More stories

  • in

    PSLab’s monochromatic Berlin showroom is a “sacred place for light”

    A pared-back palette of raw materials creates a calm backdrop for PSLab’s lighting products inside the brand’s Berlin workshop and showroom space, designed in collaboration with Belgian firm B-bis architecten.

    The newly opened studio occupies the ground floor and basement of a 1907 residential building in the city’s Charlottenburg district.
    PSLab has opened a new workshop and showroom in BerlinPSLab, which designs and manufactures light fixtures for architectural projects, set out to create a showroom where customers can experience lighting effects in a home-like environment.
    “PSLab is not a digital platform where clients pick and buy products,” the company’s founder Dimitri Saddi told Dezeen. “Therefore the physical space as a ‘home’ is most important for one-on-one communication.”
    “In Berlin, as with all our studios, we wanted to design a canvas to show the quality of our light and to show the process of our bespoke design approach by integrating a material library of endless opportunities and possibilities.”

    The space includes a materials library with a movable ladderWorking together with B-bis architecten, the design team looked to create a contemporary space that contrasts with Charlottenburg’s classical architecture whilst retaining references to common elements like colonnades, arches and symmetrical forms.
    The entrance takes the form of a large zinc-and-glass sliding door that is set into the facade of the building on Niebuhrstrasse. Moving the door aside reveals a full-height opening that welcomes visitors into the studio.
    The interior was designed to present the brand’s lighting to its best advantageInside, a double-height space with a six-metre-high ceiling allows lighting products to be hung in various heights and configurations.
    Arched openings on either side of the staircase void lead through to a garden room that looks onto a leafy courtyard. Daylight streams into the space through large windows to create a tranquil atmosphere.

    JamesPlumb converts Victorian tannery into London HQ for PSLab

    The workshop space includes a materials library where visitors can touch and explore the physical qualities of the brand’s lighting products. A movable ladder provides access to items on the library’s upper rows.
    The cosy basement level is a place for informal conversations with clients. A projector in this parlour space also allows the team to display the company’s extensive digital library.
    The basement serves as a cosy loungeThroughout the studio, PSLab chose materials and finishes including lime wash, concrete, zinc and textiles that focus attention on how the space is lit rather than its architectural features to create a kind of “sacred place for light”.
    “It is all about monochromatics and textures, which are specific to the location,” said Mario Weck, a partner at PSLab GmbH. “The atmosphere lets people focus on our approach.”
    Gantries provide support for various light sourcesOn the ceiling of both the front room and garden room is a grey-steel gantry that helps unify the spaces whilst supporting various light sources as well as technical elements, much like on a theatre stage.
    Furniture is mostly built in, with simple cushions providing casual seating while cylindrical wooden side tables and coffee tables offer somewhere to place a cup or catalogue.
    The showroom is set in Berlin’s CharlottenburgPSLab has studios in Antwerp, Bologna, London, Stuttgart and Beirut, where the firm originated. For its UK headquarters, the company commissioned JamesPlumb to convert a Victorian tannery into a space that evokes the “quiet brutalism” of the former industrial building.
    Previously, the lighting brand has collaborated with Parisian studio Tolila+Gilliland on the design of an Aesop store in London featuring felt-covered walls and slim black pendant lights.
    The photography is by Nate Cook.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Method Architecture outfits its Houston office with vibrant mural

    Texas studio Method Architecture has completed an office for itself in Houston with maximalist design, vibrant colours and a mural at its centre.

    The 8,612-square foot (800-square metre) studio was completed in 2023 with a reception area, open office plan, private and collaborative meeting spaces and staff lounges.
    Method Architecture has completed its self-designed studioLocated in the mixed-use East River development, designed by architecture studio Page, the office was designed to serve as an inspiration source for the studio’s clients.
    “Our approach was to pursue maximalism with the goal of creating an environment where our clients would feel safe expressing their bold and innovative ideas with us,” Ashley Bettcher, Research and Design Specialist with Method Architecture told Dezeen.
    The office was designed to serve as an inspiration source”Creativity has no limits and great design doesn’t necessarily need to cost more. Method’s new Houston office perfectly encapsulates that mantra.”

    The “ego-free” focus of the design is a nearly 50-foot multi-wall mural by local artist David Maldonado, known for creating nearly 20 pieces of public artwork throughout Houston.
    David Maldonado created a multi-wall mural for the studioWith pops of magenta, cobalt, and yellow, the mural features icons from the city and state like the skyline, a rocket for Johnson Space Center, a bluebonnet as the Texas state flower, and the neighbouring Buffalo Bayou.
    The artwork also slips in custom motifs representing the studio, such as Method’s rubber duck mascot.
    Light grey flower-like acoustic baffles hang from the ceiling”This feature piece of artwork helps set the tone for the remainder of the office including bold colors, geometric patterns and shapes and a secondary mural designed and installed by Maldanado featuring drip paint in mirroring colorways located at the back of the office,” the team said.
    The mural is complemented by a 3D-printed wall installation behind the reception desk composed of the studio’s signature “M” logo and the raw ceiling with exposed mechanical lines all painted a vibrant shade of fuchsia.
    Clients pass through a half-arched portalLight grey flower-like acoustic baffles hang from the ceiling adding to the maximalist design. Light blue bicycles are mounted on one wall as another unique installation.
    From the reception area lounge, clients pass through a half-arched portal – created with custom millwork and embedded lights – into the main office space which includes rows of desks over custom greyscale carpet.
    Hotel desk stations accommodate hybrid work stylesHotel desk stations accommodate hybrid work styles for both in-office and at-home work.
    “Cozy architectural work booths are nestled amid the bustling breakroom and office areas, offering a quiet refuge for more private work, private conversations or meals with coworkers,” the team said.

    Ten maximalist interiors that are saturated with colours and patterns

    The workspace is flanked by six meeting rooms: a large creative conference space, three medium-sized conference rooms and two smaller huddle spaces.
    The all-white conference room was left intentionally blank to showcase the client’s material selections with tunable white lights to adjust the light temperature for each project.
    An M-shaped window cutout opens the conference room to the rest of the officeAn M-shaped window cutout opens the conference room to the rest of the office.
    In the break room, bright blue suede fabric adorns the walls to provide an unexpected texture and pale blue lamp shades – reminiscent of the shape of inverted cupcake liners – serve as a geometric juxtaposition to the rounded banquette boxes.
    Bright blue suede fabric adorns the walls in the break room”Plush, psychedelic-inspired fabrics in meeting booths and distinctive light fixtures keep the space feeling light and fun to inspire creative design,” the studio said.
    In addition to being designed for flexible workflows and teams, the space features multiple sustainable and WELL features like ample daylighting, repurposed materials and ergonomic furniture.
    Other recently completed projects in Houston include Nelson Byrd Woltz’s grassed park that bridges a six-lane highway and Modu’s design for a wellness building with a self-cooling exterior.
    The photography is by Ana Larranaga, Method Architecture.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: Method ArchitectureMEP: Telios EngineeringGeneral contractor: Burton ConstructionFurniture: AGILE Interiors, MDI, OP,Flooring: Interface, Shaw ContractTile: Trinity Surfaces, La NovaTextiles: Knoll TextilesMasonry: Upchurch KimbroughDemountable partitions: DIRTTCountertops: CAMBRIAMural: David MaldonadoLighting: Lighting Associates Inc.Signage: ARIA Signs

    Read more: More

  • in

    Estudio Estudio unveils “hidden architectural treasures” in Mexico City house

    Arched doorways and a rooftop studio feature in the Y.27 House, which has been overhauled by architecture firm Estudio Estudio in a way that honours the historic building’s original character.

    Located on a 195-square-metre site in Mexico City’s Hipódromo Condesa neighbourhood, the project serves as a full-time residence for a client who is a social entrepreneur and collector of Mexican craftwork.
    The house been overhauled to honour the historic building’s original characterOriginally built in the 1930s, the stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect, said local firm Estudio Estudio.
    The design team set out to revamp the home’s interior, aiming to restore its original charm while enhancing its functionality.
    Estudio Estudio set out to revamp the home’s interiorThe project involved removing walls, reconfiguring the layout and making structural improvements, in addition to adding new finishes. Moreover, a small storage room on the roof was replaced with a 43-square-metre studio building.

    “The main goal was to unveil the hidden architectural treasures beneath layers of past modifications, meticulously restoring them to their original state to reveal the essence of the time,” the team said.
    In the rear, one finds a kitchen”Architectural interventions aimed to preserve the authentic character of the house, rejuvenating ornamental elements while avoiding unnecessary embellishments.”
    Rectangular in plan, the home has a mix of communal and private spaces spread across three levels. Curves and arches – many of them original – create a “harmonious flow”.
    Curves and arches create a “harmonious flow”On the ground level, the layout “seamlessly integrates daily living requirements”. The front portion holds an entry hall, garage and office, while in the rear, one finds a kitchen, dining area, service rooms and a patio.
    At the heart of the ground floor is an airy living room with a 5.9-metre-high ceiling. A tall shelving system with a metal-and-wood ladder acts as a focal point.
    A tall shelving system acts as a focal point in the airy living roomA gently curved, skylit staircase leads to the first floor, where the team placed a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and a family room.
    Atop the building is the new studio, which was constructed using pine. In addition to the studio, the building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door.
    The building contains an onsen room with a barn-style doorThe studio opens onto a terrace with terracotta flooring. Rainwater is collected on the roof and channelled to a reservoir below.
    “The roof terrace serves as a space to gather but also works as a rainwater collector, where rain travels throughout the house into a water reservoir and filter system beneath the back patio,” the team said.

    Taller David Dana stacks concrete house on Mexico City hillside

    Throughout the home, the team used earthy materials and neutral colours. The lighting design – created in collaboration with lighting expert Luca Salas – is meant to balance “ambiance, functionality and aesthetics”.
    Notable finishes include oak parquet flooring and closets faced with cotton-canvas. Oak was used for window frames, kitchen cabinets and other elements.
    Pisos de pasta flooring features in the kitchenIn the kitchen, the team took a sample of existing checkered tiles, made of pigmented concrete, to a local craftsman, who then replicated them.
    This style of flooring – called pisos de pasta – is very common in older homes in Mexico City and southwest Mexico, said Estudio Estudio.
    The stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglectOverall, the house is meant to balance historic elements with a contemporary lifestyle.
    “This house proudly stands as a harmonious blend of past and present, inviting residents to embark on a captivating journey of refined and simple ways of living,” the team said.
    Other projects in Mexico City’s Condesa district include a renovated house by Chloé Mason Gray that embraces its lack of natural light, and an apartment block covered in small, wooden squares that were inspired by vegetable crates.
    The photography is by Zaickz Moz Studio.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Mestiz celebrates artisan collaborations at colourful Mexico studio

    Mexican design studio Mestiz has opened a showroom and workshop within a historic building in San Miguel de Allende, where its brightly hued collaborations with local craftspeople take pride of place.

    The studio space is located on Pasaje Allende in the heart of the central Mexican city, renowned for its colonial-era architecture and arts scene.
    Mestiz opened its new studio as a space to present its colourful furniture and homewareMestiz founder Daniel Valero collaborates with a variety of skilled local artisans to create furniture and homeware using ancestral crafts.
    “In our studio, partnerships aren’t short-lived; they’re built to last,” he said. “We’ve nurtured long-term relationships with artisans, where learning and creating are an ongoing process.”
    Rough plaster walls of the remodelled space provide a neutral backdrop for the brightly hued designsPieces from Mestiz’s collection fill the interior of the studio, which occupies a remodelled stone building designed as a “wild habitat” brimming with personality.

    “It was once a kitchen,” Valero explained, “and now it’s a space that respects the idea of Mexican cuisine, infusing it into our creative sanctuary.”
    Ledges covered in glossy tiles provide places to display smaller items the in the showroomThe studio comprises three principal spaces. In the showroom, the original wooden beams and the brick ceiling are exposed, and rough buttery plaster covers the walls.
    Ledges and podiums clad in glossy tiles provide places for small items like spiky vessels and framed pictures to be displayed.
    In the workshop, red benches are used for assembling the designsLarger furniture pieces like a triangular table and chairs with tufty backrests are arranged across the floor.
    Meanwhile, textile artworks decorate the walls and huge, fibrous pink light fixtures hang overhead.

    Colourful tiles and Mexican craft feature in Casa Hoyos hotel by AG Studio

    “Our creations aren’t just pieces; they’re stories,” said Valero.
    “We believe in crafting designs that engage in profound dialogues with the context and history of each community we work with.”
    A pink-toned storage room is also filled with products, which are all made from natural materialsThe workshop is situated in a lean-to at the side of the building, where the rough stone walls are visible on two sides and other surfaces are left untreated.
    Red-painted benches for assembling items and storing natural materials – palm, wood, wool, wicker and ceramic – are surrounded by partially completed designs.
    Mestiz partners with artisans across Mexico to preserve and celebrate craft traditionsA pink-hued storage room is also packed with products, from wicker lights suspended from the ceiling to tall totems in blue, pink and purple stood in the corners.
    “Our practice is a living testament to the merging of traditions,” Valero said. “Our pieces are the embodiment of cultural syncretism, where diverse influences converge to create something entirely new.”
    The studio is located in a historic stone building in San Miguel de AllendeThe rich creative spirit of San Miguel de Allende is also presented at the city’s Casa Hoyos hotel, where colourful tiles and local craft fill a former Spanish colonial manor.
    Other Mexican designers continuing local traditions through their work include Fernando Laposse, who uses corn waste to create a marquetry material, and Christian Vivanco, who launched a rattan furniture collection with Balsa.
    The photography is by Pepe Molina.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Camille Walala takes colourful aesthetic to the max in self-designed studio

    London designer Camille Walala has worked with carpentry workshop Our Department to fit out her own studio with a no-holds-barred version of her colourful design style.

    Electric blue floors, graphically patterned cabinetry and a kitchenette with cartoon-like proportions feature in the space, which is located in the Regent Studios building off Broadway Market in East London.
    Camille Walala designed her studio to include a kitchen with exaggerated proportionsThe seventh-floor space attracted Walala and her studio manager Julia Jomaa with its sweeping views.
    Knowing they would be in no hurry to vacate, the duo took their time with the design, working side by side in the studio for over a year while adjusting the position of their space-dividing furniture until they arrived at a layout with the perfect functionality for them.
    The studio chose to embrace colour in the designOnce they decided to embark on the interior design, it was not a given that they would embrace Walala’s signature bold colour palette, as they worried about it potentially clashing with future work.

    “We were like, how colourful should we go?” Walala told Dezeen. “Should we keep it quite simple or should we actually go for it?”
    But ultimately, she says the desire to feel inspired by their workspace and “inhabit the aesthetic fully” won out.
    The studio is divided into two rooms including one for “clean” computer-based workThe studio is divided into two rooms – one for “clean” computer-based work and the other for “messy” activities such as painting and model making.
    Walala and Jomaa created a 3D model of the interior in SketchUp before bringing in their favourite carpenters” Our Department – a studio specialising in design and fabrication for the creative industries – to realise the design.
    The duo of Simon Sawyer and Gustave Andre built all of the elements in the space with a focus on achieving clean lines and pure block colours along with maximum functionality.
    Our Department achieved clean lines by sticking coloured shapes onto MDF doorsFor the cabinetry, they used doors made of melamine-faced medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and applied a decorative technique they had used on previous Walala projects.
    This involved CNC-cutting shapes out of thin MDF, before spraypainting and precisely glueing them onto the doors to create a graphic pattern while avoiding the fuzzy lines that can sometimes come from painting directly onto surfaces.
    In the kitchen, the group worked together to exaggerate proportions as much as possible, with Walala saying she dreamed of achieving a “Bart Simpson kitchen” through elements such as chunky handles and bold grout.

    Camille Walala shares colourful vision to make Oxford Street a car-free shopping district

    “We designed the Lego House a few years ago, this really colourful house,” she explained. “Especially the kitchen in that space was really quite bold and almost like a cartoon, and we thought we should do something similar in our studio.”
    By contrast, a more subtle feature is the double sliding door between the studio’s two rooms, which consists of a transparent fluted screen set within a black frame.
    While it may be less attention-grabbing, Jomaa says the mesmeric effect of the fluted panels sliding against each other is like a “little animation of colour”.
    The workspace also includes natural details like custom tulipwood desk legsThere are also a few natural wood elements throughout the interior such as tulipwood desk legs to balance the liberal use of colour.
    As with all residents of Regent Studios, Walala will need to return the rented space to its original condition when her studio eventually leaves, so there are no permanent fixtures and everything is designed to be dismantled.
    Even the central “wall”, which contains floor-to-ceiling storage on one side, is freestanding. But the team used kitchen-unit feet to wedge it against the ceiling for stability.
    Everything is designed to be dismantled when the studio one day moves outWalala and Jamaa have been working together for eight years and started off sharing a desk in a basement studio. Their recent projects have included murals, installations and a proposal for a car-free Oxford Street.
    Walala is often seen as being part of the New London Fabulous wave of maximalist designers, alongside Yinka Ilori, Morag Myerscough and Adam Nathaniel Furman.
    The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Mason Studio reimagines its Toronto workspace “for the greater good”

    Toronto interiors firm Mason Studio has redesigned its offices to offer community programming like exhibitions, events and other public-facing activities.

    Mason Studio relaunched its workspace as a new hybrid office and cultural hub to serve “the greater good” during the DesignTO festival earlier this year.
    Mason Studio has redesigned its two-storey office building to serve as both a workspace and a cultural community hubAs well as an office for the studio’s team members, the building in Pelham Park now operates as a gallery space, community library, fabrication hub, experimentation space for non-profits and a coffee bar to name a few.
    “Today’s office is no longer just a place for work, but rather a space for conversation and discourse, a space for inspiration and rejuvenation, and a space for community to get involved, and gather and share knowledge,” said the team.
    The space hosts a variety of exhibitions, installations and events, including An Optimistic Future pictured hereThe two-storey, industrial style building is largely decorated white, with curtains used to divide the various spaces and functions.

    A double-height atrium can house artworks and installations, which are able to be suspended from the ceiling beams.
    A materials library is open to local architects and designersAmong the areas within the building is a plant-filled study garden upstairs, where stools and chairs are placed around mossy tables that sprout foliage from their centres.
    “The greenery and natural elements of the garden create a sense of tranquility, which helps reduce stress and improve overall well-being,” said Mason Studio.
    The study garden allows team and community members to work and read among the greeneryAn open materials library can be utilised by local architects and designers, and a “give-one-take-one” book library is open to all community members.
    Mason Studio also hosts storytime sessions for the children of their team and other community members. “This experiment was a reminder of how vital play is as a tool to socialize, learn and focus — even in the workplace,” the team said.
    White curtains are used to divide the building’s various functions and areasDuring the annual Toronto design festival DesignTO, Mason Studio hosted a series of installations and activations to create a space where visitors “could experience an optimistic vision of the future”.
    For example, a temporary pay-what-you-want cafe donated any funds collected to local non-profit organisations.

    Mason Studio designs Kimpton Saint George hotel as “homage to Toronto”

    “These types of new amenities not only stimulate local economies but also contribute to the cultural vitality of the community,” said Mason Studio.
    The inaugural art installation in The Gallery at Mason Studio, a collaborative effort named Full Moon Reflected On The Ocean At 01:34, comprised a giant glowing orb that was reflected on sheets of fan-blown mylar fabric.
    A community library and workspace is offered as a resourceIn March 2023, the studio partnered with Toronto-based contemporary art gallery Cooper Cole Gallery to present works by emerging BIPOC and marginalised artists in the space.
    Then in April, The Gallery at Mason Studio hosted Canadian artist Kadrah Mensah’s exhibition titled Surely, You’re Joking, which included video, sculpture, and installations intended to normalise digital body manipulation.
    The Gallery at Mason Studio’s inaugural installation comprised a large glowing sphere reflected in fan-blown mylar sheets belowMason Studio was founded over a decade ago by Stanley Sun and Ashley Rumsey, who have since completed projects that range from a cloud-like installation to the interiors of the Kimpton Saint George hotel.
    The most recent edition of DesignTO, Toronto’s citywide celebration of design, took place from 20-29 January 2023. Find more design events, talks and installations on the Dezeen Events Guide.
    The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Hollie Bowden converts London pub into pared-back jewellery showroom

    Lime-washed walls meet aluminium display fixtures in this minimalist studio and showroom that designer Hollie Bowden has devised for London brand Completedworks.

    Set over two floors of a former pub in Marylebone, it provides space for Completedworks to design and display its jewellery and ceramics, as well as to host an array of craft-focused classes.
    Hollie Bowden has designed a studio and showroom for CompletedworksThe brand was established in 2013 and up until now, has largely been sold via high-end department stores such as Dover Street Market and Liberty. But founder Anna Jewsbury felt it was time for Completedworks to have its own brick-and-mortar space.
    “We increasingly had clients asking to come and see our pieces in person but felt that we didn’t have a space that felt considered and reflected our vision,” she said. “We wanted people to be able to enter our world and get to know us, and for us to get to know them.”
    Display shelving was crafted from lustrous aluminiumFor the design of the showroom, Jewsbury worked with London-based designer Hollie Bowden, who naturally looked to the brand’s jewellery for inspiration.

    This can be seen for example in the hammered-metal door handles that appear throughout the studio and directly reference the creased design of the gold Cohesion earrings.
    A modular display system in the showroom is clad in lilac linen”[Completedworks] is known for the beauty of the textural surfaces and flowing almost baroque forms,” Bowden explained. “We developed a display language that played off that, with minimal details and strict lines.”
    Almost every surface throughout the studio is washed in beige-toned lime paint, with only a few slivers of the original brick walls and a worn metal column left exposed near the central staircase.

    Hollie Bowden channels the ambience of dimly lit gentlemen’s clubs for London office

    Bowden used brushed aluminium to create a range of display fixtures, including chunky plinths and super-slender shelving units supported by floor-to-ceiling poles.
    The space also houses a couple of angular aluminium counters for packing orders that include discrete storage for boxes and subtle openings, through which tissue paper or bubble wrap can be pulled.
    Shoji-style storage cabinets can be seen in the officeA slightly more playful selection of colours and materials was used for the studio’s custom furnishings.
    In the main showroom, there’s a modular display island sheathed in lilac linen. Meanwhile in the office, designer Byron Pritchard – who is also Bowden’s partner – created a gridded wooden cabinet inlaid with translucent sheets of paper, intended to resemble a traditional Japanese shoji screen.
    Hammered-metal door handles in the studio resemble Completedworks’ earringsThis isn’t Bowden’s first project in London’s affluent Marylebone neighbourhood.
    Previously, the designer created an office for real estate company Schönhaus, decking the space out with dark-stained oak and aged leather to emulate the feel of a gentleman’s club.
    The photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Rotating fluorescent panels define zones in “co-being space” by Ab Rogers Design

    Ab Rogers Design has completed an artist’s studio and residence in Kanazawa, Japan, featuring a series of fluorescent partition walls that can be rotated to transform how the space is used.

    Called Fishmarket, the multipurpose creative and living space was designed for Japanese artist Hiraki Sawa, who lives in London but regularly visits his home city of Kanazawa.
    Ab Rogers Design introduced rotating walls that define spacesSawa met Ab Rogers in 2019 when the pair were both working on projects for the Wonderfruit music festival in Thailand.
    At the time, they were both living in east London and over the course of several conversations decided to work together on what Rogers calls the “co-being space” in Kanazawa.
    The interior was stripped back to its shellNamed after the duo’s shared love of fish, the former commercial space was converted into a place for Sawa to stay while in Kanazawa, as well as a place to host workshops around design, culture and food.

    Rogers’ studio stripped the interior back to its industrial shell before adding foil-backed insulation to some of the walls and introducing interventions including the rotating plywood walls.
    The fluorescent partition walls are made from plywood”We didn’t want to make it cosy or glossy, we wanted to work with the bones of what was there,” Rogers told Dezeen.
    “We tried to let the light in as much as possible while keeping it raw and creating these interventions, these objects in space.”
    The walls were painted in different colours to add characterThe insertion of the four movable partitions on the building’s second floor allows this open space to be transformed into three smaller multipurpose zones.
    Pivoting doors conceal the bathroom and enable the bedroom to become a workshop for making art, a place for viewing it or a social space for gatherings.

    Edgardo Giménez creates colourful artist residency in Uruguay

    Each panel is painted in a different fluorescent highlighter hue to bring a sense of vibrancy and character to the otherwise pared-back space.
    “I love fluorescent colours because they’re really alive and dynamic,” Rogers explained. “When daylight hits them they become electrified and they transform into something else.”
    The kitchen is located on the upper floorA concrete staircase ascends to another open space where a monolithic nine-metre-long workbench functions as a kitchen, a worktop and a table for cooking, eating and sharing.
    “The kitchen can be used as a kitchen but it’s also adaptable depending on what actions are being performed in the space,” Rogers explained.
    “If you put a plate on it, it becomes a restaurant,” he added. “If you put a computer on it then it’s an office and if you put a sewing machine on it then it becomes a workshop for designing or making textiles.”
    A long tiled bench provides space for food preparation and diningAll of the materials used in the project were sourced locally and chosen for their affordability. Building regulations also dictated some of the design decisions, such as the need to line certain walls with plywood panels.
    Rogers never visited Kanazawa, so Sawa was responsible for solving problems on-site and finding materials to turn his ideas into reality.
    Some walls were lined with plywood panelsThe project evolved over time with lots of back and forth between the client and designer. According to Rogers, this organic process produced an outcome that embodies both of their visions.
    “I love these small projects where you have a strong affiliation with the client,” said the designer. “This symbiotic way of designing through a conversation is really fluent and means you’re always building ambition.”
    The studio was previously a commercial spaceRogers works across fields such as health, culture, retail, hospitality and housing.
    Previous projects by the multidisciplinary design studio include a cancer treatment hospital clad in glazed red terracotta and a space-efficient apartment with a floor area of just 19 square metres.
    The photography is by Takumi Ota.

    Read more: More