GRAY Magazine No. 70: Super.

No. 70

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No. 70: SUPER

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82

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

18 / GRAY Awards.

82 / Interview.

Intel.

Design DNA.

Introducing the 7th Annual GRAY Awards winning projects.

Super.

94 / Transportation.

Nigerian designer Nifemi MarcusBello is bringing contemporary West African design to global audiences.

A conceptual interpretation of the Lexus LF-ZC concept car playfully explores the future possibilities of solar energy.

88 / Current Affairs.

96 / Collaboration.

As the world’s first arena with Zero Carbon Certification, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena sets a global precedent for the future of sustainable mass gatherings.

No. 70:

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The American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills announce the 2024 Tribal College Blanket Contest winner.

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100

112

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

100 / Desert Escape.

122 / Design Firms.

Features.

Designing a Nevada compound from the ground up, Daniel Joseph Chenin uses the concept of discovery to create a residence that blends eye-catching décor with elevated architectural details.

112 / Elevated Nature.

A modern West Coast home

by Garret Werner embraces its rugged surroundings.

Contacts.

On the cover.

Omar Gandhi Architects wins the GRAY Awards: Interior Design, Commercial category for Prime Seafood Palace. Photographed by Adrian Ozimek, see page 52.

N0. 70: SUPER

Publisher SHAWN WILLIAMS

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No. 70. Copyright ©2024 GRAY is published 4 times a year by GRAY Media, LLC. All rights reserved, reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. While every attempt has been made, GRAY cannot guarantee the legality, completeness, or accuracy of the information presented and accepts no warranty or responsibility for such. Paper used in the production of this magazine comes from well-managed sources.

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How do you build a house without walls?

It’s a riddle solved by the teams of Charlie & Co. Design Ltd. and John Kraemer and Sons Custom Builders by crafting a stunning home nestled among the trees, water, and greenery, seamlessly connecting the inner and outer worlds into one home.

AS FAR AS THE MIND CAN SEE

The highlights include 60-foot-long sliding doors on both sides—a nearly unprecedented expanse of glass —from the Marvin Modern product line to maximize the natural light and views, with a product that is slim, but strong enough to withstand harsh winters.

“ When you have this much glass in a home, you feel part of the outdoors, but you’re also being protected as well.”

“ The goal of the design was minimalism with various levels of transparency that create an effortless flow between the inside and outside worlds.”

Floor-to-ceiling views of nature wrap from the front yard to the back. “It’s like a living home, Simmons said. “Whether it's noon in December or July, the light here is different.”

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

One hurdle: Buildings must stand up. Glass is not designed to hold weight, so to overcome this challenge, architect Charlie Simmons, founding principal at Charlie & Co. Design Ltd. and his team included structural design pieces like a stone fireplace shear wall to blend form and function. “There are very few actual walls, particularly on the first floor,” Simmons said.

“ When you have the abilities and the engineering to realize results in unique and inspiring ways, beauty can be achieved.”

For more inspiration, visit marvin.com/makespace

Destination DesignCon: Palm Springs May 2–4, 2024

Join us for an immersive symposium of ideas, inspiration, and experiences centered on design and futurism in the built environment.

15+ speakers Offsite events Opening soirée Afterparty + more tickets: graymag.com/designcon

Interior Design Tours.

Come see the works of top U.S. interior designers!

JENNVERRIER; KARA MERCER; THE MORRISONS

GRAY and Modern Architecture + Design Society invite you inside our curated collection of uniquely designed residential and commercial spaces. You’ll meet some of the best designers in these cities; see a diverse range of styles; and get the inside scoop on which brands and contractors they use. Discover new ideas and gain inspiration for your next project!

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Washington D.C. metro

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TICKETS graymag.com/design-tours

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: A luxurious living room designed by Lisa & Leroy on the D.C. tour; This live-work space by Michelle Dirkse Interior Design

is part of the Seattle tour; and if you think this bathroom designed by Osmose is wild, you should see the rest of the house on the Portland tour.

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7th Annual

GRAY AWARDS. Presented in partnership with

Charity partner

GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Each year, GRAY singles out a respected and influential member of the Pacific Northwest design community with a prolific body of work as a receipient of the Legacy award. The 7th Annual GRAY Awards honor goes to:

JOHNPAUL JONES, FAIA. As founding partner of Seattle-based Jones & Jones, architect Johnpaul Jones has spent decades working with American Indian tribes, incorporating Native architectural motifs and philosophies into his designs, and designing some of the country’s most culturally significant American Indian buildings.

After growing up in Oklahoma with his Welsh-American father and his mother who was of Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, Jones and his family moved to California.

An internship at a San Jose architectural firm led him to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon. After graduating in 1967, Jones began connecting his work to the natural, animal, spiritual, and human worlds—a design philosophy that emerged from his Choctaw-Cherokee ancestors and is shared by his firm to this day. Each of the practice’s new designs considers all four of these aspects—the results are buildings that complement the land, its ecology, and its community.

Jones’ designs have won widespread acclaim for their reverence for the earth, for paying deep respect to regional Indigenous architectural traditions and native landscapes, and for heightening understanding of Indigenous people and their diverse cultures. But his sensitive approach to cultural heritage is not

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limited to Indigenous projects: In 2011, for example, the firm designed the Bainbridge Island JapaneseAmerican Exclusion Memorial to convey the tragic story of the forcible internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. A long history of noteworthy projects across North America includes cultural centers, longhouses, and museums. The culmination of his focus on American Indian buildings was a 12-year engagement as the lead design consultant for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, D.C. For that project, Jones observed the site and its surroundings, noticing how everything around it was linear, from rows of trees to buildings and static reflecting pools. The resulting design, which overlooks a reclaimed wetland, is organic, curved, and contoured in honor of the natural heritage of Native people.

A Fellow in the American Institute of Architects, Jones is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities, awarded to him by President Barack Obama in 2014. In 2023, President Joe Biden appointed Jones to the Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees. h

COURTESY JONES & JONES

Jones was the lead design consultant for the National Museum of the American Indian, which opened in 2004 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The five-story, 250,000-square-foot, curvilinear building is clad in a golden-colored Kasota limestone mimicking natural rock formations shaped by wind and water over thousands of years.

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INTEL

GRAY AWARDS

“THE LAND BRIDGE IS A REAL LINK CONNECTING BACK TO THE KLICKITAT TRAIL, LEWIS AND CLARK, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHWEST. IT COMPLETES A CIRCLE THAT’S BEEN BROKEN.” —JOHNPAUL JONES, JONES & JONES

The Land Bridge, designed by Jones & Jones with consultation from Maya Lin, is a 40-foot wide earth-covered pedestrian bridge that arcs over State Route 14 in Vancouver, Washington.

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BRUCE FORSTER COURTESY JONES & JONES

Reconnecting historic Fort Vancouver with the Columbia River waterfront, the project is one of six art landscapes commissioned by the Confluence Project, a nonprofit focused on sharing the history, cultures, and ecology of the Columbia River system through Indigenous voices.

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INTEL

DESIGN FOR GOOD

Viewfinder Apartments. __ GRAY AWARDS

Scott Edwards Architecture

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QUANTA COLLECTIV

Designed by Scott Edwards Architecture, Viewfinder is an affordable multi-family development leading the charge in transforming Oregon’s Tigard Triangle zone. The bright, modern building includes numerous amenities—such as a community room, indoor and outdoor play areas, computer room, and flexible gathering spaces—meant to encourage resident interaction.

Local ties come through integrated art: photography and collages related to the region appear on the building’s exterior ceramic rainscreen panels, and work by local and

Native artists plays a pivotal role in interior wayfinding. Construction was underway as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing Scott Edwards Architecture to adapt its design “to provide additional interior resiliency features and further implement principles of traumainformed design. These include natural light in all occupied spaces, joyful color palettes, increased safety features, and staff visibility from the lobby and waiting areas, encouraging trust and interaction between residents and staff.” h

DESIGN TEAM: Scott Edwards Architecture. COLLABORATORS: Community Development Partners, Bremik Construction, Guardian Management LLC, Housing Authority of Washington County (HAWC), Good Neighbor Center, Laura Weiler (Cut & Placed, Collage Artist), Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Land Acknowledgement Artist), Michael Foushee Photography LLC, ABHT Structural Engineers, Global Transportation Engineering, Macdonald Environmental Planning, Humber Design Group, Interface Engineering. LOCATION: Tigard, Oregon, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: December 2021.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Judging panelist

Lee Broom.

Destined to make a mark in design, Lee Broom spent much of his early adulthood figuring out where to focus his creativity. A stint in theater school; a design-competition win that led him to work with Vivienne Westwood; a degree in fashion design from London’s legendary Central Saint Martins (graduates include John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Stella McCartney); and an interior design side hustle turned small business—originally started to pay his student debts— put him in the right direction. Four years after graduating from Central Saint Martins, in 2007, he launched the furniture and lighting brand for which he is known today.

Broom’s designs combine craft and heritage but are ultimately modernist. He designs for longevity rather than bowing to trends. “I am very much inspired by materials and manufacturing techniques, and I like to explore how I can reinterpret them, striking a balance between modernism and nostalgia, re-imagining silhouettes and playing with form and shape,” Broom explains.

Story and theater play a big part in Broom’s conceptual, dynamic interior installations that have captivated audiences at design weeks in London, New York, and Milan. The award-winning designer, whose accolades include British Designer of the Year and The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, sells products at over 250 stores in 50 countries around the world.

Today, Broom splits his time between London, where the company got its start, and New York, where, in 2021, he took occupancy of his elegantly designed residential penthouse and showroom in Tribeca, 26

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specced out with a combination of Lee Broom originals, curated vintage furniture, and cultural artifacts. This year, Broom will release a new lighting collection at NYCxDesign 2024, the first time he has launched a product in the US. “My best advice [when it comes to investing in design] is to prioritize innovation and craftsmanship,” Broom says. “Embrace designs that not only captivate visually but will also stand the test of time.

And choose something that brings you joy. Functionality is important, but so is the way an object makes you feel.” h

LUKE HAYES

Lee Broom’s Vesper pendant hangs as one of six lighting arrangements in the designer’s whimsical and ecclesiastic Divine Inspiration exhibition in Milan, 2022.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Judging panelist

Stephen Burks.

Designer Stephen Burks was into the industry’s two big C-words— collaboration and craftsmanship— long before they were buzzy social media hashtags. Born in Chicago, Burks started his independent design career in 2000 when Italian manufacturer Cappellini put his first pieces into production and launched his name onto the global stage.

Work with Missoni followed, and, in 2005, Burks went to South Africa, where he started collaborating with international artisans to design and produce the handcrafted furniture and accessories that became the hallmark of his holistic practice.

“We believe everyone is capable of design and continue to work to create more space for a pluralistic vision of design that is inclusive of all cultural perspectives,” says Burks, whose studio, Stephen Burks Man Made, is in Brooklyn. “Our practice is less about a style or fixed formal vocabulary and more about an expansive set of ideas.”

Channeling the transformative power of handcrafted objects in the face of our increasingly technologydependent world, Burks doubles down on storytelling through design, drawing from personal experiences and the history, art, and culture he encounters in his travels. In addition to furniture and lighting—designed for his studio and other labels, including Dedon, Roche Bobois, and Living Divani—Burks has a roster of museum exhibitions and design gallery collaborations under his

belt. Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place is currently on show (through April 14) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Burks became the first African American to receive the Collab Design Excellence Award.

Additionally, he is the only African American to win the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Product Design and the only industrial designer awarded the prestigious Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

After nearly three decades in the industry, Burks has tapped into the importance of design at a deeper level. “At the start of my career, it was commonly understood that form follows function,” he says.

“Today, form follows meaning.

Design must find ways to serve society and add value to our lives in meaningful ways.” h

STEPHEN BURKS

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Standing at 6 feet tall, Ancestors (Guardian) is made of Corten steel, glazed stoneware, and silicone rubber.

The sculpture, completed in 2023, establishes self-transcendence as the starting point for Black resistance within the complex history of the African American experience.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Judging panelist

Alessandro Munge.

Growing up in Toronto, Italian-born designer Alessandro Munge was pegged early by family and friends as a creatively driven kid. His mother, Nella, owned a drapery business, and by the time Munge was in his early teens, he was helping out around the shop and accompanying her to client appointments.

“One day, I picked up a pencil and started doodling a solution for her client, who fell in love with it and ultimately commissioned it,” Munge recalls. “It was such a formative moment because not only did I realize the power of communication through sketches, but I also learned design value and the realities behind running an independent business.”

Four years after graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University with a degree in interior design, Munge teamed up with thencolleague Sia Leung to launch Munge Leung studio in 1997.

It wasn’t until 2015 that Munge launched his namesake firm, Studio Munge. The designer quickly made a name for himself in the hospitality sector, turning out refined restaurants and bars across Canada and the United States—eventually growing his studio to more than 60 employees and taking on partnerships with luxury hotel clients, including Rosewood, Hilton, Park Hyatt, the Ritz-Carlton, and Shangri-La. More recently, Studio Munge broadened its scope, “adding resort planning, building programming, conceptual architecture, and landscaping to complement the interiors,” Munge notes. “It enables us to be more exploratory and 30

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holistically express our creativity.”

In 2024, the studio will open a satellite office in Miami, a move Munge hopes will expand its reach through Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Munge’s sought-after work— imaginative spaces that are worlds unto themselves—are catnip for the Instagram age. The designer doesn’t see this as a negative, noting that “exposure has become more mainstream, which is fantastic in some ways. With the expansion of social media, we’re fostering knowledge accessibility, mass distribution of content, and cross-pollination of ideas.” But he also notes that social media has “somewhat diluted originality on a global scale, so designers should continue to seek and value contemporary design while celebrating the local identities and cultural heritage that have shaped cities.” h

INSET: ALVARO GOVEIA; OWEN RAGGETT

A soulful material palette defines the Fiamma Italian Restaurant, a contemporary Italian grill and steak house designed by Studio Munge at the MGM Hotel in Qingdao, China.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Judging panelist

Brigitte Shim.

Known for her academic leadership and forward-thinking approach to design, Brigitte Shim is one of Canada’s most important contemporary architects. A principal at Toronto-based design firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects—co-founded with her husband, A. Howard Sutcliffe, in 1994—Shim has long paid attention to the impact of scale, materials, and construction on both a building and its end user.

“The discipline of architecture enables us to reimagine and reshape our physical environment in remarkable ways,” Shim says.

“We are always challenged and engaged by architecture and the related design disciplines of landscape, furniture, and fittings.

We love working at multiple scales of design and enjoy the resonances.”

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Shim landed in Toronto as a young child when her family immigrated to Canada. She attended college at the University of Waterloo, where she earned two degrees—one in environmental studies and one in architecture—and met Sutcliffe.

The pair’s first project (designed and built before they launched their multi-award-winning firm) was a Corten steel garden pavilion and reflecting pool nestled in a wooded ravine in Don Mills, Ontario. In the 1990s and early 2000s, ShimSutcliffe Architects was among a group of Toronto firms, including Bruce Mau and Yabu Pushelberg, that catapulted the city’s design scene into the global spotlight.

Known primarily for experimental residential projects, the firm has also designed religious buildings, galleries, and, more recently, Canada’s first Ace Hotel, which 32

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opened in Toronto in 2022. “Our studio is committed to placemaking,” Shim explains. “We strive to create rich spatial experiences that move between inside and out.”

In addition to her architectural work, Shim is a longtime academic.

Her teaching career began at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design in 1988, where she remains a tenured professor today. “Engaging in the education of the next generation of designers is a responsibility and a privilege,” she says. “Students of architecture and design are curious, engaged, and committed to making a difference in society.

We need to give them the tools to realize their vision and to challenge them to shape the future of our profession.” h

EDWARD BURTYNSKY

The Point William home, designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects on Lake Muskoka in Ontario, Canada, is iconic for interweaving natural elements—and its more than 20-year build time.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Judging panelist

Silvia Tcherassi.

For the Colombian-born fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi, 2024 will be a year of evolution and celebration. Her globally renowned brand—known for its colorful, bold, feminine apparel drawing on classic South American design—will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Miami store and add Bal Harbour, Florida to its list of retail locations.

A long-established household name in Colombia, Tcherassi uses her hometown, Barranquilla, as the base for her brand’s production.

Here, clothes are sewn with primarily Italian-sourced fabrics. Each collection combines elements of Colombia culture, contemporary design, and an exploration of material properties.

One collaboration—with the indigenous Wayuu women of Colombia’s Guajira region—resulted in a contemporary rendition of the traditional hand-woven mochila bag.

“My concept of design has been fueled by the ongoing pursuit of effortless elegance—a notion that excludes anything over-the-top and is never pretentious, but rather, holds craftsmanship to the highest regard,” Tcherassi says. “Through this process, I try to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.”

Tcherassi, who began her career as an interior designer, opened the acclaimed Tcherassi Hotel + Spa in a 250-year-old mansion in Cartagena de Indias. Iconic design references often pop up: Miami’s pioneer of modern design, Morris Lapidus, inspired last year’s pre-fall collection, designed with her daughter Sofia, the brand’s director of ready-to-wear.

Making it a family affair, Tcherassi’s son Mauricio joined the company as director of innovation in 2017. “New energy is crucial to fashion, and evolution and innovative ideas are an intrinsic part of it,” explains Tcherassi, a designer who is as firmly connected to where she is from as to where she is going.

“Sustainability and innovation are top of mind for us, so to see all of the new, technology-driven options out there in terms of design and materials has been great,” says Tcherassi.

“Despite this, I hope that the human touch and the art of manual labor during our production process remains central to our work.” h

SILVIA TCHERESSI

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Fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi’s Madrid boutique, her first in Europe, opened in 2015 on the city’s Golden Mile, known for its luxury shopping.

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7th Annual GRAY Awar Product Design, Lighting/Furnit

INTEL

Matthew McCormick Stud

7th Annual GRAY Awards Student

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Idaho Design Build, University of Idaho

7th Annual GRAY Awards Legacy

After more than 100 years of housing various businesses—a utility company, private offices, a bank—the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center building felt unfocused. Meant to be a welcoming, community-centric gathering space for the small Idaho town, the 3,150-square-foot structure needed a refresh, so the Chamber turned to Idaho Design Build—a studio integrated into the Architecture Department at the University of Idaho. “We partnered with the Chamber to renovate the interiors and create an inviting protected secondary entry,” the group writes in its entry.

“The Chamber needed a place to host events, welcome visitors, and display unique aspects of Moscow’s diverse culture to new audiences.”

Using forward-thinking design solutions—such as developing a mortarless, compressed-earth block partition wall system or integrating artful details into privacy screens—the students developed a contemporary civic space that connects to Moscow’s rich heritage and history. h

GRAY AWARDS

7th Annual GRAY Awar Interior Design, Resident

Lucas Interior

Johnpaul Jones, FAIA

MOSCOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISITOR CENTER.

GRAY

MATT WEIGAND

DESIGN TEAM: Idaho Design Build, University of Idaho students: Ezrie Anderson, David Asokeji, Carson Conery, Asia Davis, Bethany Frey, Litzy Gomez, John Gross, Karl Hunt, Chloe Macon, Anneke Mulder, Syringa Riley, Garrett Schwalber, Madeline Smith, Kelsey Starman, Taylor Watson, Matt Weigand, Brittney Ellenbecker, Riley Leighton, Scott Lawrence. COLLABORATORS: Moscow Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center staff and board of directors; Electrical contractor: Gropp Heating, Air & Electric; Plumbing contractor: McCoy Plumbing & Heating.

LOCATION: Moscow, Idaho, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: July 2023.

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Measured Architecture

FASHION FICTIONS.

DESIGN TEAM: Measured Architecture. COLLABORATORS: Vancouver Art Gallery.

LOCATION: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: May 2023.

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7th Annual GRAY Awards Student

7th Annual GRAY Awards Wild Card

GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

Idaho Design Build, University of Idaho

EMA PETER

Material—and its potential for creating forms with transparency and volume—was the starting point for the design of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Fashion Fictions exhibition. After experimenting with numerous technical fabrics, Vancouver-based Measured Architecture settled on a translucent sharkstooth scrim—a patterned woven gauze malleable enough to wrap and stretch around customized frames. In addition to its pliable nature, the most appealing quality of working with material was its potential for reuse after the exhibition.

Because of their sculptural quality, each piece in the exhibition needed an individual mounting system. Measured started by classifying each item and assigning it to a display platform. Once placed, the scrims could be shaped around each module to create spatial forms and light effects. The resulting minimal backdrops delineated and illuminated the exhibition spaces, moving people through different thematic areas and leading visitors to key pieces.

Beyond working closely with the exhibition’s curator, Stephanie Rebick, Measured worked with The Material Matters Lab—a hybrid lab, workshop, and teaching space at Emily Carr University of Art + Design—who created a satellite lab for the exhibition to host panels, discussion,s and workshops about materials used in fashion and to explore what goes into the creative process. h GRAY

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OVA. 40

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These double-dipped glass pendants glow with an ethereal light. Like pearls, each Ova is slightly different, thanks to a hand-casting process that applies a carefully calculated layer of clear or frosted glass on top of an inner opaque form. A “primal spine” is added to the outer layer—the glass line is applied from top to bottom on a single side of the pendant, adding depth, shape, and a slight obscuration of the inner light source.

For Matthew McCormick Studio, known for its graphic and geometric light forms, the Ova marks a departure from rigid constraints.

The studio experimented with concepts, materials, and techniques for a year and a half, and some of the final pieces were the result of “happy accidents.” Available in clusters of up to 55 cascading pendants, the Ova’s nuanced and playful forms provide visual depth and movement. h

INSETS: BRIT GILL

DESIGN TEAM: Matthew McCormick Studio.

DATE OF COMPLETION: September 2023.

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GRAY AWARDS

INTEL

New from Turf, a Chicago-based manufacturer of office acoustic solutions, Plaid is a configurable, felt grid that dampens noise in striking style. Ideal for commercial and open-plan office spaces, Plaid’s classic, clean grid pattern comes with a myriad of design-forward installation options, such as open-edge, bordered, and

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on-center grid spacing. (The on-center grid allows Plaid to be seamlessly laid out according to existing frameworks, including HVAC systems, lighting, and vents.) Mix and match colors for a custom look or choose the same tone for the entire system to make a visual impact. With an eye to fabricating environmentally

7th Annual GRAY Awards Architecture, Commercial

Zaha Hadid Architects & Jakub Cigler Architek DESIGN Turf. Real Estate forTEAM: Penta DATE OF COMPLETION:

7th Annual GRAY Awards Product Design, Other

February 2023.

TURF

friendly products, Turf uses 60 percent pre-consumer recycled PET felt to make Plaid (it is 100 percent recyclable at the end of its lifecycle); the material emerges from production with a heathered effect that gives the finished tiles a nuanced depth. h

Turf

PLAID. GRAY

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GRAY AWARDS

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ULIVETO.

DESIGN TEAM: Surfacedesign. COLLABORATORS: Architect: Olson Kundig; Landscape Contractor: Siteworks Landscape.

LOCATION: Foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, California, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: Ongoing.

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MARION BRENNER

Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, the Woodside Residence landscape blurs the lines between the surrounding geography and the three-acre private residence. San Francisco-based landscape designers Surfacedesign added stairs, terraces, and walls to the rolling site to create and frame spaces for planting.

A contemporary, Mediterranean-inspired plant palette greets visitors at the front gate; an olive orchard and hedges of dwarf olives and lavender punctuate the winding journey to the house; a court of exotic sculptural succulents frames the main entry.

Veiled from the neighboring streets and trails, the rest of the property has predominantly California-native flora. In the rear garden, a fire pit and infinity pool—whose retaining wall negotiates the property’s grade while marking a change in planting zones—are set in the foreground of the terrace vineyard and a perennial meadow.

Evergreen shrubs and blooming perennials are the core of the meadow, while other low-water plants provide structure and space for habitat creation. The planting is arranged in drifts that meander down from the top of the hills, where the dry-climate plants reside, into the valleys, where the water runoff promotes a greener, lusher landscape.

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CARLA RIDGE.

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This modern residence, built for a family passionate about art and architecture, is dedicated to tranquility and togetherness.

To be closer to their 6-year-old granddaughter in Los Angeles, the New York-based client—who in 1981, founded a perfume brand that has grown to be a leading global purveyor of beauty and wellness products—and his wife began looking for a West Coast property where they could split their time.

They found a Beverly Hills plot with a panoramic view of the Santa Monica mountains.

With the lot secured, the couple enlisted siblings Suzie and David Lucas of Seattle-based Lucas Interior to design a home that would reference the midcentury architectural heritage for which their new neighborhood, Trousdale Estates, is known. According to their submission, the Lucases worked closely with their clients to “refine the midcentury elements that worked well and fold those details into a new home that felt current, immaculate, and inspired by the couple’s [art] collection.”

The low-profile, single-story residence features a materials palette of glass, wood, limestone, and terrazzo—the latter chosen for its midcentury prominence—which serves as a backdrop for a mix of modern art and contemporary furniture in soothing neutral shades. To suit the clients’ dayto-day lifestyle, the designers nixed a formal dining room in favor of a flexible-use space where the pair can relax, read the newspaper, or sit by the fire. »

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DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

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DESIGN TEAM: Lucas Interior. COLLABORATORS: Architectural Designer: Shubin Donaldson; Landscape Architect: David Hocker; Builder: Hill Construction Company; Lighting Designer: Matthew Tirschwell; Lighting Sculpture: David Wiseman. LOCATION: Beverly Hills, California, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: Summer 2021. h

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DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY; ADRIAN OZIMEK

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PRIME SEAFOOD PALACE.

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Hidden in plain sight, Prime Seafood Palace is an awe-inspiring escape from the sensory overload of Queen Street in downtown Toronto.

Canadian Architect Omar Gandhi imagined the restaurant as a light-filled wood cathedral made with local, natural materials that complement the unpretentious but high-quality food from Canadian chef Matty Matheson.

An inconspicuous brick-clad building on a corner lot became the shell for Gandhi’s design, which fits neatly within the constraints of the original space. Diners enter through a quiet courtyard where they encounter the two-story vaulted roof lined with narrow suspended wood slats—a treatment echoed in the restaurant’s window coverings and brass room dividers. A wood-clad cloud form hangs along the length of the vaulted ceiling, filtering light to cast a soft, indirect, natural glow across the restaurant’s interior. A complex lighting control system amplifies the natural light’s effects; it can adjust interior light levels in response to exterior equivalents.

Natural leather-upholstered booths give the warmth and comfort of a traditional diner—a reference to Matheson’s grandfather’s Blue Goose Restaurant on Prince Edward Island. The Canadian region’s vernacular—along with Scandinavian and Japanese architecture— influenced the design for Prime Seafood Palace. Custom chairs and tables, outfitted with hidden drawers for Perceval steak knives, were created in collaboration with Coolican & Company. A trip to the restroom is a must if only to gaze up at the white Bianco Carrara bamboo-tiled lightwell, a transcendent experience worthy of this chapel of design. »

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DESIGN TEAM: Omar Gandhi Architects. COLLABORATORS: Restaurant team: Matty Matheson, Gary Quinto, Coulson Armstrong, Our House Hospitality Company; Physical model: Mary Ma; Structural: Diomis Engineering; Mechanical & Electrical: Spline Group; Code: LMDG Building Code Consultants Ltd.; Lighting Controls and Dimming: OneLX. Custom furniture: Coolican & Company. Millworker (primary): Canara Woodworking Inc. Additional millwork: CNC Cutting Inc. Custom concrete sinks: Brandon Gore (Hard Goods). Custom booth pendants: Concord Custom Lighting.

Custom signage: Filo Timo. Art: Darby Milbrath. Specialty paint finish: Handsome Painters. Uniforms: Rosa Rugosa, Contractor: Mazenga Building Group (primary), Bootstrap Design/Build. Manufacturers/Suppliers: Moncer (engineered hardwood flooring), Baro Klaus (selected furniture & specialty lighting), Stone Tile (tile), KOL (fiber cement cladding), Vaughan Electrical Supply (lighting), Nella (equipment), Stovemaster (brick hearth), MBH (Steel/glass doors), Sørensen Leather. LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: May 2022. h

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In this residential studio, mounted by wheels on a 15-foot-gauge track, the act of “working on the railway” takes on a whole new meaning. Designed by Olson Kundig, the office and creative space can be pushed along, transitioning from its position as an extension of the home to a detached unit anywhere along the track.

The modular feature is a late addition to the family’s residence, which was built a few years prior. The lower of the two levels is a working space with a built-in desk, shelves, and curated inspiration wall, and the upper 60

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floor offers an escape from the office—views across Washington’s Tolt River Valley and into the surrounding Douglas fir forest are the backdrop for creative exploration and restoration.

The studio and home are perched on a steep edge of a 21-acre lot of protected forest in Carnation, Washington.

The location inspired key design features, including a cantilever that allows native plants to grow beneath it.

During the initial home excavation, the design team discovered steel cables and railroad spikes, prompting

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inquiry into the rail industry’s legacy in the region and planting seeds for the studio’s design. The completed project is a railway enthusiast’s dream in its attention to detail and historical accuracy: a required control panel, formerly installed in a Burlington Northern locomotive, manages electrical acceleration and braking; doors

are painted to match the original DuPont paint color of Great Northern train striping; and plywood-clad walls reference the material’s widespread use in railcars. In the event of an earthquake, a stabilizing bar in the track will prevent the tower from tipping—a feature found in Japanese high-speed railways. h

DESIGN TEAM: Olson Kundig. COLLABORATORS: Client and General Contractor (Studio): Lou Maxon; General Contractor (Main House): Dowbuilt; Lighting

Design (Main House): Lighting Designs Inc.; Gizmo Design (Main House): Turner Exhibits with Phil Turner; Steel Fabrication (Studio): Alpine Welding; Structural Engineer: MCE Structural Consultants. LOCATION: Carnation, Washington, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: November 2022.

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MASARYČKA.

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JIŘÍ ŠEBEK

LOCATION: Prague, Czech Republic. DATE OF COMPLETION: July 2023.

Looking to make a mark with its flagship project, Penta Real Estate hired the world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects to design Masaryčka—a new, mixed-used building offering commercial and office space in downtown Prague. As part of the revitalization of Masaryk Station (a major hub in the city’s public transit system), the new landmark regenerated a large brownfield nearby. Inspired by Prague’s reputation as “the golden city of 100 spires,” the architects incorporated a series of fins in the exterior that help with solar shading, especially in the summer. The ark-like building also features a double-insulated façade that optimizes natural light, providing interior communal and office spaces a visual connection with the city’s daily rhythms.

A rooftop garden with panoramic city views will include plantings of local shrubs and trees irrigated by the building’s rainwater collection system. One element of the project transformed Na Florenci Street into a lush, tree-lined boulevard that will provide additional shade and a connection to nature in the heart of the city. “The area around Masaryk station is becoming an important Prague transport hub with a connection to the airport,” Penta writes in its submission. “It has the ambition to be established as a meeting place which people will not only pass by but spend quality time and meet for work or entertainment.” h

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Booker Vineyards. __ Signum Architecture

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Minimalism—a reflection of the property owner’s approach to winemaking—is the theme for this bar set in the middle of a vineyard. The terraced structures are elevated for views, while flat roofs complement the site’s rolling hills. Featuring a muted palette, the design juxtaposes polished and rough surfaces with the use of cedar, board-formed concrete, natural steel (that will rust over time, just like the stakes in the vineyard), and chalky limestone soil extracted from the region.

COLLABORATORS: Interior design: Katie Martinez Design; Construction: RP Construction; Landscape: Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture. LOCATION: Paso Robles, California, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: October 2021. h

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Best Bar or Lounge.

CONRAD BROWN

Best Bath.

Ensuite in Apartment No.1201. __ Studio Kardum

A 1990s bath in a 12th-floor condo was transformed into this spa-like ensuite with soothing colors and natural textures. Wood, stone, plaster walls, warm-toned concrete surfaces, and terrazzo floors encapsulate a still and quiet space, accentuating the West Coast experience as one sinks into the tub and absorbs the natural views of West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain.

To keep the current plumbing in place, the solid concrete tub sits on a reinforced wood platform surrounded by small stones. Indirect, dimmable lighting casts a soft glow and creates a meditative atmosphere in the evenings. Smoked glass encloses the plaster-lined walls in the shower, continuing the relaxed mood that feeds the mind, body, and soul. DATE OF COMPLETION: October 2023. h

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Volumetrically, the interior architecture of this residence presents a gallery-like grand expression.

The pièce de résistance is this three-story, hand-carved stairway. Its sinuous curves wrap around a 30-foot cut-glass light installation that morphs from a sculptural piece to a nearly hypnotic column of light throughout the day. Inspired by Cabochon stones found in old-school, hand-crafted jewelry, the design team developed the light’s jewel-like appearance by adopting a similar cutting technique and an internal lighting system comprised of hundreds of glass fragments shaped like gemstones.

LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: September 2022. h

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Best Collaboration.

Best Guest Room.

The Royal Hotel __

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Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects The guestroom interiors of this once-dilapidated 1881 railway hotel reflect its quirky past with a design that’s both aesthetically pleasing and intellectually engaging. Curved, fumed-oak walls reminiscent of Victorian-era fireplace screens enclose soaker tubs, and scalloped bathroom vanities mimic starched linens.

A tartan pattern is rendered in stone mosaic tiles and wood-framed, cross-stitched headboards recall unfinished embroidery still in its hoop. Rippled ceiling medallions reference the hotel’s once waterlogged state, and fireplaces are finished in fluted concrete panels as if awaiting their marble cladding mid-construction.

COLLABORATORS: Structural, Mechanical, Electrical Engineers: EXP Global Inc.; Heritage: ERA Architects Inc.; Landscape: Janet Rosenberg Studio; General Contractor: Structure Corp, HADY Construction Associates (building shell); Kitchen: Trend Foodservice Design & Consulting; Acoustics: J.E. Coulter Associates Ltd.; FF&E Procurement: P360 Concepts Inc.; Graphic Design/Signage/Branding: Blok Design; Art Consultants: Tatar Art Projects; Fabricators: MCM, Unique, Katerina Tompkins, Viso, Credible, Punchclock Metalworks, Barlow Woodwork. LOCATION: Picton, Ontario, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: October 2022. h

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Treat.

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Design Well Spent Company

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When the pandemic hit in 2020, XpresSpa shut downall of its locations. The company pivoted to provide COVID-19 testing sites at airports. Looking ahead to a post-pandemic world led to the company’s next endeavor: Treat, an airport-based whole-health retail space offering travelanxiety care and wellness rooms for yoga, fitness, or meditation. Acoustic plaster ceilings, sound-absorptive finishes, and soothing rose-beige, brown, and bronze hues are incorporated throughout. A music system, scent diffuser in the HVAC, and customizable lighting controls create a calming pre-flight experience. COLLABORATORS: Brand Development: Vocal Design Co.; GC: Holt Construction; Architect of Record: Mancini Duffy; MEP Consultant: Guth DeConzo; Lighting Designer: Castelli; Acoustic Engineering: Longman Lindsey. LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: December 2021. h

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Best Health & Wellness.

Best Historic Restoration/Renovation.

Drift Hotel. __ ERIN FEINBLATT

ANACAPA Architecture

A dilapidated building in Santa Barbara is reimagined as a hotel, coffee shop, and cocktail bar.

Preserving the building’s history, the hotel connects locals and travelers to its surrounding community of Spanish architectural influences. The traditional exterior, with white stucco walls, arched windows, and terracotta tiles, contrasts with its modern interiors centered around a black color palette and accented with concrete and white-oak elements. The hotel is outfitted with goods from Californian and Mexican makers, paying homage to the brand’s Baja roots while celebrating its coastal Californian locale. COLLABORATORS: Contractor: Parton + Edwards Construction; Civil and Structural Engineering: Ashley Vance Engineering; MEP Engineering: Consulting West; Kitchen, Bar, and Coffee Shop Consultant: New School. LOCATION: Santa Barbara, California, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: February 2023. h

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Best Kitchen.

Glen Road. __ Risa Boyer Architecture

This midcentury modern kitchen renovation imbues the era’s iconic design details into a completely updated, energy-efficient home. It’s filled with built-in rift-sawn walnut cabinetry and shelving, ceramic tiles, skylights, and classic light fixtures. The footprint of the house remains close to the original 1950s home, but the design of an open-concept kitchen, dining, and living space allows for a better connection to the existing entryway and central gathering space. COLLABORATORS: Landscape Designer: Lilyvilla Gardens, Lauren Hall-Behrens; Structural Engineers: Grummel Engineering; Contractor: Hammer and Hand. LOCATION: Portland, Oregon, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: November 2021. h

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DANIEL JOSEPH CHENIN, LTD.

Best On the Boards.

M20. __ Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd.

Ecological preservation was integral to the design of this private residence overlooking the Las Vegas Valley. The long and low-slung roofline mimics desert plateaus, while an exaggerated roof overhang and chamfered wall detailing mimic surrounding slot canyons. Operable fenestration removes boundaries between indoors and out and facilitates natural airflow and daylighting, which eliminates the need for artificial light during the day and reduces the number of days requiring cooling. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the halls and pocket gardens allow the desert to spill into the home while creating a more thermally stable space and a deeper connection to the site. Polished concrete flooring, natural wood, and tactile surfaces create a calming interior.

LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. h

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View Place ADU. __ Guggenheim Architecture and Design Studio

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Once a 1970s party pad, this lower-level living space is ready for a new celebratory era. The floor plan was reorganized around existing columns and beams; daylight now pours in through a series of fixed windows with deep sills. The kitchen, reimagined as a centerpiece, was relocated to a more central position for better circulation. In the living room, the former wood-lift is now practical storage with handmade fluted door fronts. Offset from the main living area, the bed is tucked into a niche. The bathroom’s new pink sink nods to the color of the 1940s home’s original ceramic tile. In the former canning room, a small sauna now provides a rejuvenating escape.

COLLABORATOR: Cascade Contracting. LOCATION: Portland, Oregon, United States.

DATE OF COMPLETION: January 2023. h

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Best Small Space.

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Best Surface Material.

ChromaCloud. __ HBX Studio

Inspired by a retail installation of LED screens, the ChromaCloud wall installation is a bespoke product designed for the On Inc North American headquarters. Housed in a first-generation tenant improvement spanning 56,000 square feet across two floors, the installation covers 2,500 square feet of its primary hallway and wraps into gathering spaces. It is composed of three distinct layers: glazing, rainbow film, and floating, chrome-plated steel grates—which, together, transform the office into a dynamic kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors and light. COLLABORATORS: On Inc; Specific Generic; Swinerton; Hyphn; KPFF Engineering. LOCATION: Portland, Oregon, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: November 2022. h

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Best Sustainable Design.

Nelson Residence. __ As the architect’s personal residence, this home was designed and built to the exacting European Passive House Standard.

Sited adjacent to a creek that bears spawning salmon and river otter populations—and serves as a corridor for wildlife through urban areas—the home was designed with the waterway in mind. Running the length of the property, the house allows for a wide riparian zone to rehabilitate the creek border. Despite its difficult achievement, the energy-neutral house demonstrates that climate consciousness did not come at the expense of comfort or lifestyle. The rigorous Passive House Standard requires energy usage of less than one-tenth of a code-built home. The interior features two-story-tall concrete walls, polished concrete floors, and oak millwork throughout, and appliances avoid the use of fossil fuels entirely with electric ovens and induction cooktops. Ultimately, the home achieved certification and has since become net-zero with the addition of rooftop solar panels. COLLABORATORS: Landscape: Ron Rule Consultants; Structural: Cam Mclean/Macintosh Perry; Energy: Sarah Malekpur and Rob Pope, Ecolighten Energy; Geotechnical: Ward Philips; Construction: CB Developments, Greg Lettau; Environmental: Sartori; Arborist: Burley Boys; Lighting: MP Lighting. LOCATION: West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. DATE OF COMPLETION: April 2022. h

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MARTIN TESSLER

Burgers Architecture

Best Textile.

TEMPLE RUGS

Passages. __ TEMPLE rugs

The unconventionally shaped Passages rug is 10 feet long with uneven edges and tabs that extend from the left and right of the central form. For the material, designer Eric Hildebrandt chose extra thick piles of densely hand-knotted pure baby alpaca—a soft, sumptuous fibre. The rug’s colorways are named after various routes of exploration and passage that humans have travelled, evoking journeys across the globe and between worlds. Pictured here is Queen Mary, the mid-twentieth-century ocean liner named for Mary of Teck, the consort of King George V. DATE OF COMPLETION: September 2023. h

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Best Visionary.

Concealed Cottage. __ The Up Studio

The homeowners, who are avid art collectors, requested a private, nature-immersed sanctuary where they could host short- and long-term guests. Shielding the cottage from street views, a mirrored façade—a reflective aluminum treated to make it visible to birds—wraps three sides of the structure. The fourth side faces the water, and its floor-to-ceiling windows capture expansive nature views from the open gathering areas and bedrooms inside. The lower level, which sits on its existing foundation, is a hidden, private gallery for some of the owners’ cherished artworks.

COLLABORATORS: Landscape Designer: Lilyvilla Gardens, Lauren Hall-Behrens; Structural Engineers: Grummel Engineering; Contractor: Hammer and Hand. LOCATION: Long Island, New York, United States. DATE OF COMPLETION: November 2021. h THE UP STUDIO

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Best Workplace.

Maurice Law. __ EMA PETER

McKinley Studios

The offices of the first and only Indigenous-owned national law firm in Canada subtly integrate Indigenous culture and values into the design without typical, pronounced archetypal visual cues. COLLABORATOR: Mknly Procurement. LOCATION: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

DATE OF COMPLETION: August 2022. h

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Chapter 2

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MODULAR WOOD WALL SYSTEM

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INTERVIEW

DESIGN DNA

MATERIAL IDENTITY

Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello is bringing contemporary West African design to global audiences.

By Carla Sorrell

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collection of anonymous West African objects that Marcus-Bello has identified, documented, and archived— contributes to further understanding of the region’s design identity.

After returning from Leeds, England—where he studied product design—to his hometown of Lagos, Marcus-Bello has honed his focus on commercial and collectible objects in which local culture, materials, and manufacturing intersect with personal narratives. In 2017, he started his namesake studio; now,

the 10-person team includes highly skilled long-term collaborators, like the welder to whom he was an apprentice at age 13. “I feel like I’m a kid in a candy store,” Marcus-Bello says of the insatiable curiosity that drives him.

What is different about design in Africa compared to in England?

I realized very quickly that there was a lot to learn when it comes to design. A lot of humility is needed to design on the continent [of Africa]. »

KADARA ENYASI

Nifemi Marcus-Bello’s steady contemplation of West African design, as explored through a contemporary lens, has garnered the Lagos, Nigeria– based creative a recent influx of global attention. With significant projects in Los Angeles, Miami, Sharjah, and London, and an upcoming group show at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in Amsterdam, MarcusBello’s output is injecting the industry with a fresh, forward-thinking perspective. The designer’s ongoing research project, Africa: Designer’s Utopia—a

COURTESY NIFEMI MARCUS-BELLO

OPPOSITE: Multidisciplinary designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello. ABOVE: Held together by a backdrop of African mahogany, the

M2 shelf mimics the 19th-century Igbo wooden sculpture, Ogbom, that plays with qualities of lightness and weight.

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The LM stool is produced in Lagos by a local manufacturer working with sheet metal. In developing the stool’s simplified shape, Marcus-Bello challenged himself to see how much of the form could be removed without affecting its stability.

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GUY FERGUSON

INTERVIEW

DESIGN DNA

COURTESY NIFEMI MARCUS-BELLO

Last year, the LM stool was added to the permanent collection of design at the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado. »

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Oríkì (Act I): Friction Ridge, exhibited at Marta Satellite in Culver City, California, is an edition of bronze sculptural benches accompanied by Marcus-Bello’s oríkì—the multi-generational practice of praise poetry and spoken affirmation amongst the Yoruba people and Yoruba-speakers of West Africa—recited by the artist’s mother.

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COURTESY NIFEMI MARCUS-BELLO

INTERVIEW

DESIGN DNA

“THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT PRACTICING IN AFRICA IS THAT THERE’S NO LINE BETWEEN ART AND DESIGN—IT’S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THERE’S AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO A FUNCTIONAL OBJECT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS.” —NIFEMI MARCUS-BELLO, DESIGNER

I know that, because we live in a global world, many people tend to think they are going to create a solution and everybody should get it because everybody lives this way, works this way, or talks this way, but there are still cultural nuances.

The way someone would sit in London and interact with certain materials is different from the way people would interact with certain materials or perceive certain materials or forms [in Lagos].

COURTESY NIFEMI MARCUS-BELLO

Asking questions is an important part of your process and your work. What kinds of questions are important to you?

I have these questions because I realize there’s a shift in mindset, even discussing materiality, when it comes to Africa. In Lagos, for example, there’s heavy globalization, and material history is changing because of the introduction of new materials.

I try to pose questions along those lines, like: Why do these materials exist? Why do we have to interact with them? Do we need to avoid them? Who’s working with them?

Why should we work with them? I think a lot of these questions tend to surround certain themes—especially materiality and identity.

Why do you put materiality first?

I feel like a maker at heart. I’m curious about why certain materials are so prominent. I’m also curious about the fact that in the West, a lot of people are talking about sustainability. But in Africa, sustainability has always been part of a culture where we reuse, and reuse, and reuse. Materials in certain parts of the world mean [one thing], and in other parts of the world could mean something else. For example, there

is a tribe in Guyana where only the king can wear gold. A lot of people don’t buy gold in that tribe, but gold exists within that city.

How do you approach collaborations and build trust with people, especially in traditional craft communities?

I let them know that I’m not coming in as an expert but as a student—I’m willing to learn and deep-dive as much as possible, have conversations around production, and not propose an idea too early.

For example, it took me a year to get to know the sand-casters [with whom Marcus-Bello collaborated to produce Oríkì (Act II): Tales by Moonlight, a functional sculpture collection for Design Miami 2023]. I first came to them asking for help to fix a secondhand car that I brought in from North America. As a result of this project, I was allowed into the community, with them understanding exactly what I was trying to do.

For me, that’s the approach I take—a human approach.

Where does identity fit in?

I find it fascinating that certain materials exist within specific communities like the Benin bronze casters, who have kept this [craft] tradition for years but haven’t found a way to make it contemporary.

Within that material, they have an identity. How do we treat the material as contemporarily as possible and introduce new ways of making?

With Friction Ridge [Marcus-Bello’s first solo US show, held last year at Los Angeles’ Marta gallery], we introduced a silicone mold [to the bronze, which had previously only undergone lost-wax casting] to add new textures and forms.

What do you like about practicing in Africa?

The beautiful thing about practicing in Africa is that there’s no line between art and design—it’s about making sure that there’s an emotional attachment to a functional object, regardless of what it is. And that emotional transfer, that spiritual tightness, is crucial to any work—even the work that I always propose and show. So, I think for me, it doesn’t really matter what [or where] it is, as long as people are practicing. h

To create new textures and forms, Marcus-Bello introduced the process of silicone molding to the Benin bronze casters, whch had previously only undergone lost-wax casting.

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AGENTS OF CHANGE

As the world’s first arena with Zero Carbon Certification, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena sets a global precedent for the future of sustainable mass gatherings.

By Carla Sorrell Photographed by Ema Peter Construction for Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena (CPA) was in full swing when the pandemic put a standstill on global supply chains, giving the project team a chance to reassess the vision for what they wanted to achieve. One question, ironically posed in a Zoom meeting— “Is this mother nature’s way of fighting back?”—turned the project on its head. Previously discarded plans to go all-electric now seemed underwhelming, and soon gave way to a new, more ambitious goal: to eliminate all fossil fuel use and build CPA to be the most sustainable arena in the world.

In October 2023, CPA was the largest building ever to receive Zero Carbon Certification—a process that took two years to achieve after 88

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opening. According to Rob Johnson, senior vice president of sustainability and transportation for the Seattle Kraken and the Climate Pledge Arena, the certification is “on brand for the Pacific Northwest, where there is an expectation to do the right thing by the environment.” The project has become a benchmark for what is possible for sustainability at that scale. Since the certification, Johnson has been fielding calls from around the world, with inquiries ranging from hockey clubs in Eastern Europe to basketball teams in Japan—even fishing industry experts have picked up the phone to ask about sustainability measures in their sector.

Design has played a critical role in staking CPA’s claim to fame

and proving that a sports and entertainment venue—typically a challenging building type—can be among the highest performing and most sustainable examples despite mass occupancy and heavy use.

Populous, a global architectural design firm specializing in creating environments and venues that draw communities and people together, was brought onto the project in 2016.

At the time, the arena had yet to be designated a historical building—a status it would receive a year later, and that would result in Populous’ most significant and talked about design feat: preserving the original 44-million-pound roof and building a new stadium around it.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to raise the bar and »

OPPOSITE: To preserve the original 44-million-pound roof, 680,000 cubic yards of soil were removed underneath to nearly double the size of the former venue. ABOVE: A 200-foot-long living wall greets visitors as they arrive below ground.

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“THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY, IT ALMOST GOES COMPLETELY BEYOND DESIGN. WE HAVE TO MOTIVATE THE ENTIRE DESIGN TEAM.” —GEOFF CHEONG, POPULOUS

Dramatic lighting and reflective surfaces animates the corridor leading to event level seating and the Seattle Kraken locker room.

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The arena’s seating includes 59 luxury suites within the maximum capacity of 18,600 people.

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Classic design features, like the arched ceilings and banquette seating, in the Moet & Chandon Club are a nod to the building’s heritage.

push the envelope with projects,” says Geoff Cheong, senior principal at Populous and the lead architect on the CPA project. “When the opportunity came to design and execute the first zero-carbon certified major arena, our eyes went wide and we said, ‘bring it on.’”

Many design features that reduce the arena’s carbon emissions take place behind the scenes, like the solar panel placement, a rainwater 92

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capture system, and high-performing air handling units that filter, recirculate, and bring new air into the building. For Kelly Holton, senior principal and brand activation director at Populous, the big design challenge was to find a way for people to “interact with and be inspired by this powerful sustainability story,” while honoring the site’s legacy as the location for the World Fair in 1962 and building

something its chief architect, Paul Thiry, would be proud of.

The result is an innovative and surprising visitor experience— before descending below ground to encounter a 250-foot-long living wall, arena-goers pass through spaces with sweeping, open views of the city—largely thanks to the decision to retain existing materials, like the roof and three-quarters of the glass from the original arena.

Post-project, Populous has also been fielding an influx of calls.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” Cheong says. “Our colleagues across the ocean—in Australia, Europe, the Middle East—want to understand the strategies we implemented and the process we went through to achieve these lofty goals.” With a current project in Las Vegas, the design team is developing strategies to reduce or eliminate water consumption to

address its regional scarcity.

“As designers, we are agents for change and are helping move the needle forward in sustainability,” Holton says. “We are using all of our tools to do that, from designing façade details to the steel we select, and in the end, we also have to think about the fan experience.”

Climate Pledge Arena holds a special place for the project team— not just for its success but because

of the closeness they gained working together through the pandemic and getting to know each other’s families over Zoom. “The fact that we were all doing this together, through a stressful time, only adds to the accomplishment,” Johnson says. h

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TRANSPORTATION

AWA Y

SOLAR ESSENTIALS

A conceptual interpretation of the Lexus LF-ZC concept car playfully explores the future possibilities of solar.

By Carla Sorrell Photographed by Steve Benisty Marjan van Aubel is a designer with a mission: to build a more sustainable future using solar technology—and have fun while doing it. Her interactive, playful, and ever-changing installations encourage people to “see the potential for a beautiful, consciously designed, and carbonneutral future,” van Aubel says.

At Design Miami last year, van Aubel exhibited a solar-powered illusion of a Lexus LF-ZC concept car using suspended sheets of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)— a clear, amorphous thermoplastic— and organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells. “I really loved the playfulness of it and the joy it brought,” van 94

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Aubel says of the installation titled 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds, which refers to the amount of time it takes for the sun’s light to reach the earth’s surface. With the sun as her muse, Van Aubel seeks to harness its abundant energy through her work.

Raised on a rectangular white plinth that doubled as a battery, the interactive installation used motion sensors to ignite light and audio components that illuminated the PET sheets, changing from cooler tones during the day to warm reds at night, while playing accompanying music and sounds.

When not preparing for the second edition of the Solar Biennale—

an initiative she launched with fellow Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen in 2022—van Aubel is working on a second edition of 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds that will be on display at Milan Design Week this April.

Created in partnership with Lexus, the exhibition is less about conventional automotive design than exploring the poetry of its essential design elements—and the potential of OPV in design and art.

The collaboration has changed van Aubel’s perspective on the automotive industry, which she now sees “as a frontier for sustainable technology.” h

OPPOSITE: Colors in the interactive installation, created using suspended sheets of polyethylene terephthalate and mounted on

top of a rectangular white plinth that doubled as a battery, change from cooler tones in the day to warm reds at night.

ABOVE: Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel in front of solar projections of the Lexus LF-ZC concept car at Design Miami.

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The Drum Keepers Blanket was designed by Trey Blackhawk, the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills 2023 Tribal College Blanket Contest Winner.

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PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS

COLLABORATION

DESIGN DNA

BLANKET STATEMENT The American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills announce the 2023 Tribal College Blanket Contest Winner.

FROM LEFT: The Directions Home saddle

blanket is designed by Troy Tso, a Diné (Navajo) artist. For the Morning Storm crib blanket, Cydnee Shangreaux (Oglala Sioux) used a pattern created by her great-great-great-great grandmother and passed through her family’s maternal line.

PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS

By Rachel Gallaher Now in its 29th year, the partnership between the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills has evolved to provide a platform for the next generation of Indigenous creatives. Launched in 2020, the Tribal College Blanket Contest’s goal is to uplift the voices and work of tribal college and university (TCU) students and provide them with scholarship opportunities. It’s open to any student enrolled in a TCU—no design background is required. And while a design-focused competition is sure to attract those in the arts, this year’s winner, Trey Blackhawk, is proof that creativity knows no bounds.

“When I found out that I won first place, I was ecstatic,” says Blackhawk, a student studying Environmental Science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

(He previously attended Little Priest Tribal College in Nebraska.) “My background is in land development; there’s never a time when I’m not outside strolling through the woods and enjoying nature.”

It was that very nature—and his heritage as an enrolled member of

the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska— that inspired the winning design for his Drum Keepers Blanket, released in March 2024. An ode to his relatives (grandmothers and aunts who danced at powwow ceremonies and an uncle who is the family’s Drum Keeper) who helped him through a time in his life when he struggled with what his Native heritage meant, the blanket incorporates traditional appliqué designs and a gradient of vibrant colors that reflect the seasons of life.

“The appliqué design represents the women in Winnebago, the ones who take care of us,” says Blackhawk, who, in addition to attending school and raising a family, manages the Winnebago Tribal Farm, a sustainable operation focused on creating awareness around food sovereignty and the cultivation of heirloom crops. “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without my wife or the women in my life.”

In addition to a $2,000 cash prize and a $5,000 scholarship, Blackhawk will receive six blankets, one of which he plans to gift to his uncle.

The second and third-place winners (Troy Tso and Cydnee Shangreaux) will also receive a cash prize and scholarship money. To date, Pendleton has provided nearly $2.6 million in higher education support for American Indian and Alaska Native students; the American Indian College Fund has provided $345 million in scholarships, programs, and community support since its founding in 1989.

“The students’ stories are so meaningful,” says Cheryl Crazy Bull, Wacinyanpi Win (They Depend on Her), a member of the Sicangu Lakota nation and president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. “The designs speak to how they think of themselves in relationship to place or landscape, or their families and heritage, and we get to see who they are emerging from those designs.” h

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Chapter 3

At a Las Vegas residence recently designed by architect Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ozzie Kraft water features create a welcoming environment in the landscaped inner courtyard. Above the black metal entrance portal is the home’s entertaining space, which includes a bar and an outdoor terrace.

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DESERT ESCAPE

Designing a Nevada compound from the ground up, Daniel Joseph Chenin uses the concept of discovery to create a residence that blends eye-catching décor with elevated architectural details.

By Rachel Gallaher Photographed by Douglas Friedman

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In the living room, Chenin chose the bold combination of a 12-foot-tall orange onyx fireplace and periwinkle-blue millwork. Two Warren Platner Easy Chairs, designed for Knoll, are upholstered in orange velvet to complement the fireplace stone. Chenin custom-designed the corner console, above which hangs a painting by Elise Remender. »

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The dining room sits across the main gallery from the living room.

The elegant Pewter Leaf wallpaper is from Phillip Jeffries, and the Shiro Noda chandelier is a John Richard design. Custom display hutches by Chenin hold collected art objects, and the dining chair backs are custom-embroidered with a radiating pattern that nods to the motif on the home’s entry gate. »

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I

t’s widely known that the COVID-19 pandemic caused many city dwellers— especially those in expensive locales such as New York and Los Angeles—to seek more space outside these metropolitan hubs. Where they went depended on what they were looking for; larger houses, expansive property with fewer neighbors, and a renewed connection with nature were all often-cited reasons for leaving the fast pace of city life behind. For one couple living in crowded Southern California, the rugged landscape of Nevada drew them to Las Vegas, where they planned to build a home base that would accommodate the needs of a large, extended family that travels frequently.

“Much of our decision to build in Las Vegas, including the specific lot we selected, centered on the space needed to create the indoor and outdoor living environment we envisioned for our large family,” the client says, noting that the site offered captivating views of the city skyline and the surrounding canyons and mountain ranges. “The lot told the story of Las Vegas’ natural beauty as well as the glamor and exuberance of the Strip.” »

A framed marble stairway at the end of the central gallery leads to the second-level entertainment lounge. The royal-blue stair runner from Stark Carpet and Carlton Bench stools by Sherrill Canet soften the tableau.

Work from Hudson River School artists Charles Henry Gifford and M.F.H. de Haas flank the opening to the stairs.

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As prodigious travelers—and with the expectation of recurrent extended-stay visits from their daughters and grandchildren—the clients envisioned a house with the character and amenities of a five-star hotel and the livability and scale of a residential dwelling.

For the design, they turned to architect Daniel Joseph Chenin, who runs a multidisciplinary firm in Las Vegas and has worked on hospitality projects for notable five-star luxury brands, including Four Seasons and Auberge Resorts. Aside from the hotel aesthetic, the clients had two main requests: they wanted a structure with a division of public and private wings, and their treasured collection of Hudson River School paintings needed a prominent place in the home.

“From the outset, we sought an H-shaped plan, with the middle section for entertaining and creating separation between the guest and primary living areas,” the client says. “This would allow the home to function with a smaller footprint when we were not hosting family and friends.”

The long, narrow lot, bordered by a rocky hill, has a 20-foot downward gradient starting at its street-adjacent end. “It has incredible views of the desert and the Strip,” Chenin says, “but, given the topography, we knew it would be more of an experiential design that reveals itself as you move along the property.” »

In the entertainment lounge, dubbed the “crown,” Montera stools by Poltrona Frau tuck into an onyx bar. For intimate tête-à-têtes, Ginger chairs by Poltrona Frau circle around small tables designed by Chenin.

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The driveway weaves down from the street, depositing arrivals at an auto court illuminated by a large lantern.

From there, a switchback path leads to the entry’s bronze door, which is adorned with radiating lines. “If you look throughout the project, you will see this pattern reoccurring,” Chenin says. “It all goes back to the family and this home being a center point for them.”

Beyond the ornamental doors is a landscaped courtyard that leads to a large rectilinear black steel form marking the house’s entry portal. Working with the requested H-shape layout, Chenin crafted the 20,000-square-foot structure with two wings—one for the homeowners and one for guests— 110

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connected via a central, marble-floored gallery that displays 19th-century Hudson River School paintings.

“Our code name for the project was Palladio, after 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio,” Chenin says.

“He was famous for his villas, designed with an emphasis on symmetry, proportion, and balance.”

Inspired by the ancient architect’s use of circulation and lines—and by ornate gilt frames from the client’s art collection—Chenin created a series of brass-inlaid portals along the central gallery. “Framing was a language we used to tie everything together,” he says. Radiating off the gallery: a music room, a formal living room, a dining room with a secondary portal into the

kitchen, a framed stairway leading to the upper entertainment lounge (with a full bar, gym, and spa), and a tinted glass box that, from the exterior, seems to float above the entry portico.

A private wing with the primary bedroom, at the north end of the house, was designed as a self-contained refuge, with access for the clients provided through a garage entry. Via a hallway, his-and-hers bathroom suites and closets connect to a sitting area adjacent to the bedroom chamber.

The home’s décor scheme revels in the details. A rich mix of materials— marble flooring, onyx insets, handembroidered silk, leather-wrapped doors, and oak-and-brass cabinetry— creates a cohesive palette across

sprawling square footage. Chenin’s blend of new, custom-designed, and vintage furniture (including four Metropolitan Opera–inspired chandeliers by Lobmeyr, the original Opera House chandelier manufacturer) further elevates the ambiance.

“Crafting the interiors took time,” Chenin says. “When designing an estate from scratch, you don’t want it to look like you bought whole rooms and installed them, so layering is important.

We had to be detailed and precise, while paying attention to overall cohesion. Choosing the furniture and lighting felt no different from an art collection gathered over time.” h

OPPOSITE: In the primary bedroom, a hand-painted Fromental wallcovering and custom wall-to-wall carpeting create a serene atmosphere, and the showstopping Scheherazade chandelier by Fortuny hangs above. ABOVE, FROM LEFT: In the wife’s bathroom suite, white rift-oak millwork pairs with Arabescato Corchia marble as the backdrop for a luxurious soaking tub. A vestibule with a framed mirror wall—the entrance into two of the house’s guest bedrooms— has Miles fabric wallcoverings

by Weitzner, pendants from Chapman & Myers, and a bench

by Eric Brand.

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Elevated Nature A modern West Coast home by Garret Werner embraces its rugged surroundings.

By Carla Sorrell Photographed by Luke Potter

OPPOSITE: At the end of a long, lower-floor hallway, a dramatic view of exposed rock connects the home to its surroundings.

ABOVE: Designed to disappear into its surroundings, this 12,000-square-foot home features a partial green roof.

T

he sky is not the limit for Garret Werner’s nestled-in-nature Waterfront Pavilion, a home with stunning attributes that arise from the constraints of the property’s extreme terrain.

When the owners purchased this rocky outcrop of land off a stretch of coastline between Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, it was home to a run down 1950s shack set back into the forested plot. Casting his doubts about the feasibility of the site aside, Werner—the founder of Seattle-based firm Garret Cord Werner Architects and Interior Designers—took on the challenge with an ambitious vision to build a Bond-worthy retreat perched above the Pacific Ocean.

The resulting home’s 12,000 square feet of modern living space includes an open-plan upper floor and a primary suite, five guest 114

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bedrooms, craft room, media room, bar, and viewing room all built into the blasted rock below. The structure is Werner’s most elaborate home to date, a claim made credible by the subterranean, eight-car stacking garage that connects the home to a detached carport.

The home’s namesake feature is the glass pavilion centered above the top-floor living space. “This grand pavilion is a rare thing to see in a house,” Werner explains. “It takes that great room concept to a whole new level.”

From a bird’s-eye view, the home, built by Werner Construction Ltd., blends in with the plot’s native cedar, pine, spruce, and evergreen trees, thanks to a green roof that partially covers the above-ground footprint. Emphasizing nature, around and from within the home, was a priority for Werner, whose meticulous and detail-oriented design is inspired by Japanese architecture and 1950s Palm Springs. »

ABOVE: The design team conducted sun studies to pre-determine the quality of light that would pass through the glass pavilion skylight.

OPPOSITE: From above, the pavilion and green roofs over the main house and garage camouflage the buildings, giving them the effect of a buried landscape.

Encompassing the kitchen, dining, and living spaces, the grand great room features an abundance of windows and glass walls that bring the outside in. »

A concrete bridge over a reflection pond leads to the home’s front door, which opens to a modern interior outfitted with wood, concrete, and steel, and 180-degree views of the Strait of Georgia. The backyard’s infinity pool showcases the site’s steep, cliffside terrain. “That kind of atmosphere is almost impossible to find,” Werner says.

Careful blasting of the site’s exposed rock preserved as much of the surrounding forest as possible. When you’re designing a sitespecific home, Werner explains, “you have to wait until the site is blasted to see what’s left of the rock outcroppings and then massage the plan around it a bit.” With an exacting eye, Werner repositioned his original designs against the freshly revealed natural features.

The front door was centered to frame the vertical crack on a large boulder directly across from it; the primary bathroom’s 118

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freestanding tub soaks up views of the surrounding forest, with a towering cedar that appears aligned through the center of the tub as you approach the bathroom; a glimpse of exposed rock is a dramatic endpoint to a long second-level hallway. Moving through the home, one’s attention flows from forest to water to rock. “It’s walking the line between the house seeming to disappear, and then reappear,” Werner explains. He fought to keep a single angular pine outside the primary bedroom. It wasn’t until the clients saw it with the finished building that they understood his vision.

“I always want there to be something beautiful to look at,” Werner says. “It could be a piece of art. It could be a bathtub, a tree, a pool. Features like this give us something to think about, and that creates such a powerful statement in any home.” h

ABOVE: Pared back materials like steel, wood, and concrete accentuate the home’s architectural elements. OPPOSITE: The interior rock outcroppings are reminiscent of 1950s architecture in Palm Springs, a favorite design reference for designer Garret Werner.

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Chapter 4

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DESIGN FIRMS

CONTACTS

A distinguished firm celebrated for its ability to deliver elegant, innovative, and livable design solutions across a diverse range of project categories.

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designsnorthwest Architecture and planning, innovative exploration of resilient design and sustainability.

DESIGNSNW.COM

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firstlamparchitects Multidisciplinary architecture and construction firm for custom residential, commercial, and multifamily.

FIRSTLAMP.NET

gathinteriordesign Residential and hospitality interior design.

GATHINTERIORDESIGN.COM

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DESIGN FIRMS

CONTACTS

Guggenheim Architecture + Design Studio is an award-winning multidisciplinary creative atelier for architecture, interiors, and brand direction.

theguggenheims

GUGGENHEIMSTUDIO.COM

h2darchitects A full-service architecture and interior design firm.

H2DARCHITECTS.COM

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hydeevansdesign Luxury residential design of timeless quality and style.

HYDEEVANSDESIGN.COM

jpcarchitects Workplace, healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

JPCARCHITECTS.COM

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DESIGN FIRMS

CONTACTS

minarik_architecture Minarik Architecture is a design studio committed to projects that connect people with place.

MINARIKARCH.COM

risaboyerarchitecture A boutique full-service architecture firm specializing in modern, timeless residences and creative environments.

RISABOYER.COM

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scottedwardsarchitecture People First. Design forward.

SEALLP.COM

starkarchitecture Modern Architecture & Interior Design.

STARK.CA

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DESIGN FIRMS

CONTACTS

gabe.headrick Commercial and residential, net zero, LEED platinum, and Passive House construction.

STEELHEADARCHITECTURE.COM

tylerenglearchitects Architecture, interiors, furniture.

TYLERENGLE.COM

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williamkaven An award-winning multidisciplinary design studio working in architecture and interiors.

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workshop_ad An architecture practice focused on range of urban and rural projects.

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Wemake make exquisite exquisite furniture furniture that that will We will serve serve you you for for aa long longtime. time. info@affettu.com info@affettu.com

DOWBUILT ARCHITECTURE / IKB ARCHITECTS PHOTOGRAPHY / MICHAEL STEARNS