2002
Our first reaction to the site was that it was very horizontal in nature. We felt that there where very strong planes in both the floor and the ceiling which were connected by the columns along the perimeter and in the space itself. The glass at the façade almost disappears and gives way to the view. Due to these strong planes we first decided to create a central floating pavilion, which reflected the geometry of the outside walls. The central pavilion houses all of the lofts services:the master bath and adjacent dressing area, guest bath, kitchen, coat closet, wine closet and storage. The walls in the pavilion were de- tailed with pronounced top and bottom reveals to separate them from the floor and ceiling and further emphasize the floating idea. We put a roof on the pavilion, which allowed us to hide the central air conditioning, and provided ceiling space for wall washers that light the pavilion walls and art. We introduced cove lighting above the float- ing pavilion ceiling to light the concrete above to create the illusion of a higher ceiling and further emphasized the concrete as a horizontal plane.The space is designed to open up and reveal itself as one comes in and walks around the pavilion. The walls of the pavilion were de- signed as a pinwheel with one face of the pavilion leading onto the next creating a continuous flow. To organize the space beyond the central core and create public and private spaces, we introduced 3 floating walls. The walls, which are separate from each other and mediate between the pavilion and the glazed façade, provided much needed wall space for the client’s extensive art collection. The wall at the northwest corner defines the study while the walls at the southeast define the sleep area. The living/dining area occupies the L shaped space created by the walls at both ends and the pavilion in the center. The L shaped public space was furnished with different seating areas to emphasize the flow and keep the décor casual.Materials were kept to a few in order to create harmony between the interior and exterior spaces. The use of rich warm woods (American walnut on the floor and dyed Anigre on the millwork) counteracts the coldness of the existing glass and concrete. Other materials include stainless steel at the kitchen countertop and on the top and bottom reveals at the pavilion walls, white glass and stone tile for the master bath and limestone for the guest bath.