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    HawkinsBrown renovates Reading offices to create a “connection to nature”

    A stack of meeting rooms and a moss-covered wall overlook the atriums of Here + Now, a pair of office buildings in England refurbished by architecture studio HawkinsBrown.

    Informed by changing attitudes to workplace design following the Covid-19 pandemic, the two buildings have been renovated with a focus on wellbeing and a connection to nature.
    They are located within a wider business park in Reading, formerly used by Microsoft.
    HawkinsBrown has renovated a pair of offices in Reading called Here + NowConnected by a bridge at their centre, the two buildings contain different facilities. One of them, named Here, offers space for more established companies, while the other, named Now, contains offices for smaller companies and start-ups.
    “Here + Now is located on a business park, not in a city centre, which provides users with a much closer connection to nature and therefore better opportunity for activity and wellbeing,” HawkinsBrown partner Massimo Tepedino told Dezeen.

    “The idea is that companies can scale up or down and thereby stay on the campus for longer – this ultimately helps to create a sense of community,” he added.
    A moss-covered wall overlooks an atrium in the Now buildingWhile the two buildings share a similar material and colour palette, the finishes of each were slightly different based on its tenants.
    The approach to the Now building focuses on more cost-effective, flexible spaces, while the Here building is finished to a higher specification.
    Wood has been used to form seating areas and quiet nooksEach of the two buildings features a large arrival atrium designed to evoke a sense of “wonder”.
    In the Here building, this space has a stack of meeting pods described by HawkinsBrown as a “treehouse”, while dehydrated moss-covered balconies animate the atrium in Now.

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    Shared by both buildings are a range of on-site amenities, including a gym and treatment rooms, as well as a “lifestyle manager” who organises events and workshops.
    “The benefit of having two buildings share amenities is that office spaces can accommodate a wide range of budgets, while everyone benefits from best-in-class amenities and the opportunity to socialise with established professionals and young entrepreneurs,” explained Tepedino.
    The two buildings are connected by a bridgeThe glass and metal structures of the existing buildings have been treated internally with wooden panelling, which complements new wooden seating areas and nooks.
    Particular attention was paid to the colour scheme, with a muted palette intended to evoke the nearby natural landscape and create a relaxing atmosphere.
    The project is located on a business park”We know that colours can facilitate, regulate, and even influence people’s behaviour – our colour palette takes its cues from the natural landscape and compliments the neutral tones of the existing buildings,” explained HawkinsBrown.
    “The bathrooms take inspiration from spas and hotels, with green shades and bold graphics create a strong visual connection to nature and a calming environment.”
    Here + Now has been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023.
    Other projects recently completed by HawkinsBrown include a student hub at Queen’s University Belfast with RPP Architects and the transformation of the historic Central Foundation Boys’ School in London.
    The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

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    Patricia Urquiola converts historic palazzo into Six Senses Rome hotel

    Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola has converted a palazzo in Rome into a hotel and spa, filled with circular elements and traditional Italian materials.

    The Six Senses Rome is located within the Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, close to historic sites like the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain in the city centre.
    The lobby of the Six Senses Rome is an open social space with multiple seating areasAdjacent to the Church of San Marcello al Corso, the building was first constructed in the 15th century before being updated in the 18th-century baroque style by architect Tomaso De Marchis.
    An impressive central staircase and the building’s main UNESCO-listed facade, which overlooks the bustling Via del Corso, are among the period details that were restored during the renovation works led by Studio Urquiola.
    The Bivium restaurant connected to the lobby offers all-day diningThe entrance to the Six Senses Rome from Piazza di San Marcello leads into an open lobby and social area, furnished with a variety of sofas and lounge chairs from Urquiola’s oeuvre alongside classic Italian designs.

    These are positioned in groupings with tables and decorative objects on circular rugs, between potted plants spread across the travertine floors.
    Circular elements appear throughout the hotel, including rugs and tables in the lobby”At every turn, the craftsmanship, the finishes, the materials and the graphics create a union with nature while staying true to both Roman classicism and Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini’s rich history,” said Urquiola.
    A curved green marble bar is positioned near the windows, forming an incomplete circle with the matching counters in the courtyard, which are visible through the glazing and follow the shape of earth-toned steelwork overhead.
    In the courtyard, a green marble bar counter continues from insideThe courtyard also features benches built into planters along the back wall and additional seating, where diners can enjoy food and drinks from the trattoria-style Bivium restaurant.
    Circular forms and motifs continue throughout the hotel, including in the Six Senses Spa and Roman baths on the first floor.
    The spa waiting area features seating within sheer curtain enclosuresHere, sheer curtains encircle small seating areas for those waiting for treatments or preparing to enter the travertine-lined bathhouse, which offers multiple pools for soaking and relaxing.
    Bedrooms across the central levels have “quirky” layouts and a soft neutral decor, including tambour panelling, patterned rugs and a variety of spherical light fixtures.
    Travertine lines the walls and ceiling inside the spa and Roman bathsSeveral of Six Senses Rome’s 96 guest rooms and suites have balconies, and all enjoy either a courtyard or city view.
    Plasterwork in the rooms is made from an ancient Roman material known as cocciopesto, which comprises fragments of earthenware or brick mixed with lime and sand.

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    “The legacy of antiquity is also honoured with the choice of cocciopesto, which decorates the plaster of the rooms and gives a nod to Roman architect Vitruvius,” said the studio.
    The hotel also features a roof terrace and bar called Notos that offers views across the city and serves botanical cocktails and light bites.
    The bedrooms at the Six Senses Rome have a soft neutral decorArtworks such as watercolours, sculptures, textile works and canvases throughout the interior are curated by art advisor Federica Sala and are all unique to the hotel.
    Six Senses Rome is shortlisted in the hotel and short stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023, while Studio Urquiola is shortlisted for interior designer of the year.
    Plasterwork in the bedrooms and suites is made from cocciopestoOriginally from Spain, Urquiola is one of Europe’s most sought-after designers and has released furniture and product collections with brands like Moroso, Cassina, Kettal and Boffi among many more.
    Other hotels designed by her studio include the Haworth Hotel in Michigan, the Hotel Il Sereno on the shores of Lake Como and the Room Mate Giulia in Milan.
    The photography is by Luca Rotondo.
    Project credits:
    General contractor: CDS HoldingArchitecture: Starching and professor Paolo MicalizziInterior design: Patricia Urquiola

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    Restored historic paintings cover walls of converted Frescohallen restaurant

    Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has converted a listed room in Norway into a restaurant, adding an angular mirrored bar and restoring the building’s historical frescoes.

    Designed to highlight the history of the building, Frescohallen restaurant was added to the former Norwegian Stock Exchange in Bergen, replacing a rundown food hall that previously occupied the space.
    Claesson Koivisto Rune has created the Frescohallen restaurantBuilt in 1862, the space features walls coated in large historic paintings that had become dirty and damaged.
    “The space hosted a dreadful and rundown kind of food court,” Claesson Koivisto Rune co-founder Eero Koivisto told Dezeen. “The frescoes were quite dirty and not looked after since decades.”
    It occupies a listed room in NorwayThe studio aimed to complete a sensitive renovation of the space, keeping the existing artworks at the centre of the room and restoring them to their original quality.

    “The ten giant frescoes describe the daily life and businesses of Norway at the time, and were completed in 1923 by the Norwegian artist Axel Revold,” said Koivisto. “The artworks are now restored and lit with state-of-the-art lighting.”
    The studio added a mirrored barAs well as showcasing the original artworks, the studio preserved the existing features of the room, including a rhythmic arrangement of olive green columns that extend through the space and branch into a groin-vaulted ceiling, which is decorated with red, green, and gold paintwork.
    The renovation involved a range of minimal changes, including the removal of modern elements that had been added to the facades and the addition of new signs and flooring.
    The building’s historical frescoes were restored”New interventions were required to touch lightly and be reversible,” the studio explained. “Apart from removing some later additions to the facades, the most significant addition was new lighting and signage.”
    Inside, the addition of a bar area marks the largest change to the space. Located at the centre of the room, the bar is finished with a mirrored coating designed to provide guests with wide views of the restaurant.
    A mezzanine-level dining area sits on top of the mirrored bar”Using mirrors allowed for the possibility to let all guests view the famous frescoes and the magnificent space,” said Koivisto.
    A mezzanine-level dining area features on top of the mirrored bar, acting as an elevated viewing area that offers a closer view of the surrounding artworks.
    Arched windows illuminate the dining areasAround the central bar, the studio divided the restaurant into a series of dining spaces separated by granite steps and changes in flooring.
    The spaces include dining areas dramatically lit by large, arched windows, as well as more private areas that have been recessed into nooks bordered on multiple sides by large paintings.
    A spotty carpet lines one dining areaStretching through one dining area is a large carpet, which is decorated with a pattern of large dots and was designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune to reflect the colours in the surrounding paintings.
    “The large dot pattern on the carpeting is inspired by coins – a nod to the building’s previous life,” the studio explained. “All the dots, in various blue hues, reference the frescoes. In fact, all colours introduced, including the furnishings, are referenced from the frescoes.”

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    The studio also designed a series of furniture for the space, including blue wooden chairs and ring-shaped, fabric-coated benches that wrap around the columns.
    To improve the acoustics in the restaurant, the studio added a strip of sound-absorbing panels at eye level. Nestled just below the paintings, the material is hidden by a continuous, dark-coloured curtain.
    Original olive green columns have been retained”In order to alter the original ‘cathedral-like’ character of the space and create an ambience suitable for a restaurant and bar, modern sound-absorbing material hidden behind a new, continuous curtain running along all the walls have been installed, with upholstered sofas directly beneath,” the studio explained.
    “Custom-designed, wall-to-wall carpeting also adds to the gentle ambience and improves the acoustics.”
    The mirrored bar was designed to provide guests with wide views of the restaurantFounded in 1995 by Koivisto with Mårten Claesson and Ola Rune, Claesson Koivisto Rune is an architecture and design studio based in Stockholm.
    Recent architectural projects completed by the studio include a Swedish home clad in red-painted planks of local pine and a boutique hotel that was converted from a 1920s bank building in Tokyo.
    The photography is by Sigurd Fandango.

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    Figure and Studio J Jih perform “stair gymnastics” inside Boston rowhouse

    American firms Studio J Jih and Figure have overhauled a historic house in Boston, which now revolves around a sculptural “hairpin” staircase influenced by the twists and turns of mountain roads.

    Locally based Studio J Jih and San Francisco studio Figure collaborated on the transformation of the four-storey rowhouse in the city’s South End.
    Studio J Jih and Figure have renovated Hairpin HouseThe owner, a Boston native, desired more useable space in the 15-foot-wide (4.6-metre) home, which was only achievable by entirely reorganising the floor plan.
    The hefty existing staircase took up a third of the building, so it was removed and redesigned to be more efficient and help define the remaining programme while adhering to Boston’s strict building codes.
    A new staircase cuts a diagonal path through the houseThe result is a new white oak staircase that “unspools diagonally through the home” around a 40-foot-high (12-metre) atrium, increasing the useable floor area by 20 per cent.

    “Aptly named Hairpin House, the project takes the tight, unpredictable, and ultimately poetic switchback turns of a mountain road as inspiration for the overall renovation – and in particular a new unravelling central stair,” said the team.
    Lime plaster was applied to the walls throughout the homeOther rooms were adjusted around this new element so that the most-used ones – like the dining room, living room and primary bedroom – were increased in size while ancillary spaces such as the foyer, powder room and bathroom shrunk.
    “We performed a sort of stair gymnastics where each flight was distinct from the others, because of its necessary interface with the unique programmatic and circulatory conditions on each floor,” said James Leng, partner at Figure.
    Windows on the south facade were enlarged by 200 per cent to let in more light”Like how a mountain road derives its form from the slope it rests on, this central stair was truly shaped contingently through the pressures of its interior context,” he added.
    The stair flights were fabricated by hand individually off-site before being assembled into a singular element, connected by a continuous rounded handrail.
    The kitchen and dining room on the ground floor are anchored by a travertine islandMaterials throughout the rest of the house were chosen to match or complement the staircase.
    White oak and French limestone cover the floors while lime plaster is applied directly onto the brick walls.
    The dining area opens onto a bluestone patio enclosed with cedar panelsThe main entrance to the home is on the second of its four floors, where the main living room is also located.
    Downstairs, on the ground floor, the open-plan kitchen and dining area are organised around a monolithic island carved from a single piece of travertine – similar to the fireplace on the level above.

    OverUnder renovates landmarked Boston building to create single-family residence

    A trio of French doors open onto the bluestone back patio enclosed with cedar panels and enlarged windows continue up this south-oriented facade to bring in the maximum amount of natural light.
    “Each was increased in scale by over 200 per cent, creating a rear facade graced with daylight, views and which elegantly blends into the age-old brick of Boston’s historic architecture,” the team said.
    Large windows run up the south facadeThe building’s third floor is occupied solely by the primary suite – comprising a bedroom, bathroom and closet – and the uppermost storey accommodates an additional bedroom, bathroom and lounge area.
    “A great deal of the joy we found in this project was in the process of shaping it from so many dizzying constraints,” said Leng. “But it also needs to be said that the project could only have been sculpted from the intensely productive collaboration between our two firms.”
    The rowhouse is located in the South End of BostonBoston has no shortage of historic brick houses, many of which have undergone significant renovations to make them more suitable for modern living.
    Examples include a heritage-listed Victorian home that was extended and updated with minimalist interiors by local architecture studio OverUnder.
    The photography is by James Leng.
    Project credits:
    Design architect: J Jih (principal: J Jih) and Figure (principals: James Leng and Jennifer Ly)Structural engineer: Team EngineeringLandscape design: Pate Landscape ArchitectureGeneral contractor: Evergreen Group CompanyMillworker: Kenyon WoodworkingStair fabricator: Stairworks of BostonPlastering: Trowel Inc. Plastering

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    Dorothée Meilichzon nods to Alice in Wonderland for Cotswolds hotel interior

    French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has created the interior for boutique hotel Cowley Manor Experimental, adding chequerboard details and hidden keyholes to the rooms of the former country house.

    Meilichzon drew on the history of the Cowley Manor Experimental, which is said to have inspired author Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland, when designing the interior for the hotel.
    According to the hotel, Caroll was walking in the gardens of the then Cowley Manor with Alice Liddell – for whom he wrote Alice in Wonderland – when he saw a rabbit disappear down a hole under a hedge.
    Nodding to the chessboard around which the classic story is constructed, Meilichzon designed bespoke chequerboard carpets that were produced by Hartley & Tissier.
    The designer added baldachin beds and colourful accents to the bedroom suites”Alice is subtly spread all over the place,” the designer told Dezeen.

    “Small doors are hidden in the rooms for the White Rabbit, there are hidden keyholes, rabbit ears, hearts and spades on the checkerboard carpet,” she explained.
    “We have used the checkerboard in many ways: hand-painted, tiled, on fabrics and wallpaper.”
    Touches of rattan, mixed with strong colour, glossy lacquer and lava stone feature throughout the 36-room hotel. Large bedroom suites have baldachin beds and interiors accented with blurred maple and verdigris.
    The games room features chequerboard rugsThe project, which Meilichzon designed for Experimental Group, saw her update an existing hotel at the site, which sits within 55 acres of Cotswolds countryside. The hotel also incorporates a spa, restaurant, cocktail bar, lounge, library and living rooms.
    Other than respecting the heritage-listed elements of the property, Meilichzon had full design freedom.
    Heritage-listed elements of the existing Cowley Manor were preserved”Historical buildings are something we are used to; we work a lot in Europe and often in very old buildings,” the designer said.
    “So we always try to respect them and start from there: the shape of the space, an architectural detail, a listed element.”

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    Meilichzon combined classical and contemporary elements, keeping all historical listed elements from the building, such as doors, wooden panels and windows.
    However, she added “some modernity through the furniture, the geometric patterns and colours,” she said.
    Hearts derived from the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland are worked into the stair carpet”Colour is everything, I am really not a grey and beige person,” explained Meilichzon.
    The hotel also features a restaurant and cocktail bar by chef Jackson Boxer that is focused on Cowley Manor’s kitchen garden, which has increased in size and is growing wider varieties of produce. The cocktail bar features a lacquered blue bar and tables.
    The bar has blurred walnut panelling and blue lacquered tablesMeilichzon, founder of Paris-based design agency Chzon, is a frequent collaborator of Experimental Group and has designed the interiors for several of its properties.
    “I see my work for Experimental Group as separate pieces but with a common DNA – the same hand. Because they are context-based, a hotel in Menorca cannot look the same as one in Venice or in the Cotswolds,” she said.
    Earlier this year, she gave a bohemian refresh to Ibiza’s first hotel, now called the Montesol Experimental, and has also renovated a Belle Epoque-era hotel in Biarritz, France.
    The photography is by Mr Tripper.

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    Anacapa Architecture converts historic building into Drift Santa Barbara hotel

    US studio Anacapa Architecture has transformed an early 1900s, stucco-clad building that was formerly closed off to the public into a welcoming hotel filled with compact rooms and handcrafted decor.

    Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara in central California, the 45-key hotel is the second outpost from Drift, with the first located in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
    Anacapa Architecture has renovated an early 1900s building to create the Drift HotelThe hotel occupies a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style building that totals 15,617 square feet (1,451 square metres).
    Guest rooms are spread across all three levels, and a penthouse suite is found on the top floor. The ground level contains a coffee shop and a bar.
    It is located in a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style buildingWhile the building’s original architect is unknown, the firm Soule, Murphy & Hastings performed a renovation following a 1925 earthquake. The building has served various uses over time.

    “One of the only downtown survivors of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, the building has stood for well over 100 years and has had many lives,” said local firm Anacapa Architecture.
    Guestrooms and a penthouse occupy the top floors, while a coffee shop and bar are located on the ground levelA hotel operated in the building from 1901 to the 1980s. More recently, it served as a home for the Church of Scientology, which took over in the 1990s and kept the building closed off from the community.
    Making the building more welcoming and honouring its original character were key concerns for the design team. The project was envisioned as a “modern reincarnation” of the hotel that once operated on the site.
    The building’s original arched windows, stucco walls and terracotta roof were kept intact”As part of a restoration, the challenge was to work within the historic context while creating experiences that are appealing to the modern traveler,” the team said.
    The exterior facades, featuring white stucco and arched windows, were kept largely intact. The building’s terracotta tile roof was retained, as well.
    The hallways are darkly clad and feature wooden crossbeamsOn the ground level, the team added folding glass doors on the front wall, which faces a pedestrian promenade. Behind the doors are the coffeeshop and a bar, called Dawn and Dusk, respectively.
    The large openings draw in passersby and help reconnect the building to the neighbourhood.

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    “Space for both locals and travelers is accommodated, returning the building to its roots as a true hospitality venue,” the team said.
    While the exterior has a historic look, the interior is much more modern.
    Local goods from California and Mexican makers were used throughout the designThe team incorporated materials such as concrete and wood. The hotel brand’s Mexican property inspired much of the contemporary furnishings and decor.
    “The hotel is dressed with goods from Californian and Mexican makers, paying homage to the brand’s Baja roots while celebrating its coastal Californian locale,” the team said.
    Soft beige and greys were used throughout the projectThe guest rooms, which range from 145 to 165 square feet (13 to 15 square metres), are compact in comparison to average hotel rooms in the area. Creative solutions, such as under-bed storage, help maximize space.
    Overall, the project has revitalized a building that has long been a fixture in downtown Santa Barbara.
    The building was once closed to the public”The team brought modern life to a building inaccessible to most of the community for so long, bringing a breath of fresh air to downtown, and catering to all,” the team said.
    Anacapa Architecture has offices in Santa Barbara and Portland, Oregon. Additional work by the studio includes a minimalist residence for a California entrepreneur and a glamping resort in Sonoma County that features customised tents and Airstream trailers.
    The photography is by Erin Feinblatt.
    Project credits:
    Architecture and interior Design: ANACAPA ArchitectureContractor: Parton + Edwards ConstructionCivil and structural engineering: Ashley VanceMEP engineering: Consulting WestKitchen, bar, and coffee shop consultant: New School

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    Pascali Semerdjian creates Aurora Apartment to hold “two universes” in Brazil

    Gut-renovating this São Paulo apartment has allowed Brazilian studio Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos to incorporate the personalities of it occupants, particularly in the bedrooms of the family’s two children.

    The Aurora Apartment is home to a family of four, and sits on a private street in the Alto de Pinheiros neighbourhood to the west of the city.
    Renovating the Aurora Apartment involved opening up the living spacesA total overhaul of the residence was needed to open up its spaces, bring in more light, and incorporate new materials and decor that reflect the owners’ tastes.
    Without complete structural plans of the apartment or building, the demolition process revealed multiple hidden elements.
    The dining room is sometimes used for business meetings and dinnersOnly when the apartment had been fully stripped back to its bare bones was Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos able to design the floor plan to work around the structure.

    “When we saw the remaining columns and slabs, we were able to continue sketching the client’s necessities as well as our ideas onto paper,” said the studio.
    A wall panel opens to reveal a hidden home barOnce the layout was “settled”, the architects began to examine the walls and space volumetrically to discover ways to add interesting design moments that would reveal more about the family.
    “One of the most important things about this project is how every single space, both social and private, has the family personality, with a unique design that results in harmony with the whole,” said Pascali Semerdjian Architects.
    Close to the entrance, a gridded cabinet houses a coat closetThe apartment is divided into a large, open social space that’s occasionally used for hosting business meeting and dinners, and a private area that contains the bedrooms and bathrooms.
    “We wanted to create two universes in the same apartment: an intimate and cozy one, and another minimalist and social,” the studio said.
    Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos has played with volumes and materials throughout the apartmentDark wood panelling lines the entryway, concealing a storage area for keys and shoes, and the same floor-to-ceiling wood panels are used in the corner of the dining room. Here, a hidden door swings open to reveal a bar, and a brass container built into a plastered counter serves as a cooler for bottles.
    Stone flooring in the living area is laid in thin planks to match the pattern of the wooden boards that run through the private spaces.
    Designed during the pandemic, the apartment contains several multifunctional spacesSeveral classic midcentury designs were chosen for the living space, including Jean Prouvé dining chairs and a pair of salmon-coloured Ondine armchairs by Jorge Zalszupin.
    These are mixed in with contemporary furnishings like the Thin Black side tables by Nendo and a leather chaise by Studiopepe.

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    A variety of furniture and lighting pieces custom-designed by Pascali Semerdjian also feature in the apartment, such as the main sofa, the office chairs, and the bar sconces.
    There’s also a coat closet housed within a gridded cabinet, which is affixed to a mirror and features a cluster of square lights in its top right corner.
    In the home’s private section, the primary bedroom is minimally decoratedIn the private quarters, the primary suite is minimally finished in white and wood surfaces, while the children’s rooms are much more expressive.
    For example, the younger son’s room is designed to resemble a small house, formed from wood panelling that covers the walls and is pitched on the ceiling.
    Natural light floods the primary bedroom when its sliding wooden doors are openedHis bed and a sofa are raised to create space for a “hide-and-seek” tunnel underneath, while the older daughter’s room includes arched white closets.
    “We seek to bring originality to all rooms, with special attention to the children’s room, where we’ve pursued solutions that are close to playful, without exaggeration,” Pascali Semerdjian said.
    The bedroom of the family’s younger son is designed like a houseThe renovation work began during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, so special attention was paid to creating multifunctional spaces.
    “The project seeks to balance and bring fluidity between the different possible uses of a house, allowing residents to experience moments together as well as the possibility of having privacy, including the couple,” said the architects.
    The son’s bed and a sofa are raised to accommodate a hide-and-seek tunnel underneathPascali Semerdjian Arquitetos was founded by Domingos Pascali and Sarkis Semerdjian in 2010, and the studio has renovated many apartments across São Paulo.
    They include a residence imbued with a “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan” flavour and a home organised around a semi-circular wooden library.
    The photography is by Fran Parente.
    Project credits:
    Project and interiors: Pascali Semerdjian ArchitectsTeam: Sarkis Semerdjian, Domingos Pascali, Ana Luisa Cunha, Fernando SpnolaProduction: VC ArtworkExecution: S Macedo Engenharia

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    Home Studios utilises reclaimed timber for Montauk restaurant renovation

    Brooklyn-based Home Studios has renovated a bar and restaurant in Montauk, using materials like white-washed plaster, glazed tiles and reclaimed timber for a “deliberately minimal approach”.

    Formerly known as Bird on the Roof, the establishment reopened as The Bird earlier this year with refreshed interiors by Home Studios.
    The bar and restaurant areas at The Bird are connected through a cased openingThe space is run by the team behind the Daunt’s Albatross motel, located across the street, which Home Studios overhauled the previous year. The menu was created by chef Marcos Martinez Perez and a beverage programme by Sophia Depasquale.
    “[The clients’] intent was to celebrate the legacy of a 40-year-old adored Montauk establishment, imbuing a familial sense of warmth and hospitality threaded throughout the experience and the design,” said the team.
    Reclaimed timber clads the back bar, while white tiles cover the front of the counter”The aim of the space is to capture the spirit of old Montauk, providing a welcoming home-away-from-home for both visitors and locals to gather at any hour and any season.”

    Located in the town centre, the A-frame building that houses the restaurant has a white bird painted on the side of its roof – hence the original name.
    Red brick flooring is laid in a basketweave bond in the barThe interior is divided in two, with the bar area on one side and the restaurant on the other, connected through a cased opening.
    A muted colour palette across the spaces echoes that used at Daunt’s Albatross and is based on the natural coastal surroundings.
    A similar muted palette continues into the dining roomHome Studios describes it as “a spectrum of whites, warm grays, browns, faded yellows, rusts and ocean blues”.
    In the bar area, red bricks are laid in a basketweave pattern across the floor, and the russet hue is continued by the leather that covers the built-in seating and stool tops.
    Blue tapestries hang above wooden tables and chairsFlooring shifts to reclaimed timber in the dining area, where banquette cushions are upholstered in yellow fabric and the accompanying vintage chairs are all slightly different designs.
    “The restaurant includes a deliberately minimal approach to furniture, lighting and decor, which allows the materiality to shine on its own,” said Home Studios.
    Blue-grey glazed ceramic tiles surround the window and door framesBlue-grey glazed ceramic tiles surround the window and door frames, while thin white tiles wrap the front of the bar counter.
    The same white tiling is found in the bathroom, accessed via a powder-blue door, but with red grouting for a more contemporary twist.

    Home Studios refreshes Daunt’s Albatross motel in Montauk

    Both The Bird and Daunt’s Albatross are run by third-generation proprietor Leo Daunt and his sister Zoe, who grew up in the town and wanted to return both properties to their former glory while retaining their neighbourhood feel.
    “Open year round and transforming with the seasons, [The Bird] will proudly continue its legacy as a community staple – and true Montauk landmark,” said the team.
    Wooden dining chairs that accompany the two-top tables are all slightly different designsSituated at the eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk is a popular summer getaway for New Yorkers that offers a more affordable alternative to the Hamptons nearby.
    However, it’s not without its fair share of expansive beach houses, with a grey wood-clad home by Desciencelab and a residence topped with a swimming pool by Bates Masi as examples.
    Accessed via a powder-blue door, the bathroom features white tiles and red groutingHome Studios was founded by Oliver Haslegrave in 2009 and has since completed a variety of hospitality projects across the US.
    Most recently, it has carried out a revamp of a Nantucket bar and restaurant using maritime references and an Italian restaurant close to Harvard University filled with plush booths and banquettes.
    The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

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