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      KKDW Studios creates offices for Yoga With Adriene founder in Austin

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      Austin-based KKDW Studios has designed the headquarters for a yoga subscription app called Find What Feels Good, including a space for filming instructional videos.

      KKDW Studios founder Kelly DeWitt collaborated with yoga teacher Adriene Mishler – who became well-known through her Yoga With Adriene instructional videos – to create a base for Find What Feels Good, the platform she co-founded that offers video tutorials for at-home workouts.
      KKDW Studios used a modular system to build offices within the space for Find What Feels GoodLocated in East Austin, the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) space was previously an empty shell with blue walls and a high-gloss, yellow-tinged concrete floor.
      DeWitt’s team described an intention to create “a space to evolve in and experiment with, a place to be inspired and inspired others.”
      Communal workstations are positioned in front of private offices”The space should feel welcoming with a warm, homey ambiance that makes you want to take a deep exhale,” the team added.

      To add this warmth, the majority of the interventions were made with wood, which forms wall panelling, louvred partitions, frames for glass walls, and furniture. The concrete floors were refinished in matte grey.
      A bright kitchen includes an island mounted on castors, which can be moved when neededDesigned for a quickly growing team and to be multi-functional, all the elements of the interiors are either bolted together or mounted on wheels, so they can be easily moved if needed.
      The linear space is divided up along its fenestrated facade. At one end is a cosy lounge area for receiving visitors or communal work, while a bright, fully equipped kitchen is located at the other.
      Warm-toned materials were chosen for the spaceIn between, the modular timber-framed glazed walls form a row of private offices, while an open workspace with large tables is positioned in front.
      Facing the windows is an uninterrupted wall that stretches 80 feet (24 metres), which is used by Mishler and her team as a backdrop for filming yoga videos for their app and Youtube channel.

      Ten homes designed for practising yoga and meditation

      Air ducts and other visual obstacles had to be moved to ensure that the shot is unobstructed, while the vertical slat in the lounge partition pivot to ensure the lighting is just right.
      “Natural light can be inspiring, but when filming, sometimes what they need is control – this allows them the best of both worlds,” said KKDW Studios.
      Slats in a partition can be adjusted to control light levels when filming in the spaceCushions for sofas and armchairs are wrapped in tufted, textured beige fabric in a variety of tones that are echoed in the rugs.
      From the exposed, angled ceiling hang a series of spherical pendant lamps, as well as power outlets on retractable cords for use at the workstations.
      An uninterrupted wall provides a backdrop for Adriene Mishler’s instructional yoga videos”All furniture is completely custom, designed after getting to know Adriene and her team, their needs, workflow, etc,” said KKDW Studios, which also acted as general contractor for the project.
      Yoga – a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices – continues to grow in popularity around the world, and demand for at-home workouts like those facilitated by Find What Feels Good skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Here are 10 homes with dedicated spaces for practising yoga and meditation.
      The photography is by Andrea Calo.

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      Gin Design Group completes jewel-toned restaurant The Lymbar in Houston

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      Houston-based Gin Design Group has combined various mid-century references at a local restaurant, which celebrates its chef’s family history and is “a tribute to all grandmothers”.

      Located at The Ion business centre in Midtown Houston, The Lymbar’s design was heavily influenced by the upbringing of chef David Cordúa, whose menu is based on Latin-Mediterranean cuisine.
      The Lymbar’s bar features a mural by Carissa Marx influenced by the colours of the chef’s family homeThe 4,000-square-foot (370-square-metre) establishment is named after Lymbar Drive, the street where Cordúa’s grandparents settled in Houston from Nicaragua.
      It was designed by Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group, who was the chef’s childhood babysitter.
      Tones used for the plush furniture were taken from the bar mural”The Lymbar is my grandmother’s house,” Cordúa said. “The house stayed in our family, and it’s where we perfected our family’s hospitality.”

      “It’s a tribute to all grandmothers,” he added of the restaurant, which is intended to feel both elevated and cosy, achieved through warm lighting, deep red curtains and plush furnishings.
      Greenery is introduced by a life-like tree in the centre and globe-shaped planters above the bar”We wanted to capture the bustle of a hotel lobby, the polish of a private club and the hospitality of the Cordúa family in the design,” Braverman said.
      “Mixed with a confluence of Latin American, Lebanese and Mediterranean textures and art layered over a backdrop of classic mid-century materials such as warm woods, earthy colors and lush greenery.”
      The shelving above the banquette seating displays mementos from the chef’s childhoodThe colour palette for the interiors was drawn from the Cordúa family home.
      Orange, red and olive hues were used as a starting point for a mural painted on the front of the bar by local artist Carissa Marx.
      Artworks in the space in include a collage by Vernon Caldera, while the scalloped floor pattern was hand-painted by Carissa MarxInfluenced by the work of Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle Marx, no relation to Carissa, the mural then informed the tones chosen for the lounge-style furniture.
      Marx also hand-painted a black and white scalloped pattern across the concrete floor.
      Red velvet curtains and warm lighting evoke the appearance of a hotel lobbyOther nods to mid-century design in the restaurant include the shelving at the main bar, which was inspired by Gio Ponti’s Planchart Villa in Venezuela.
      The shelves display a collection of nostalgic objects and mementos from Cordúa’s childhood.

      Michael Hsu completes cosy Japanese restaurant Uchiko Houston

      Greenery is introduced through a life-like tree that sits at the centre of the dining area and large globe-shaped planters above the bar created in collaboration with locally based Nicaraguan artist Vernon Caldera and The Flora Culture.
      Caldera also helped to curate The Lymbar’s art collection, and one of his collages hangs in the dining room.
      A private dining room is decorated entirely in a red-purple shadeThe restaurant’s open kitchen is framed by a concrete counter and faceted breeze blocks that incorporate lighting. There’s also a private dining room decorated entirely in a red-purple shade.
      Gin Design Group focuses on hospitality interiors primarily in the Houston area. The studio recently completed a barbershop in the Southside Place neighbourhood, which features a radial layout and a hidden cork-like bar.
      The open kitchen is framed by a concrete counter and faceted breeze blocks that incorporate lightingOther restaurants to open in the city over the past year include cosy Japanese spot Uchiko Houston and lively smokehouse Loro Heights – both designed by Michael Hsu.
      The photography is by Leonid Furmansky.

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      Gin Design Group creates radial layout for Treadwell barbershop in Houston

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      A cave-like cork lounge is hidden at the back of this barbershop in southwest Houston, by Gin Design Group, which also offers IV drips to cure customers’ hangovers.

      This second location of the Treadwell men’s salon chain in situated the Texas city’s Southside Place neighbourhood.
      Treadwell customers are greeted at a curved reception desk wrapped in white mosaic tilesPart of the Southside Commons development, the 2,697-square-foot (250-square-metre) space was designed to echo the first outpost in Houston Heights, but have its own distinctive character.
      The history of this area, as a once “meager” and overlooked suburb that slowly became a thriving community, guided some aspects of the design.
      The “cutting floor” has a unique radial layout”Taking cues from the cultural fibre of Southside Place, Treadwell’s second location will allude to the industrious nature of the area through the use of more industrial touches like steel and concrete,” said Gin Design Group, which is led by founder Gin Braverman.

      “While these materials speak to the strength of the community, they’re softened by clean mosaic tiles, wood, and woven rattan,” the team continued. “Paired with organic architectural elements, this diverse blend of materiality helps to create an illustrious, yet comforting, medley.”
      A central circular unit acts as the barbers’ stationCustomers are greeted at a reception desk fronted by square white tiles, which match the walls behind.
      They then proceed to the “cutting floor”, which has a unique radial layout. Six identical chairs face outward at lozenge-shaped mirrors suspended in the middle of white metal poles.
      At the back is a cave-like bar and lounge area lined entirely in corkA central circular unit forms a stand and incorporates storage for the stylists’ equipment. It wraps a wooden column, from which matching ceiling beams radiate like wheel spokes.
      Tucked away at the back of the salon is an area lined entirely in cork, which features a curved bar made from glass bricks.

      Sivak & Partners creates greyscale interiors for Kult barbershop in Odessa

      The dark and moody lounge is completed with turquoise bar stools and custom 1970s-influenced furniture, “speaking to the history of the mid-century architectural style of Southside Place”, according to Gin Design Group.
      Other brighter rooms where the white mosaic tiles are continued include a hair-washing space, and another reserved for treatments including cryotherapy, pedicures, and IV drips intended to rehydrate the body and help alleviate hangovers.
      White tiles are continued in the space for washing hair”The overall interior design aesthetic marries the branding and concept to convey a cohesive design intent, felt in every detail,” said Gin Design Group.
      “Bridging minimalist materiality with optimal functionality, Treadwell will remain a clear expression of innovation for the men’s grooming industry.”
      The barbershop also offers treatments including pedicures and IV dripsOther unusual, design-forward barbershops around the world include a minimalist space by Ivy Studio in Montreal, a “brooding” men’s spa by Nicholas Szczepaniak Architects in Dubai, and a salon with greyscale interiors by Sivak & Partners in Odessa.
      The photography is by Cladia Casbarian for Julie Soefer Photography.

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      Michael Hsu completes cosy Japanese restaurant Uchiko Houston

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      Hearths found in Japanese farmhouses informed the interiors of this restaurant in Houston, designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

      Michael Hsu Office of Architecture used chunky timber batons to create a deep partition that frames the tiled reception area, creating the impression of a central hearth.
      A wooden lattice frames the entrance to Uchiko Houston”Inspired by the central hearth of Japanese farmhouses, Uchiko presents a sense of intimacy with a central focal point, which feels both old and new,” said the studio.
      “The rough material is manipulated in a refined manner to create an unexpected arrival experience.”
      Warm-toned materials create a cosy atmosphere in the dining roomsThe studio created this latest location for the Uchi brand as a sister concept – Uchiko meaning “child of Uchi” – after designing its space in Miami earlier this year.

      Some of the design elements used in the South Florida restaurant were adapted for this counterpart, including a latticed screen around the entryway.
      Booths are lined with blue patterned wallpaper by Camille WarmingtonThroughout the restaurant, warm tones of timber and Venetian plaster are found alongside cooler blues as in the banquette upholstery and patterned wallpaper by artist Camille Warmington behind the booths.
      The same colour was used by local muralists Alfredo and Vera Montenegro to draw the eye up to double-height portions of the ceiling, which gently curve at the top.
      Murals that echo the wallpaper patterns draw the eye up to the mezzanine levelA mezzanine level overlooking the murals includes a private dining space with a bar and sushi bar inhabiting opposite walls.
      Reclaimed walnut flooring runs through the two main dining spaces, positioned on either side of the hearth-like entryway.
      A chef’s table sits at the centre of the restaurantThe room is also punctuated by a large private dining area, as well as a chef’s table featuring a large, blue fringe light fixture.
      White oak and cedar furniture, including custom banquettes influenced by the work of Brazilian modernist designer Jose Zanine Caldas, are enhanced with bronze and brass details.

      Michael Hsu converts 1940s Houston church into Asian smokehouse

      A long sushi bar stretches the back of the space, with a linear light fixture above highlighting the performances of the chefs behind.
      Custom-designed, cast concrete light shades by sculptor Brandon Mike feature in the entryway and above the dining tables.
      A long sushi bar runs below a linear light fixture”Bold design moves work with layered materiality to create a cosy dining experience,” said the studio.
      Uchiko Houston also has an outdoor patio and bar that adds to the already lively atmosphere of the Post Oak neighbourhood.
      Uchiko Houston’s outdoor patio adds to the lively atmosphere of the Post Oak neighbourhoodMichael Hsu founded his studio in Austin in 2005 and opened a second office in Houston in 2018.
      His team converted a 1940s church into an Asian smokehouse earlier this year and has previously completed projects that range from a Texas Hill Country house to Shake Shack’s headquarters in New York.

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      Melanie Raines designs “weird and funky” interiors for Austin residence

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      Interior designer Melanie Raines has applied her experience in hospitality design to ensure the large spaces of this Austin family home feel cosy, playful and “a bit irreverent”.

      Raines, who recently moved to the Texas capital from LA, was discovered by the clients after they visited the Soho Little Beach House in Malibu and researched the team behind its interiors.
      The home’s large living room features vertical elements including a concrete-block fireplace and a swingAfter connecting on LinkedIn and realising they are now based in the same city, the family asked her to design the interiors of a property they were building.
      The house, designed by local firm Ryan Street Architects, was originally conceived as a 12,500-square-foot (1,160-square-metre) California barn-inspired home with vast living spaces, six bedrooms and a guest house.
      Furniture is arranged to create zones, like a seating area framed by a brown leather sofaHowever, the music-loving homeowners decided that the interiors should better reflect their creative personalities, and provide a “weird and funky” environment for their four children and two dogs.

      “By the time we were brought onto the project, they were hoping to see more of themselves in the interior design: colorful, playful, and artful people who love music and don’t take things too seriously,” Raines told Dezeen.
      Above the bar, a section of mezzanine floor is replaced with a rope net”For this reason, the central design challenge was to marry the architecture of exposed steel and reclaimed wood with an interior that felt fresh, playful, and distinctive.”
      One of the biggest challenges was to make the huge open living room feel intimate and cosy.
      Walnut is used throughout the home and prominently in the kitchenThis was achieved by arranging furniture in different zones, a trick borrowed from Raines’ career in the boutique hospitality sector.
      A large wooden ping-pong table that doubles as a dining surface sits at the centre, accompanied by velvet-upholstered stools.
      The millwork echoes the exterior reclaimed timber cladding visible through large windowsOn the other side, a curve chocolate-brown leather sofa sits atop textured red rugs to create a nook in front of a bar area, which has a built-in pizza oven.
      Above the bar, a cut-out in the floor of a mezzanine balcony is replaced with a rope net to form a hammock.
      The primary bedroom is decorated in dark colours to create a relaxing atmosphereOther vertical elements help to draw the eye up, including the fireplace clad in split-face, industrial concrete blocks and a swing suspended on ropes from the 22-foot (6.7-metre) ceiling.
      To unite the various ground-floor spaces, walnut is repeated across several surfaces and details.
      Colour is used boldly in several of the smaller rooms”Occasionally we joked that it’s the ‘house that walnut built’ – the floors, millwork, and many of the furnishings are a beautiful American black walnut,” Raines said.
      This is especially true in the kitchen, where millwork on the island and built-in cabinetry are all crafted from the material – echoing the reclaimed timber ceilings and the exterior cladding visible through giant windows.
      A green sofa set the retro tone in the dark movie roomWhile colour is used sparingly as accents in the living area, a much bolder approach was taken in other rooms.
      “The clients came to develop a trust in some colour sensibilities that became the moods around the home,” explained Raines. “We landed on a creamy off-white in the main spaces, then got especially playful in the ancillary spaces.”

      Clayton Korte clads Hartford Residence in Austin with limestone and fibre cement

      Dark blues were chosen to create a relaxing atmosphere in the primary bedroom, where a corner is designated for the couple to enjoy tea together, while a retro aesthetic was guided by a green sofa in the near-black movie room.
      Smaller spaces like closets and bathrooms are decorated with a variety of patterned wallpapers, some of which Raines described as “PG-13”.
      Wallpaper chosen for closets and powder rooms includes a design that Raines described as “PG-13″In the guest house, wood panelling paired with tan and orange leathers offers a “1970s lakehouse feel”, and the primary powder bath has a black terrazzo stone ceiling.
      “The atmosphere needed to be creative, inspirational, artful, and un-precious,” said Raines. “Anything ‘fancy’ was immediately thrown out!”
      “It was a reaction on both my part and theirs to the age of over-design, and we were really able to throw some wild ideas out to see what stuck, then remix them to create an intentional – but a bit irreverent – final design,” she added.
      The ombre wallpaper in this powder room is another example of the designer’s playful approachAustin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US and has seen a spike in residential architecture and interior projects as a result.
      Others that have been completed recently include a gabled family home clad in limestone and fibre cement by Clayton Korte and a residence with dark grey walls and a crisp silhouette by Side Angle Side.
      The photography is by Chase Daniel.

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      Fiandre covers Armenian church in porcelain slabs printed with 1.5 million unique motifs

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      Promotion: Fiandre Architectural Surfaces porcelain slabs, digitally printed with 1.5 million icons, cover the facade of an Armenian church in Texas designed by New York-based architect David Hotson.

      For the facade of Saint Sarkis Armenian Church in Carrollton, Texas, architect David Hotson and Yerevan-trained architectural designer Ani Sahakyan worked closely with Italian architectural surface manufacturer Fiandre to create a facade that works at a series of visual scales.
      The church is covered with Fiandre porcelain slabsThe church’s western facade that surrounds its entrance is clad with porcelain slabs depicting a traditional Armenian cross or “tree of life” with distinctive floral branching arms. This Armenian symbol of faith in the face of suffering and of resurrection and redemption serves as a memorial to the victims of the Armenian genocide.
      Viewed more closely, as the visitor approaches the church, the cross is composed of interwoven botanical and geometrical motifs drawn from Armenian art. These motifs represent the bonds of ancestry and tradition that have bound the Armenian community together across centuries of challenge and upheaval.
      Examined from even closer proximity, visitors will be able to see that the slabs are covered with individual icons or pixels, each one centimetre in diameter.

      Printed at a high resolution using Fiandre’s “Design Your Slab” or DYS printed porcelain slab system, the tiny icons – 1.5 million in total – cover the entire church facade. All of the icons are unique and derived from the circular emblems that recur throughout Armenian decorative arts.
      The ceramic slabs are printed with 1.5 million icons based on ancient Armenian motifsThe 1.5 million unique icons are designed to symbolise the individuals who were murdered in the Armenian genocide. The scale of the individual icons that are spread across the entire building facade is intended to make tangible the scale of this historical atrocity.
      To create the facade design, a computer script was developed by architectural designer Ben Elmer to generate the icons based on ancient Armenian ornamental motifs.
      These icons were scaled to fit a total of 1.5 million on the facade and were distributed according to density to form larger-scale patterns when viewed from a distance.
      The ceramic surfaces are also UV-resistantThe motifs were printed to the exact pixel modules required onto Fiandre’s large-format, exterior-grade, UV-resistant porcelain rain screen slabs.
      “The facade is believed to be the first use of this technology to optically engage the viewer in a series of visual scales nested inside each other, from the scale of an entire architectural facade to the scale of individual pixels each rendered in high-resolution at the threshold of visual perception,” said Fiandre.
      In addition to the memorial facade, Fiandre supplied the full range of porcelain interior and exterior floor, wall and soffit finishes used throughout the Saint Sarkis Campus.
      The Armenian church in Texas is designed by New York-based architect David HotsonNew York-based Hotson’s design for the new church building is modelled on the ancient church of Saint Hripsime, which stands near Armenia’s modern capital of Yerevan.
      Having withstood fourteen centuries of upheaval, Saint Hripsime serves as a symbol of the endurance, perseverance, and resilience of the Armenian people. The cornerstone of Saint Sarkis was laid in 2018, fourteen centuries after Saint Hripsime was completed in 618 AD.
      “From this brief, Hotson developed a design that looks forward as well as backward, marrying ancient architectural and artistic traditions reflecting Armenia’s cultural legacy as the world’s first Christian nation with contemporary digitally-driven design and fabrication technologies,” explained the manufacturer.
      To learn more about Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, visit the brand’s website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Fiandre as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Michael Hsu converts 1940s Houston church into Asian smokehouse

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      US firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture aimed to preserve the character of a gabled church in Texas while transforming it into a lively Asian smokehouse called Loro Heights.

      The project – located in Houston’s Heights neighbourhood – involved the conversion of a red-brick church dating to 1948 into a restaurant with an “active and casual atmosphere”, the team said.
      Michael Hsu has converted a gabled church into a restaurant named Loro HeightsRoughly L-shaped in plan, the building consists of gabled volumes that are set around outdoor space. Original elements included a sanctuary with a vaulted ceiling and exposed wooden trusses.
      Local firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture wanted to honour the building’s history while incorporating features that align with Loro’s style and character.
      The building’s features include exposed wooden trusses and gabled roofs”It was important for us to preserve the existing character of the church,” said architect Michael Hsu, who founded his studio in 2005.

      “The design celebrates the vast sanctuary space and maintains the existing wooden trusses, while other elements relate directly to the Loro brand.”
      The smokehouse was informed by old Texan dance hallsIn addition to Houston, Loro restaurants are found in Austin and Dallas. The eateries offer barbecue fare with an Asian twist, such as char stew pork belly with a hoisin sauce and smoked beef brisket with Thai herbs.
      In terms of ambiance, the restaurants are designed to evoke old Texan dance halls and the “welcome feelings of socializing around a family table”, the team said.
      A lighting installation by Fibrous hangs from the ceilingWith these factors in mind, Hsu and his team re-conceived the building’s exterior and interior.
      On the front elevation, the team clad one side of the building in Western red cedar and Douglas fir, and cut away a portion of the wall to form an opening partly covered by a wooden lattice.
      Dining tables were added to the front porch and the former church sanctuaryJust behind the opening is a “front porch” with dining tables. Suspended overhead is a custom lighting installation by Fibrous, a studio in Austin.
      “The piece consists of massive ropes knotted together to form a delicate network akin to a chandelier, which grounds the high ceiling,” the team said.

      Wooden ceiling curves over restaurant in Austin by Michael Hsu

      The porch connects to the former church sanctuary, which has been transformed into a dining hall and bar.
      In addition to the vaulted celling and trusses, the space features newly added windows and skylights, which bring in daylight and brighten up the formerly dark space.
      White-oak furnishings complement the dark-stained cedar interior wallsInterior walls are clad in dark-stained cedar that mimics the appearance of charred wood. Wall pegs offer a clever spot for hanging coats and potted plants.
      Seating options include booths and long, communal tables, along with counter tables in the bar area.
      Woven chandeliers created by the architects with León León Design are suspended above the tablesThe white-oak dining furniture, along with other decor, was custom designed and fabricated for the space. Woven chandeliers were created by the architects in collaboration with Mexico City’s León León Design.
      Beyond the main dining hall, there is a kitchen, an outdoor beer garden, and a smoker yard for the preparation of meat. A portion of the building has a second level, which holds mechanical equipment.
      The studio preserved the church’s exposed wooden detailsOverall, the adaptive reuse project has provided a welcoming space for diners while also preserving the community sprit of the church building, the team said.
      “Today’s Loro restaurant serve as a space for neighbourhood gatherings and community connection,” said Hsu.
      Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is based in Austin and has an outpost in Houston. Other projects by the studio include the conversion of a former Manhattan printing house into Shake Shack’s headquarters, and a Miami sushi restaurant that embodies the “perfect contrast” between the materials, techniques and styles of Japan and Florida.
      The photography is by Chase Daniel.

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