Urban_Types
All of our projects may be broadly categorized as urban; we are fascinated by all scales of projects which contribute to the development of urban fabric. For us, urban fabric refers to the physical expression of social and cultural networks which require efficiencies of space and time to exchange ideas and information. This dense interaction produces some of the most vibrant and imaginative spaces of human creation: those of the city.
Rather than separate our projects based on usage (residential, commercial, manufacturing, and community facility) we deliberately seek projects which might produce overlaps and synergies based on proximity in the immediate geographic context. Our typologies are based upon scales of construction and levels of engagement with the city.
Detail-oriented interior construction
Though at first it may not be self-evident, many interiors could not exist without the surrounding urban context. In the case of showrooms or high-end retail stores, access to buyers and a select market is of paramount importance. The people engaged in this trade notice every detail; presentation is integral to selling the product. Likewise, certain private residences serve as backdrops for events, whether for intimate gatherings of friends and family or more formal dinner parties; the architect’s work here is more akin to stagecraft. We begin with a study of foreground and background, of what will be highlighted and what will be muted with a supporting role. From there proceeds an investigation of light and materials: how to best detail and illuminate surfaces so that the color, texture, grain, reflection, refraction, translucence, and other material properties can be revealed for compositional effect. Above all, realizing successful production of interior spaces requires close coordination with knowledgeable mechanical engineers and working with skilled contractors. At 1016 Fifth Avenue we had the privilege of working with Eurostruct as the general contractor. For the clients, we created a classically-detailed background which showcased their paintings, book collections and highlighted the fabrics of their furniture collection. A gallery of spaces from Library to Living Room to Dining Room was created along a row of windows facing 83rd Street. To serve those spaces, new air-conditioning and ductwork, a modernized kitchen, and powder rooms were integrated. A private master suite with his and hers dressing areas and bathrooms was outfitted with built-in cabinetry customized to their requirements. Michilli Inc. provided general contracting services for the renovation of the New York showroom and offices for Isaia. The showroom was extended, service areas reorganized, sales offices updated, and the kitchen redone. Standard tricks of the trade were used for effect: hand-mixing and troweling of the cementitious paving; shadowlines and reveals define the edges of planar materials; taped and plastered flanges of light fixtures, grilles, and tracks for finished ceilings; and impeccable installation for standards and fixtures. All of these details call attention to the beauty of the materials rather than the supporting or servicing elements.
