Artists Homes by ACC Art Books

D E SI GN I N G SPACE S FO R LI VI NG A CRE ATI VE L IFE

Contents 10 Introduction

Contents 10 Introduction

254 Project Credits

Introduction Designing a home that yields itself to fulfilling domestic and family life is already a big task, and a challenge to connect to the nature of the unique domestic requirements for each home. Adding to that task is the layer of creativity required in designing for another creative force, an artist’s own home. This can be an expression of all of the senses, from sight, sound, smell, and even olfactory aspersion.The designer needs to consider what would yield to creative output, all the while answering to their personality, family, and setting. These can be homes in a remote field, an apartment, or a quintessential suburban home.

photography equipment, or a shelving component for canvases. It quickly can become a lot more elaborate, with pulley systems and heavy foundations required for some sculptural works of marble or steel.While at other homes, a musician is crafting a tune, in a docile space of silence and solitude built to perfected acoustics. Adding to the complexity of each unique residence, we as architects and designers also have to imagine that not only is an artist living in these homes, sometimes with families, but they are also basing their creativity within their respective residence. Thus, for the designer and architect of the home, they must consider that a strong creative force will be influenced by the space. This is quite the heavy task, with future art being created and ultimately impacted by the home’s mood. Think of the quintessential novelist, setting up a typewriter in a storybook setting within a quaint home on a knoll or forest.

The modern home is considered by some to be a machine for living, designed for the betterment of its inhabitants; however, when considering the design for an artist, the designer also needs to consider particular functionality and an openness to yield artistic expression. This can be something as simple as a storage system for

FRAMING A CONNECTION S E AT T L E , WA , U N I T E D S TAT E S

When an artist and an engineer couple listed additional criteria for their new home complete with an internal art studio, these included a contemporary style, lots of natural light, an art-gallery-feel, and a strong relationship between the interior and exterior. The result is this delightful residence that condenses a precise list of conditions into a home that defers to the lives of its occupants with a simple, elegant design—a house as a frame, not a subject. A checker-board-type layout alternates interior and exterior spaces along a theme of frames and visual connections that inspires design details to showcase attractive framed views, such as the Japanese garden, and also allows visual connections between the couple.The living and dining areas extend from the front to the rear on the main floor.White-painted gypsum wall board as the principal material is easy on the budget and provides for the clients’ request for wall space to display a growing collection of art. The art studio, where the couple often works side-by-side individually creating encaustic and mixed-media paintings, is a double-height volume adjacent to the main living space; it is built half a level lower to establish segregation in space. Custom detailing that spans windows, kitchen countertops, bookshelves, and bathroom cabinetry, extending to an ofuro (a Japanese tub with traditional joinery), truly tailor this home specifically for its occupants.

FRAMING A CONNECTION S E AT T L E , WA , U N I T E D S TAT E S

NATURAL INSTINCT P E T R Ó P O L I S, B R A Z I L

Katharina Welper, an artist by nature and profession, shares her personal sanctuary in Samambaia in Petrópolis, a city north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with her three daughters and her architect husband, Rodrigo Simão, who also happens to be the home’s designer. As organic as her creative work, their home integrates with its natural setting and features plenty of outdoor areas as well as three art studios. The circulation flows purposefully and slowly, introducing areas in the home and beyond—such as the garden, art studios, children’s treehouse, and swimming pool. A wooden deck marks the entrance and leads past sliding glass doors into an audaciously open-plan interior that integrates a kitchen, dining, and living area. One of the art studios marks the other side of the deck with stairs that ascend to a mezzanine terrace. Reclaimed and rescued materials, such as stones from a hundred-year-old wall, wooden planks from a demolition project, and old doors find a place in the decor, structure, and masonry foundation, weaving contrast and charm into the home, next to native materials like pink peroba planks in the stairs. Polished concrete slabs form the floors in the interior, balconies, and terraces, while concrete in sections of wall, and slabs molded in the formwork enhance the crude aesthetics of the home. A thin, carbon-steel structure codes a stripped-back architecture that gives a light impression. It also allows large spans of glazing, such as glass walls right up to the roof, encouraging a deeper integration of the home with the nature around it.The home’s laid-back personality, enhanced by its dematerialized form, is refreshing and recharging. 118

119

NATURAL INSTINCT P E T R Ó P O L I S, B R A Z I L

119

The scooped roof and round pool of the home contrast its light, casual presence with more visibly striking features. 120

121

The scooped roof and round pool of the home contrast its light, casual presence with more visibly striking features. 120

121

ENGAGING THE VIEW T RO U T L A K E , WA , U N I T E D S TAT E S

This stylish yet minimalist home functions as an artist retreat for Brad and Julie (a painter and photographer, and a textile artist and designer, respectively) who both incorporate the natural landscape into their artworks, and wanted a creative space for their new residence. A key request for the design was that it would connect to the surrounding landscape, and contain studio space that was separate but also related to the cohesive whole of the build.The stunning location forms an inspiring backdrop to the residence, with forested hills and mountain ranges, and just steps away from White Salmon River. The construction recalls vernacular architecture in an evolved, modern remake, and employs low-maintenance materials with minimal finishes. Comprising four buildings, the site is separated into two clusters that accommodate a residence and studio spaces. Bi-folding doors maximize the view, opening up the building to light and the landscape; their massive formats also allow large artworks and equipment to be moved in and out easily. The main residence is housed in a T-shaped cluster together with work spaces, a carport, and a covered courtyard. The bedroom is on the second floor, while a library, open-plan kitchen, and living and dining area are situated on the first floor. A doublesided fireplace separates the areas and creates a warm, cozy environment when lit. The second cluster is used to host retreats and community-based arts workshops, and includes guest quarters as well as a large, free-standing artist studio. There is no doubt that the sweeping views of the river and Mount Adams provide a never-ending source of inspiration.

236

237

ENGAGING THE VIEW T RO U T L A K E , WA , U N I T E D S TAT E S

236

237

238

239

238

239

Creative souls have always craved a space in which to bring forth their artistic ideas and develop their practice. Continuing the tradition of the contemporary arts practitioner working from a home studio, many creative folk will often prefer to carve out a space within their own residence. Artists Homes examines the residences of a select group of professional artists who work across a broad range of artistic styles, from writing, photography, and painting through to music, sculpture, and pottery (and more), and shares how each of these modern craftspeople and artists takes inspiration from the transformation of their home interiors and surroundings to live a creative life.

Front cover photography: Cris Beltran (DTR_studio architects, House for a Painter) Back cover photography: Brandon Shigeta (Dan Brunn Architecture, Hide-Out)

$40.00 [USA] £30.00 [GB]