio Stockholm› 210 Euston Road, London, UK, by Universal Design Studio› Convene at 22 Bishopsgate, London, UK, by Woods Bagot
      Browse all projects on the workplace interior (large) longlist page.
      Dreams by Adi Goodrich of Sing-Sing. Photo by Adi Goodrich and Ye Rin MokRetail interior (small)
      › Aesop Palisades Village, Los Angeles, USA, by Odami› Big, London, UK, by Nina+Co› Bisque Golf Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by Barde vanVoltt› Buff, Edinburgh, Scotland, by GRAS› Camper Pop-Up Galeries Lafayette, Paris, France, by Penadés office› Chimi Store at NK, Stockholm, Sweden, by Campus› Coachtopia, London, UK, by Studio XAG› Cover Story Paint Studio, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by Cover Story Paint› Dreams, Los Angeles, USA, by Adi Goodrich of Sing-Sing› Finesse, Melbourne, Australia, by Studio Edwards› Garrett Leight New York, USA, by West of West› Glossier, New York, USA, by Glossier› Mimco Flagship Store, Chadstone, Australia, by Studio Doherty› Net Zero Ecoalf Store, Madrid, Spain, by Medina Varela MVN Arquitectos› SOM Store, Bratislava, Slovakia, by D415› The Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, Australia, by Akin Atelier
      Browse all projects on the retail interior (small) longlist page.
      Superseed Concept Store by FOG Architecture. Photo by SFAPRetail interior (large)
      › Harmay Chongqing, China, by Aim Architecture› Maison Special/Prank Project Fukuoka, Japan, by AtMa› Calico Club Cottage, Nistelrode, The Netherlands, by Barde vanVoltt› ToSummer Beijing Guozijian, China, by FOG Architecture› Xiaozhuo Shanghai Boutique, China, by FOG Architecture› Super Seed Concept Store, Hangzhou, China, by FOG Architecture› Freitag Store Shanghai, China, by Freitag Lab› GANT Flagship Store, Stockholm, Sweden, by GANT› Jasmin Black Lounge, Seoul, South Korea, by Hyundai Department Store Group› The Forum, Daegu, South Korea, by Hyundai Department Store Group› GrubStreet Arts Center, Boston, USA, by Merge Architects› XiaoZhuo Flagship Store, Shanghai, by Offhand Practise› Salvatori Showroom, New York, USA, by Salvatori› Cake 0 Emissions US Headquarters, Los Angeles, USA, by Shin Shin› BSTN Store, London, UK, by Sunst Studio› SVRN, Chicago, USA, by WGNB
      Browse all projects on the retail interior (large) longlist page.
      Leisure Area of Pediatric Ward of Hospital São João by ARG studio. Photo by Ivo Tavares StudioHealth and wellbeing interior
      › Eterno Health Hamburg, Germany, by Ahochdrei – Labor für Gestaltung› Leisure Area of Pediatric Ward of Hospital São João, Porto, Portugal, by ARG studio› Insight Body and Mind, Aberfeldie, Australia, by Biasol Studio› Placidus Student Welfare Spaces for Marcellin College, Melbourne, Australia, by Branch Studio Architects› Chi Chi Club, Hamburg, Germany, by Deglan Studios› Hooke London, UK, by Holland Harvey› Gym Town, Hong Kong, China, by MR Studio› Practice Dr. Sell + Dr. Stocker, Nuremberg, Germany, by Markmus Design› Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, USA, by NBBJ› Ocean Cosmetics Clinic, Cottesloe, Australia, by Nickolas Gurtler Office› Paw, Beijing, China, by Office AIO› Symphony Orthodontics, Bristow, Australia, by OLI Architecture› La Maison de Beauté Carita, L’Oréal-Luxe, Paris, France, by Rev/Studio› Paste, Toronto, Canada, by Studio Author› Flow Space, Shanghai, by Super Rice Architects
      Browse all projects on the health and wellbeing longlist page.
      Søylerommet – The Pillars by 2050+. Photo by 2050+Exhibition design (interior)
      › Søylerommet – The Pillars, Oslo, Norway, by 2050+› Objects Of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924, London, UK, by Alexander Boxill› Plastics: Remaking Our World, Dundee, Scotland, by Asif Khan› Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890-1980 at LACMA, Los Angeles, USA, by Bestor Architecture› Flow, Milan, Italy, by Daisuke Yamamoto Design Studio› The Golden Age of Grotesque, Hannover, Germany, by Didier Fiuza Faustino / Mesarchitecture› Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, London, UK, by JA Projects› Nature. And us?, Lenzburg, Switzerland, by Kossmanndejong & Stapferhaus› BIO27 Super Vernaculars Exhibition Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia, by Medprostor› Batman x Spyscape: Immersive Interactive Experience, New York, USA, by Mona Kim Projects› Shiny Gold, Paris, France, by Nelly Ben Hayoun Studios› Refik Anadol: Unsupervised, New York, USA, by Refik Anadol Studio› Illustration corner, Ljubljana, Slovenia, by Sara&Sara› The Welcome Center, Washington, USA, by Studio Joseph› Flugt Refugee Museum of Denmark, Oksbøl, by Tinker imagineers› Our Time on Earth, London, UK, by Universal Design Studio
      Browse all projects on the exhibition design (interior) longlist page.
      Dezeen Awards 2023
      Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent. More

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      ATRA outfits Olson Kundig-designed house in West Hollywood

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      This townhouse in Los Angeles by US firm Olson Kundig is outfitted by furniture brand ATRA with “the best that Mexico has to offer”.

      The Garden House, which sits between West Hollywood and Beverley Hills, was designed as one of eight single-family homes that form the Rosewood Houses development.
      The interior of the Garden House is divided into two areas by a central void, which contains the staircaseEach of the two-storey residences was designed by Olson Kundig with a unique look and layout while retaining a cohesive language across the set.
      For this particular house, which is decorated for a fictional future client, Mexico City-based design studio and furniture brand ATRA used many of its own products to create an environment that complements the architecture.
      To decorate the house, ATRA used several of its own products including the dining table, along with pieces by Mexico-based artists and designers”We wanted to sublime the minimalist architecture and the simplicity of the volumes by keeping the home versatile – imagining that the owner could be a young family as well as a Hollywood actor or a tech entrepreneur and that the design should not only fit but inspire all the above,” said the ATRA team.

      From the street, the house presents as austere – comprising dark cladding materials and emphasised horizontally by an extended flat roofline and porch cover.
      The volcanic stone desk in the study is also designed by ATRAThe building is entered into a double-height space from the side, effectively splitting the plan into north and south areas.
      A staircase with open risers and glass balustrades rises up through the central void, its transparency allowing views from one side of the house to the other.
      Earth tones are used throughout the ground floor, including in the kitchenThe living room to the north is anchored by a large bronze feature that frames a fireplace, while ATRA’s Egge velvet sofa and pair of armchairs face one another across a low stone coffee table.
      On the other side of the staircase is the dining room, where the brand’s sculptural Pebble dining table sits below a branch-like chandelier by Isabel Moncada, and beside a highly textured artwork by Julio Rizhi.
      Upstairs, bolder colours are used to appear like “happy accidents””We curated the best that Mexico has to offer to enhance this house with unexpected artworks and thoughtful designs,” said Gabriella Kuti, ATRA’s lead designer.
      Earth-toned furniture and textured finishes are used prominently throughout the ground floor, including a volcanic stone desk in the study and warm wood cabinetry in the kitchen.

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      A slightly different colour palette was employed upstairs, where grey sheen walls and burgundy-hued chairs are found in the primary bedroom.
      “Some unusual warm and vibrant colors were introduced like a happy accident,” said ATRA.
      Works by international artists in the home include a wall piece by Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey made from a patchwork of yellow gallon containers, and bold-striped paintings by French artist Edouard Ng.
      A private patio at the back of the house features a plunge poolTucked out of view at the back of the property, a small outdoor patio features a square plunge pool and sculptures by Pablo Arellano.
      The eventual owners of the house will also have access to the amenities of the adjacent residential tower 8899 Beverly, including a pool, a covered dining area and gardens, an indoor fitness centre and a yoga studio.
      The architecture by Olson Kundig comprises dark materials and exaggerated horizontal planesATRA also provided furniture and decor for a show apartment in New York’s One Wall Street designed by FrenchCalifornia, and launched its Nerthus-Sofa modular system in 2020.
      The company was founded by Alexander Díaz Andersson, who is also its creative director and works across furniture, sculpture, interiors and hospitality projects.
      The photography is by Michael Clifford and Nils Timm.

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      Recompose human composting facility “transforms your loved one's body into soil”

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      American startup Recompose has opened a funeral home in Seattle designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig, where human remains are composted and turned into a nutrient-rich soil that can nurture new plant life.

      Set in a converted warehouse in the city’s SoDo district, the facility is one of the first to make use of a burgeoning practice known as natural organic reduction  – or human composting, which was legalised in the state of Washington in 2019.
      This sees the body of the deceased placed on a bed of plant materials inside a stainless steel vessel, purpose-built to accelerate the natural process of decomposition.
      Recompose has opened a human composting facility in Seattle. Above photo by Austin WilsonOver the course of 60 days, their remains are converted into one cubic yard of fertile soil – enough to fill the bed of a pickup truck. Loved ones can then take this compost home and use it to nourish their garden, plant trees in memory of the deceased or donate it to a local conservation area.
      The aim is to offer a less polluting alternative to cremation or burial, which are hugely emissions and resource intensive, and instead create a meaningful funeral practice that allows people to give back to nature.

      “Clients have shared with us that the idea of their person becoming soil is comforting,” Recompose founder Katrina Spade told Dezeen.
      “Growing new life out of that soil is profound and the small ritual of planting, using soil created from a loved one’s body, is so tangible.”
      Remains are left to decompose in cylindrical stainless steel vesselsRecompose’s 19,500-square-foot flagship facility in Seattle accommodates an array of 31 cylindrical composting vessels, stacked inside a hexagonal steel framework.
      This vertical construction helps to conserve space in a bid to overcome the land-use issue associated with traditional burial and make human composting feasible even in dense urban areas.
      “Recompose can be thought of as the urban equivalent to natural burial – returning us to the earth without requiring lots of land,” said Spade, a trained architect who developed the vessels as part of a residency at Olson Kundig’s Seattle studio.
      The building’s lobby brings in elements of nature including plants and woodThe building itself was designed in collaboration with the architecture studio to reimagine the experience of being in a funeral home, making the process more transparent and bringing in elements of nature instead of overt religious iconography.
      In the spirit of regeneration, much of the warehouse’s original shell was preserved. Warm wooden flooring and a planted wall enliven the central lobby, while strips of green glass are inset into the walls to provide glimpses of the intimate ceremony space beyond.
      Here, loved ones can participate in a “laying-in ceremony”, similar to a traditional funeral service.
      Green glazing provides glimpses into the main ceremony room”The Gathering Space has floor-to-ceiling coloured glass windows that let light in, similar to the way light filters between trees in a forest,” said Olson Kundig design principal Alan Maskin.
      “In a way, Recompose is a funeral home turned inside-out. There’s a suggestion of transparency and openness about death – including the ability to see and understand the entire process – that’s very different from a traditional funeral home experience.”
      At the end of the funeral service, the body is moved through a transitional vessel. Photo by Austin WilsonDuring the ceremony, a simple wooden lectern allows the bereaved to share words about their loved ones while the body of the deceased is draped in a cotton shroud and presented on a dark green bed called a cradle.
      Mimicking the ritual of throwing dirt on a casket, guests can place flowers and plant materials on their person, which will help their transformation into soil.
      The funeral home also has dedicated rooms for those who want to perform more hands-on care for their deceased ahead of the ceremony by bathing the body or reciting prayers and songs.

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      At the end of the service, the cradle is moved through a so-called threshold vessel embedded into the wall and into the Greenhouse, where it will join the other vessels in the array.
      “A tremendous amount of care was taken to consider the experience of the body,” Maskin said. “There’s even a bit of poetry inscribed along the inside of the transitional vessel used during ceremonies.”
      “That poem isn’t for the living; it’s only visible inside the vessel.”
      On the other side is the Greenhouse – home to an array of 31 vesselsEach vessel in the array contains a mix of plant materials developed by Recompose that includes wood chips, straw and a cloverlike plant called alfalfa, with ratios adapted based on the person’s body and weight.
      Over the course of 30 days, the natural microbes found in the plants and the body will break down the remains, with any unpleasant odours filtered out and fresh air – and sometimes moisture – pumped into the vessel, which is intermittently rotated to speed up decomposition.
      At the end of this process, any remaining bone fragments are ground down using a cremulator and any medical implants are removed for recycling.
      The remaining soil is placed in a curing bin to dry out for another two to six weeks before it can be collected by friends or family.
      The body is deposited inside one of these vessels along with different plant materialsUnlike cremation, this process does not require huge amounts of energy and fossil fuels, Recompose says, while the carbon contained in the human body is sequestered in the soil rather than released into the atmosphere.
      The process also forgoes the vast amounts of embalming chemicals and emissions-intensive materials like steel and concrete that are needed for burials.
      In total, the process to “transform your loved one’s body into soil” saves around one metric ton of CO2 emissions per person compared to burial or cremation, Recompose claims.
      Friends and family can collect the soil and use it as they wish. Photo by Austin WilsonSince 2019, a number of US states have followed in Washington’s footsteps and legalised natural organic reduction, with New York joining Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and California in the last month.
      This comes as people are increasingly becoming aware of the hidden environmental impact of the deathcare industry and moving towards alternative funeral practices from liquid cremation to burial pods that grow into trees.
      “Members of the baby boomer generation have started experiencing the deaths of their parents and I think many are asking: was that the best we can do,” Spade said.
      The facility is housed inside a converted warehouse in SoDo. Photo by Austin Wilson”But what’s interesting is that it’s not only older folks,” she added.
      “Over 25 per cent of our Precompose [prepayment plan] members are under 49. I think this is because the climate crisis has played a role, too. People are wondering why our funeral practices haven’t been considered when it comes to our carbon footprint.”
      Recompose plans to expand into Colorado in 2023 and California in 2027, while rival company Earth Funeral has set its sights on Oregon.
      The photography is by Mat Hayward unless otherwise stated.

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      Olson Kundig's New York office includes a timber cityscape table

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      Earthy tones and a wooden table in the shape of a cityscape feature in the Olson Kundig’s first New York office, which was designed with sensitivity to the 100-year-old building it occupies.

      Located in Midtown Manhattan, the office is spread across the 10th floor of a mid-rise tower constructed in 1923.
      The office features a central living room with a sculptural tableOlson Kundig – a studio with its primary offices in Seattle – created the interior to be its first New York City hub with a material and colour palette that responded to the building’s 100-year-old history.
      The open-plan office is defined by a central “living room” that features a 144-square-foot (13-square-metre) wooden table on wheels with a statement geometric cityscape.
      The cityscape was informed by the office’s New York locationCreated from raw timber offcuts, the table is divided into quarters for different configurations. It was designed by studio principal Tom Kundig and fabricated by Spearhead.

      “The design was the result of a conversation Alan [Maskin] and I had about our teacher, [the late architect] Astra Zarina, and our fond memories of gathering around the table at her home in the centre of Rome,” Kundig told Dezeen.
      “She always had a big pile of candles in the centre of the table, similar to the abstract masses at the centre of our table.”
      “We want to foster the same spirit of conversation and sharing between colleagues and collaborators in this new office space, so it was a natural place to draw inspiration.”
      An unenclosed kitchen is also located adjacent to the stationsA series of wooden workstations are arranged across the open-plan office, while conference rooms feature around its perimeter. An open kitchen is also located adjacent to the stations.
      Platforms are positioned above the workstations offering a display area for sculptures and models. According to the studio, this continues its tradition of integrating art into everyday life.

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      The office interior was designed to reflect its Manhattan location, rather than mirror the firm’s flagship office in Seattle, according to Kundig.
      “The existing shell of the office was largely concrete and glass. We added wood and warmer tones to soften the space, with natural materials to add texture and interest,” explained Alan Maskin, partner at the studio.
      Artwork is displayed around the officeA mixture of vintage and contemporary furniture was sourced locally from locations in Brooklyn and Tribeca.
      Like the Seattle office, the New York space will also host various art events, tying the otherwise-unique locations together.
      Wooden elements define the spaceOlson Kundig was founded in 2000. The firm has completed multiple international architecture projects including a beach house with louvred shutters in Sydney and a timber floating home in Seattle.
      Another practice that designed its own studio is Urselmann Interior, which created its office using only biodegradable and recycled materials.
      The photography is by Angela Hau.

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