Exposed wood

A Hub of Inspiration: Warren Garrett chooses Montreal as East coast home base for global projectsWarren Garrett’s Montreal atelier is a showcase of the firm’s design and architectural philosophy, incorporating inspirational elements that parallel their unique approach to projects. Embraced by the façade of a very old building, the atelier is located in a district known for its distinct neighbourhood character, while being intricately connected to the pulse of the nearby city centre. Though the building was gutted and transformed, Warren Garrett went to great lengths to preserve some of its original elements, including exposed wooden beams, expansive windows and terrazzo flooring. While the atelier includes elements of technical architecture... More

The polypod is a simple outbuilding with a multitude of possible uses. The project consists of a polycarbonate shell and an exposed wooden frame. The roof, floor, and wall "fold" to establish the vertical limits of all other materials and methods. The white translucent polycarbonate panels emit enough light to the interior while giving a hint of the structural logic from the outside. The building is an agent of light and shadow and takes advantage of the temporal quality of daylight. The client had a very simple brief for the project. “I need a place to store some things, I have $5,000.00 and the building has to be beautiful”. The building is essentially a “primitive hut”. There are no (permanent) systems (HVAC, water, electrical) so t... More

R11 is a roof extension to a four storey building in the Munich inner city near the central station.The foundations of the existing 1980s building had limited carrying capacity and did not allow for a simple extension of this size. Instead, it was first necessary to demolish the reinforced concrete structure on the fourth floor before extending upwards with a more lightweight construction. The new structure of massive timber, clad in steel encloses two new floors and a mezzanine gallery. In total, three separate living units have been created. The interior space is designed as a flowing sculpture binding all functions together in a series of interlocking interior and exterior spaces. The upper floors are connected by an east-west galle... More

John Lum Architecture Turns a Turnkey Office Location into a Functional, Light-Filled Space for FinTech Start-Up’s New Headquarters.   When Reach Capital, an education fin-tech start-up, needed to set-up headquarters, they sought out a turnkey office location in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, the city’s latest tech hub. They leased prime real estate on the the top floor of a classic warehouse building. Located adjacent to South Park, the space boasts industrial-chic interiors and generous windows and skylights.   Reach Capital tapped John Lum Architecture to fit out the space while maintaining the architectural integrity of the core and shell. They wanted to highlight the exposed wood beam ceilings and concrete walls and keep all the bu... More

Today, Lemoal Lemoal Architectes are delivering the new Gonzague Saint Bris social and cultural center in Cabourg. The project has been driven by the mayor of Cabourg, whose aim was to group the city’s cultural and social services on a single site. The architects wished to offer both an urban response by revitalizing a formerly isolated lot and a long term solution by employing local skills as well as local materials.   The lot designated for the city’s social and cultural center was isolated, its location removed from the flow of the street. >From the outset, this posed a problem for the project’s visibility and access to the site. To underscore the public purpose of this facility, the architects chose to reorganize the street plan... More

This residence overlooking the city of Matsumoto with its famous castle and the beautiful mountain ridgeline beyond was designed for the mother of lead architect Hitoshi Saruta and guided by memories of his own childhood in Matsumoto. The house frames its sweeping views in a way that constantly reveals fresh discoveries in the changing color of the sky, the movement of the clouds, the mood of the mountains, and the shifting seasons.   Although the windows at first appear randomly placed, they are in fact carefully designed so that their varied sizes, depths, heights, finishes, and shapes present a diverse sequence of scenes whether the viewer is sitting or standing. The barnacle shape of the bay windows serves to heighten this framin... More

In designing this 24,000-square-foot, five-level structure in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, the design team worked closely with the owners to create a luxurious shopping experience for their customers that highlights the company’s commitment to sustainable business. The building also features a 3,500-square-foot, fifth floor apartment which serves as the owner’s primary residence. Originating in 1972, Bedrooms & More has been continuously operated by the family ever since. The new headquarters, situated on a rising site above I-5, becomes a prominent landmark and beacon for people heading into the residential neighborhoods from the freeway.     To improve visibility and provide drama for passing cars,... More

Located in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, this bungalow built in the 60s and owned by a young family had already undergone some renovations. With ever-growing needs and four young children, the clients wanted to adapt the residence to their new reality. The mandate was to enlarge and renovate the building while preserving its original cachet. The program was to include a new kitchen, a new dining room that comfortably accommodates the six family members, a new master suite and dedicated bathroom, a new laundry room and a refurbished lobby.   In order to preserve the size of the building similar to the surrounding houses, the project is based on the extension of the existing ground floor in the backyard. A simple extension of the existin... More

The concept of the house are two volumes intersected by a vestibule space and stairs, all spaces have views of Valle de Bravo Lake.The house is built with a bolted metal structure and the slabs are of exposed wooden beams with planks.The walls are of exposed planked concrete and without coating.   The volumes are wide open to the gardens and terraces facing to East-West to capture all the sunbathing on the terraces, so we design some aluminum sunshades and we have outdoor seating areas with shade.   All the floors in the upper story are from Oak, the interior spaces of the public areas are concrete and the terraces with the pool are marble, Travertino Silver Gray.   All the furniture is imported proposed by Piso 18 Cont... More

Style, Materials and Colors The house has been designed in a rural-industrial style that emphasizes the spectacular, endless view outside and creates a material continuum to the house’s interior. It is also enveloped by green woodlands, overlooking the sea from its high vista location, and this colorful scene, which changes in color as the day progresses, enhances the effect of the house’s interior.   The color scaling in the house is based on smoky deep toning and extensive use has been made of natural materials and their raw shapes in wood, steel, and brass, which is expressed in the exposed wooden ceilings, flooring and wall coverings; furniture and lighting fixtures.   Ground floor: The entrance to the house... More

Having previously started work on a different project in a smaller location, I abandoned my first idea for these clients, so as to initiate this project in a larger plot of land, thereby delivering the possibility of building a single storey house.Although the programme remained the same, the setting created the physical and spatial possibility of increasing the respective areas of the intended spaces and trying out a different type of construction - wooden construction.The dense covering of eucalyptus trees was completely removed from the plot of land, thus revealing the gentle elevation of the land and its views to the southeast.The programme originated a dwelling with a large covered area, which might otherwise have been difficult to con... More

Driven by a passion for content and technology, HBO Digital Products is charged with developing HBO’s new digital and interactive experiences and is responsible for such products as HBO GO and HBO NOW. To manage dramatic expansion in the Seattle area, HBO signed a lease for the top three floors of a new mid-rise building known as Hill7. They recognized this as an opportunity to develop a high-performance workspace that would support their main objective—reengineering entertainment.Rapt Studio’s discovery process unpacked the heart, soul, and internal workings of HBO Digital Products, helping to identify their unique characteristics, their agile work process, potential optimization strategies, as well as the special Pacific Northwest flavor... More

Located in a three-story quaint building, RedFarm London is designed to blend the feel of a farmer’s market with a modern dim-sum restaurant. The ground and second floors feature painted white brick walls and exposed wooden beams inviting guests into the intimate setting. CRÈME outfitted the space with wooden tables and chairs, red and white gingham fabric, and vintage crates to create a classic farmhouse feel. The focal point of the ground floor is a decorative and exotic live wall which reinforces the restaurant’s use of fresh ingredients. Menus, chopsticks, floral and candles hang from rustic piping above the booths and communal tables, showcasing a modern and rustic décor. In addition to the cozy booths, the communal tables with mismatc... More

Tucked into a low valley, next to a creek, this Mill Valley modern home was in need of some serious design love. Our clients, an environmental attorney, his wife and two kids purchased the house knowing they wanted to do an extensive renovation of both the house and grounds. The house had a frumpy exterior and an interior that was dominated by a massive, faux finished steel skylight, and a teal green polished concrete floor.Our clients were looking for a fresh vision that didn't require extensive demolition. The scope included a remodel of Kitchen, Living, Dining, Master Bath, and 2 home office spaces. We did a radical facelift on the exterior, keeping the basic massing but creating distinct volumes, added a dramatic entry th... More