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    Sam Jacob gives “soft brutalist” University of Kent building a modern makeover

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    Architecture studio Sam Jacob Studio has refurbished a 1960s building at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, using playful architectural references and bright colours to add layers of “wit and delight” to the existing interiors.

    The project provides teaching spaces for the university’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning, which is part of a campus designed by William Holford that opened in 1965.
    Sam Jacob Studio has refurbished the interiors of a 1960s University of Kent buildingSam Jacob Studio (SJS) looked to retain what it described as the “soft brutalist” character of the brick and concrete Marlowe Building when reorganising the existing interior.
    The Marlowe building originally housed the university’s physics department, which featured a series of cellular offices on the ground floor and a top-lit lab space above.
    The studio wanted to retain the building’s “soft brutalist” feelingFollowing a detailed consultation with faculty and students, Jacob and his team defined a strategy that balances areas dedicated to specific year groups and subjects with the ability to transform and open up the spaces.

    The team at SJS said it was interested in “what happens between the logic of architecture and the happenstance of creative working”.
    They based their design on a variety of famous creative spaces including the Bauhaus school and Paul Rudolph’s brutalist Yale Art and Architecture Building, as well as The Factory created by artist Andy Warhol in New York City.
    Large sliding doors were used to separate spacesThe architects gutted the existing interior to expose the concrete ceiling alongside the building’s structure and services, which were retained as the backdrop for a series of minimal interventions targeted at fulfilling the space’s new role.
    “This is a project that reveals the intrinsic qualities of the 1960s building, while also contrasting a more fluid contemporary character,” the studio said.
    “It is an architecture that invites inhabitation rather than imposing order, that recognises character, wit and delight as part of an essential role of architecture.”
    Polycarbonate portholes allow light to pass through the spacesSJS worked as much as possible with the existing spatial layout, adding just one wall to the ground floor and two on the first floor so that the interiors can evolve to meet different future requirements.
    Rather than functioning merely as static partitions, the walls are activated by incorporating moving components that can be used to adapt the layout of the studios.
    Large sliding doors with polycarbonate portholes allow some of the spaces to be separated, while pivoting wall sections can be opened or closed depending on the desired layout.

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    The partition walls incorporate full-height pinboards for displaying work. These surfaces were given a more dynamic appearance by cutting the boards diagonally from corner to corner.
    The standard-height pinboards are topped with a shelf, onto which adjustable lights are clamped to allow illumination of the students’ work. Mirrored panels above the shelf create the illusion of a continual space.
    Pinboards feature clamped adjustable lights to illuminate student’s workThe studio can be customised further to suit different working modes by rearranging freestanding elements including drawing boards, easels, screens and moveable storage units built using standard warehouse shelves.
    Existing furniture was reused wherever possible, while doors salvaged during the strip-out were converted into desks, with yellow laminate pieces added to fill in holes where the locks and vision panels were once located.
    Pivoting wall sections can be opened or closed depending on the desired layoutThe interior incorporates several explicit architectural references, according to SJS, including a colour palette based on Le Corbusier’s 1959 paint system.
    “A series of columns used to define thresholds act as 1:1 models of, variously, Canterbury Cathedral, Brancusi and James Stirling, like a library of other architectures inhabiting the school,” the team explained.
    To prevent sunlight from overheating the studios, a series of coloured window blinds was added along with moveable perforated pinboard panels that help to control privacy. This creates a changing topography that animates the building’s exterior.
    Moveable perforated pinboard panels provide privacy and shadingSam Jacob established his eponymous studio in 2014, having previously worked as part of the radical architecture collective FAT for over 20 years.
    Previous projects by SJS include a new entrance at London’s V&A museum made from hundreds of glass tubes and a brightly coloured studio and office for designer Yinka Ilori.
    The photography is by Timothy Soar.

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      DAB Studio adds contemporary touches to Dutch home from Amsterdam School period

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      An Ettore Sottsass gridded feature wall and a sculptural green ladder characterise this 1920s Dutch house, which interiors firm DAB Studio designed to reference the Amsterdam School.

      Called Collectors Home, the dwelling is defined by the intricate brickwork and stained glass windows typical of the Amsterdam School – a movement from 1910 to 1920 that paid equal attention to the architecture and interior design of a building.
      DAB Studio has renovated a Dutch home from the Amsterdam School periodLocal firm DAB Studio renovated the Amsterdam house’s interiors to reflect its roots while adding contemporary touches.
      “The building dates from around 1929 and was designed by Eduard Cuypers,” studio co-founder Lotte Bruns told Dezeen.
      Called Collectors Home, the dwelling also includes contemporary touches”His studio was considered the origin of the Amsterdam School because the ringleaders of this style, Michel de Klerk, Joan van der Mey and Piet Kramer, were all formed in his office,” she added.

      The team enlarged and rearranged the living room’s neutral-hued fireplace, which has smooth, subtle corners – “a recognisable reference to the Amsterdam School,” according to Bruns. 
      Dedesigned to be deliberately off-centre, the fireplace mouth was decorated with modernist black marble discs that echo the room’s rounded sconce lights, positioned on a marbled mahogany feature wall.
      A gridded feature wall characterises the living spaceAlthough the wall design was originally created by Memphis Group founder Sottsass for Alpi in the 1980s, the gridded arrangement of the wood recalls the “ladder windows” common to Amsterdam School architecture, explained Bruns.
      A recognisable Wassily Chair by Bauhaus designer Marcel Breuer sits opposite a sculptural, low-slung coffee table and a deep red Gubi chaise lounge, first created in 1951.
      DAB Studio sourced a range of furniture for the project”The clients’ love of both modernism and postmodernism was the starting point for our research,” said Bruns.
      DAB Studio made use of the home’s bay window by inserting a lumpy, vintage fruit-picking ladder into the space – a formerly utilitarian object from 1890, painted green and transformed into art for the project.
      A fruit-picking ladder functions as an art piece”The semi-circular window was a big challenge because it was too small to be functional and too big to leave empty,” considered Bruns.
      “The ladder’s colour complements the stained glass and the green background of the grass and trees in the garden,” she added.

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      Art features throughout the home, including in the timber-clad kitchen, where a red copper table lamp with a shaggy, gold-hued fringe illuminates the sleek worktop.
      Connected to the open-plan living room, the dining space was finished with a long, dark wood table, mustard-coloured silk curtains and bespoke glass ceiling panels.
      The timber-clad kitchen houses a contemporary red copper lamp”The interior has a free, creative spirit in which each element can stand on its own and be seen as art,” concluded Bruns.
      Founded in 2016 by Lotte and her partner Dennis Antonio Bruns, DAB Studio previously transformed the kitchen floors and ceilings of a family home in Zwaag, the Netherlands, with two types of wood.
      Also based in Amsterdam, Studio Modijefsky created a contemporary family home inside a local dijkhuis – a traditional Dutch dwelling set next to a dyke.
      The photography is by Alice Mesguich.

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      Marmol Radziner creates club space in modernist Park Avenue skyscraper

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      The third floor of the iconic Lever House skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan has been renovated by architecture firm Marmol Radziner to complement the building’s original modernist design.

      Marmol Radziner completed the interiors for the Lever Club within the office tower at 390 Park Avenue, which was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the International style and completed in 1952.
      The entrance to Lever Club is lined with green marble flooring and soapstone wall panelsSOM finished restoring the building last year, after it was purchased by developers Brookfield Properties and WatermanClark in 2020, and Marmol Radziner worked on updating its communal spaces that had fallen into disrepair.
      “Lever House is a globally renowned architectural marvel, symbolising the era’s shift to modern skyscrapers,” said Marmol Radziner.
      The green hues used through the interior nod to the colour of the building’s curtain wall facade”Recognised with the prestigious Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the building remains an icon of architectural excellence,” the studio added.

      Originally a cafeteria and repurposed several times over the years, the third floor now serves as a lounge, bar and dining space that continues onto a terrace projecting from the tower’s elevated base.
      The club’s layout revolves around “a series of paneled volumes”Design cues were taken from SOM partner Gordon Bunshaft’s own residence, and other modernist masters, to create an interior that feels in keeping with the building’s history and architecture.
      “From the beginning, we felt that the design of Lever Club should feel like a sympathetic insertion within the iconic curtain wall of the building,” said Marmol Radziner partner Ron Radziner.
      The bar is bookended by rosewood volumes and backed by a screen from John Lewis GlassThe club is entered via a lobby area where floors and walls are covered in panels of green marble and soapstone, contrasted by a simple cuboid reception desk made from wood.
      Inside, the layout revolves around “a series of paneled volumes set within the glass perimeter, taking advantage of the views and access to the most superbly sited outdoor terrace in the city”, according to Radziner
      The dining area overlooks an expansive terrace on top of the building’s elevated baseThe marble flooring, which echoes the green hues of the building’s pioneering facade, extends into the lounge area where tone-matched carpet demarcates soft seating areas.
      Many of the armchairs and sofas are upholstered in a complementary green hue, while chocolate-coloured leather is used to cover other seating options such as bar stool and banquettes.
      The curved banquettes are wrapped in chocolate-brown leather”The furnishings, largely bespoke, respond to and soften the hard edges of the architecture with plush texture and rich tones most often seen in a residential setting,” Radziner said.
      Rosewood tables match the large vertical elements that bookend the bar, which is backed by a John Lewis Glass patterned screen.

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      Aluminium also appears as table bases and chair frames that echo the slender window mullions.
      “It was important to us that the design respond intelligently and reverently to the building while also creating a real sense of comfort, warmth, and luxury,” Radziner said.
      Aluminium chair frames echo the slender window mullionsThis isn’t the first time that Marmol Radziner has created interiors for a SOM-designed skyscraper – the firm was also behind the penthouse at Fifteen Fifty in San Francisco, which was temporarily turned into a collectible design gallery in 2021.
      Earlier this year, Marmol Radziner completed California’s tallest residential skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles.
      Lever Club can be used by the building’s tenants during the day and at nightLever House is one of several Manhattan office towers from the mid to late 20th century to have been retrofitted in recent years, aiming to attract new tenants.
      Among them are the postmodern AT&T Building by Philip Johnson, which was rebranded as 550 Madison after it was overhauled by Snøhetta and its lobby was transformed by Gensler.
      The photography is by Scott Frances.

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      Sophie Goineau adds “wave-like” timber ceiling to Malibu beach house

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      Interior designer Sophie Goineau has renovated a family beach home in Malibu, California, adding a wave-like ceiling and maximising the panoramic ocean views from the living spaces.

      Goineau initially set about helping a young family that she met in Mexico incorporate stylish spaces for their kids into the house, but the project quickly turned into a full overhaul.
      Sophie Goineau took advantage of the Malibu home’s vaulted ceilings to create a wave-like wooden feature overheadBuilt in 1965 and remodelled at the turn of the millennium, the house’s exterior had to remain untouched in accordance with strict Malibu zoning laws.
      Inside, however, multiple walls were opened up to allow light from the expansive windows and skylights to flood all of the spaces.
      The main living space was opened up and can now fully utilise the sliding doors onto the terrace”Some rooms were divided by walls, there was no light coming through,” said Goineau. “We had to use all existing openings — sliding doors and skylights in vaulted ceilings — but there was no rhythm. What could we do here to create a harmonious vibe?”

      With the main entry points reconfigured and many of the internal partitions removed, the offset T-shaped building now benefits from more light and improved flow.
      The lounge area features black seating by ATRA and a media unit that echoes the slatted ceilingThrough the main volume of the dwelling, Goineau installed a dramatic curved ceiling composed of thermally modified ash wood in four layers.
      The effect is designed to mimic a “breaking wave” and not only directs the eye to the ocean view but also partially obscures the skylights from the bright overhead sun.
      A skylight over the entryway is partially shaded by the ceiling slats”The light here, while beautiful, is very strong, but we didn’t want to ruin the existing skylights with shades,” said the designer.
      This ceiling feature is most prominently expressed in the spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, which has large windows on two sides and glass doors that opens onto a terrace.
      A large, teak front door continues the same visual language as the ceilingNeutrally decorated with white oak floors, clay plaster and micro-cement wall finishes, the social space is dotted with several black accents.
      These include the large Beluga sofa and armchairs from ATRA, the Gio Ponti dining table and chairs, and metal shelving suspended from the ceiling over the kitchen island.

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      “It is all a visual reference of naturalist materials,” Goineau said. “The dark materials chosen highlight the contrast between dark and light in nature, and all the pieces marry so well with everything else in the house.”
      A media unit that disguises the TV echoes the wooden strips of the ceiling and the kitchen cabinetry at the other end of the room.
      The primary bedroom at the end of the main volume opens onto the terraceAt the opposite end of the building’s T is the primary bedroom, which also opens to the terrace furnished with various soft seating options.
      Rather than a full dividing wall, a tall partition acts as a headboard extension and separates the sleeping area from a large dressing room.
      A tall partition separates the primary bedroom from the dressing roomThe entrance hall sits at an angle to the home’s main volume and continues the striped effect again across the teak front door positioned below another slatted skylight.
      Contemporary sculptures by Sébastien Léon and paintings by Damien Chabauty are displayed in this space and along the corridor that connects the remaining rooms.
      The terrace features multiple soft seating areas for the family to enjoyMalibu’s beachfront is lined with impressive properties, including Kelly Wearstler’s home adorned with “rustic and raw” decor and a building by Tadao Ando that musician Ye recently stripped back to its structure.
      Goineau is based in nearby Los Angeles and has previously refurbished a mid-century house in Beverly Hills in collaboration with Enclosures Architects.
      The photography is by Virtually Here Studios.

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      Neuhäusl Hunal coverts interwar cinema into “morning to night” dining venue

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      A neutral colour palette unites the restaurant, bar and shop within a former interwar cinema and 19th century stables in Prague, which has been converted by local studio Neuhäusl Hunal.

      Named Alma, after the cinema that used to occupy the site, the 800-square-metre space was renovated by Neuhäusl Hunal.
      Understated lighting accentuates the original features of the cafe spaceThe ground floor was converted into a restaurant alongside a cafe, wine bar, wine shop and garden area, while the basement level contains a bar – which doubles as a nightclub – a function hall, a fermentation room and a room dedicated to wine tasting.
      A colour palette dominated by sober, earthy tones was used to instil a laid-back yet refined atmosphere, which is the hallmark of all of operator Kro’s locations. As well as uniting various functions and purposes, the design scheme ties various architectural styles together, as the site contains a myriad of structures from a range of time periods.
      A wine shop is found on the ground floor”The Alma project is housed in three buildings – the many-times-rebuilt classicistic house and the former stables in the courtyard date back to the 19th century,” Neuhäusl Hunal told Dezeen.

      “The Alma cinema – which houses the restaurant today – was completed in 1924.”
      “There was no significant interior work to react to – except, of course, for the original historic structures and vaults, which we wanted to let shine,” the studio continued.
      The restaurant has both wooden and metallic furnishingsRepeated elements found throughout the interiors include unobtrusive lighting fixtures, which serve to provide task and ambient lighting as well as to highlight the space’s original features, and tiled walls, which gradually darken from a light beige in the cafe to a dark tone in the subterranean bar.
      In contrast with the overall muted interiors, graphic designer Jan Horčík created a bold wayfinding system characterised by chunky uppercase lettering displayed on illuminated light boxes.

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      “The sober interior is complemented by funky lightboxes, which illuminate it with their novel colours, formulations and graphic design,” said the studio.
      “Alma works from morning to night: the day starts in the cafe, lunch and dinner can be sorted out in the restaurant, and then move on to the wine bar for a drink – this naturally corresponds to their designed character, colour, and atmosphere,” it continued.
      “Logically, we treat brand-new constructions and historic ones differently – an interesting problem arises in the transitions between these spaces.”
      The bar has an intimate atmosphere thanks to its vaulted ceilingNeuhäusl Hunal has completed a number of projects in the Prague, including an apartment for a sculptor that doubles as a workshop.
      Other recent adaptive reuse projects published on Dezeen include a guesthouse in Transylvania that used to be a church and a city hall inside a former maritime structure in the Netherlands.
      The photography is by Radek Úlehla.
      Project credits:
      Client: Alma PragueBuilding contractor: AversProject documentation: LZ atelierGraphic design: Jan HorčíkArt blacksmith: Peter Demek (DEMO Works)Lighting supplier: BulbCeramic tiling supplier: KeraservisGastro: Kitchen PlanPlants: Pokojovky

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      Archmongers celebrates “raw beauty of brutalist concrete” in Trellick Tower apartment refresh

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      Newly exposed concrete walls are paired with a matching terrazzo in this sensitive home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.

      Led by architects Margaret Bursa and Johan Hybschmann, Archmongers reworked a duplex apartment on the 23rd and 24th floors of the listed 31-storey tower block.
      Archmongers has renovated a Trellick Tower apartmentThe design stays true to the original layout and materials palette but some small adjustments help to emphasise the building’s brutalist character.
      Bursa and Hybschmann chose to expose the coarse concrete aggregate walls, while new fixtures and surfaces are made from industrial-style materials in complementary tones.
      Materials were chosen complement the newly exposed concreteThe effect is most striking in the kitchen, where the speckled brown and cream terrazzo sits alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.

      Archmongers designed the home for a client who divides their time between London, Italy and Switzerland.
      “Our client was looking for a refurbishment which was true to the simplicity and modesty of the original fit-out,” Bursa told Dezeen.
      Matt-black linoleum provides flooringThe aim, she said, was to embrace “the raw beauty of brutalist concrete” and emphasise “the use of honest materials in every intricate detail”.
      “The contemporary update is drawn from the original architecture,” she said.

      Trellick Tower apartment revamped to resemble “cool concrete loft”

      “We exposed the in-situ cast concrete walls in the living spaces and on the stairs, adding material richness to the interiors and linking to the course aggregate concrete of the exterior facade.”
      Completed in 1972, Trellick Tower was designed by Hungarian-British architect Ernö Goldfinger and famously features a separate staircase tower connected to the apartment floors by enclosed bridges.
      A secondary doorway was replaced with an internal window to create extra storageArchmongers made few changes to the apartment layout, which they described as “very efficiently designed”.
      The largest intervention closed up a secondary doorway that previously led through to the kitchen, instead creating an internal window above additional storage and counter space.
      The same material palette features in the living roomAn adjustment was also made on the upper level, where some of the space from the cloakroom was reallocated to make room for an extra shower.
      In bathrooms on both floors, tap and shower fittings sourced from Italian manufacturer Fantini Balocchi provide flashes of bright red and yellow that reference the coloured tiles found throughout Trellick Tower.
      Bathrooms feature white tiles with putty-coloured grout and brown terrazzo”The communal hallways of Trellick Tower each have a different tiled colour theme, which inspired our use of colour,” Bursa explained.
      Warm tones emanate from other surfaces in these rooms, including a terrazzo with the tone of walnut wood and white tiles outlined by putty-coloured grout.
      Tap and shower fittings provide flashes of bright red and yellowThe Trellick apartment is the latest in a series of mid-century renovations that Archmongers has completed and not the first to feature in a famous estate.
      Past projects include reworks of a duplex in the 1950s-built Golden Lane Estate and an apartment in the Barbican, as well as a revamp of a 1960s terrace.
      A new hand-carved walnut handrail was added to the staircaseHere, the building’s Grade II* listing meant that Archmongers was required to retain the original metal lightswitches, even though they couldn’t be certified after the electrics were rewired.
      “There are now two sets of light switches; one new and one original but no longer working,” Bursa said.
      Other sensitive additions include a new hand-carved walnut handrail for the staircase, which runs parallel to the modernist-style metal and timber balustrade.
      The duplex is located on the 23rd and 24th floors of Trellick Tower”Preserving the architectural integrity of the building was paramount,” Bursa added.
      “The Trellick Tower project serves as both an homage to the building’s historical significance and a timeless update that elevates its legacy to new heights.”
      The photography is by French + Tye.

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      Working Holiday Studio adds hacienda-style twist to midcentury LA house

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      The founders of LA-based Working Holiday Studio have renovated a midcentury home for themselves and their growing family, transforming the interiors to echo a Mexican hacienda.

      Designers Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown chose to move from their previous ranch-style home to a larger dwelling after having a second child, knowing they would need more space.
      Working Holiday Studio added arched openings and handmade brick floors to the midcentury homeThe couple found another midcentury home built in 1962 in the Granada Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, which they set about remodelling in “an eclectic hacienda style with Mexican and Scandinavian influences”.
      “We renovated the house because it hasn’t been updated since the first owners bought it and was in much need of a refresh,” the duo told Dezeen. “The layout didn’t make sense for modern living and the house felt dark, cold and outdated.”
      Details like iron railings with wavy balusters add a “hacienda vibe” to the interiorsThe biggest change involved opening up the wall between the dining room and kitchen, creating a large space for the family to gather and entertain under the dark-stained, mono-pitched ceiling.

      The kitchen was reimagined with swing-out French doors, dark green plaster across the walls, and warm millwork for cabinets and the central island.
      The kitchen was completely transformed with dark green plaster walls and warm millworkBricks across the floor in this space and the hallways were handmade in Tijuana, Mexico, and imported across the border.
      Together with arched openings that Working Holiday Studio added throughout the home, they add a “hacienda vibe” to the property.
      A formal living room features a variety of sculptural seats arranged around a marble coffee tableBeige plaster walls, iron railings with wavy balusters and various wooden furniture pieces also lend to the contemporary Mexican aesthetic, with hints of Scandinavian minimalism.
      “We always start with a palette of colours and materials,” said Naude and Brown. “We wanted [the interiors] to feel neutral, earthy, and warm with a few pop accents.”

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      Also on the ground floor is a space for the family to watch TV together, which features a large cushioned sectional.
      A formal living room off the dining area has a whitewashed brick fireplace in the corner, and a variety of sculptural chairs arranged around a marble coffee table.
      Bedrooms are decorated with natural materials in neutral tones”We spend a lot of time in the family and TV room because it’s very cosy and comfortable, but love looking into the formal living room because each piece feels like an artwork or sculpture,” the couple said.
      Upstairs, the bedrooms are decorated with natural materials in neutral tones, while the bathrooms are playfully lined with checkerboard or thin straight-stack tiles.
      Playful touches in the bathrooms include checkerboard tilingAcross the exterior, the house was rendered in mid-grey stucco and black-framed windows and doors were added.
      A large covered veranda stretches almost the full length of the building and is used for outdoor lounging and dining in front of the backyard swimming pool.
      The house has a large veranda for outdoor lounging and dining in front of the backyard swimming poolOther properties designed and owned by the couple – the ZenDen in LA’s Woodland Hills and Casa Mami near Joshua Tree National Park – are available as vacation rentals for guests.
      The photography is by Carlos Naude.

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      Modul 28 transforms fortified church in Transylvania into guesthouse

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      Romanian studio Modul 28 has updated and extended the rectory of a church in Transylvania, transforming it into a guesthouse that “balances preservation with innovation”.

      Located in the village of Curciu, the building was renovated as part of an initiative led by the Fortified Churches Foundation, which exists to preserve the region’s large number of fortified churches dating from the 13th to 16th centuries.
      The converted chapel and rectory contains a guesthouseRather than turn these sites into museums, the programme looks to introduce “contemporary functions” that will reintegrate them with the surrounding communities, Modul 28 said.
      At this site in Curciu, the studio has converted the adjacent rectory and chapel into a guesthouse, while the large church at the centre of the site remains open to the public.
      The main living area is housed within the old chapel’s apse”The initiative is based on the belief that turning heritage buildings into museums does not serve their long-term wellbeing, especially in the case of secondary importance constructions such as annexes,” said architect Andra Nicoleanu.

      “The design process for this project could be characterised by a meticulous approach that balances preservation with innovation, drawing inspiration from the historical and architectural context of the site,” she told Dezeen.
      Doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale woodA series of minimal and reversible alterations were made to the existing rectory, creating space for a double bedroom alongside a kitchen and dining area.
      Projecting out of the site’s boundary wall, the polygonal apse of the former chapel now houses the main living area. Three gothic windows surrounding this space, which had been partially destroyed, have been restored with thin-profile metal frames.

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      The old rectory has been replastered and its doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale wood, contrasting the rough masonry exterior of the chapel and the gatehouse.
      “Our proposal, especially for exterior interventions, emphasises reversibility and the temporary nature by utilising lightweight materials, namely wood and metal inserts,” explains Nicoleanu.
      “Essentially, this approach serves as an exercise in contemporary materiality, contributing to the contrast between what already exists and what is currently being constructed,” she added.
      A temporary timber structure sits beside the guesthouseA temporary, pavilion-like timber structure tucked between the guesthouse and the site’s external wall provides bathrooms, with a shower lined with yellow corrugated metal.
      “The most significant gesture in the design was perhaps the decision to add a temporary construction to the exterior, that arises from the desire not to alter the volume of the interior spaces,” said Nicoleanu. “Although it fits contextually, in terms of plan resolution and resulting image, it stands out through contrast.”
      A shower is lined with yellow corrugated metalAnother recent project involving renovations of historic church buildings include the repair of a 12th-century structure in Slovenia by local practice Medprostor, designed as a space “between a ruin and a reconstruction”.
      In London, Tigg + Coll Architects converted an abandoned mission church into its own workspace and, on the Isle of Sheppey, Hugh Broughton Architects transformed a 19th-century church into a community hub.
      The photography is by Vlad Pătru.

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      Electric Bowery renovates Big Sur house overlooking California’s coastline

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      The co-founder of California studio Electric Bowery has renovated a redwood-clad house in Big Sur for her family, preserving its iconic features and adding custom furniture.

      The house, originally designed by well-known local architect Mickey Muennig, is perched high up on a bluff overlooking the dramatic coastline – famous for the scenic Route 1 that runs along it.
      The house was built in 1993 by renowned local architect Mickey MuennigCommissioned in 1993, the building features a curved copper roof and redwood exterior cladding that Electric Bowery co-founder Cayley Lambur and director of interiors Stephanie Luk used as the foundation for the remodel.
      After speaking to her neighbour, the original owner, Lambur delved into Muennig’s legacy and the property’s history for clues to approach the project.
      Electric Bowery co-founder Cayley Lambur’s updates to the property included reconfiguring the compact kitchen”Inspired by this connection, Lambur began to breathe new life into the residence while honouring its organic architectural roots,” said the studio.

      The house benefits from large windows and expanses of glazing that capitalise on the views across the landscape to the ocean.
      Custom furniture in the living room includes a curved sofa designed to “hug views into the canyon”Keeping these vistas top of mind, the renovation involved reconfiguring the internal spaces, and respectfully upgrading some of the outdated decor and fixtures.
      An entirely new custom kitchen was added within the tight existing space, designed to maximise counter space and celebrate the views of the garden and ocean.
      Vintage leather chairs surround an impressive stone hearthThe redwood millwork was created in collaboration with American furniture company Henrybuilt to blend with the rest of the interiors, while raw steel, warm-stained concrete floors and leathered natural quartzite complete the contemporary look.
      Where the roof slopes to its lowest point, the living room is furnished with custom pieces such as a curved channel-tufted sofa that “hugs views into the canyon” and an oversized claro walnut coffee table by Dusk.
      Redwood panelling continues in the bedrooms, with are decorated with a warm and earthy paletteBehind, an impressive stone hearth is accompanied by vintage black-leather armchairs and a variety of textured rugs and pillows.
      The redwood panelling continues in the bedrooms and bathrooms, where it’s complemented by custom beds dressed in deep red and green textiles.

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      “The consistent use of redwood paneling throughout the home offers the experience of bringing the outside inwards, contrasted and complemented by the incorporation of colour through art, tile and textiles,” said Electric Bowery.
      “A warm and earthy palette is carried through the home, layering textures and natural materials, old and new.”
      One of the bathrooms is tiled entirely in thin, straight-stacked, teal-glazed tilesOne of the bathrooms is tiled entirely in thin, straight-stacked teal glazed tiles, while another features a shower lined with square tiles in tones of blue.
      Also as part of the scope, a trailer on the property was restored and renovated for use as additional guest accommodation and an office for remote work.
      The house overlooks the dramatic Northern California coastline from its lofty perchLambur founded Electric Bowery with fellow architect Lucia Bartholomew in 2013, and the studio is based between Venice, Big Sur and Santa Barbara in California, and New York City.
      Other projects by the studio include the Wildflower Farms resort in Upstate New York, where a series of wood or Corten steel-clad cabins are nestled among meadows and woodland, and a house in Venice Beach that features an askew pitched roof.
      The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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