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Issue 62 - Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62

Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62 is the first issue of the year and always a great time to put our best foot forward. With Adam Goodrum, the loveliest man in design, as Guest Editor, we draw on his insights as a furniture designer, artist and educator to look at the makers shaping our design world. Sustainability has never been more important, and increasingly this is a consideration from the start with projects designed to address their immediate environment as well as the longevity of the planet. From the coldest winters to the most tropical of summers, addressing how we live in the environment is crucial to creating the perfect home.

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Artful inhabitation
ApartmentsHabitusliving Editor

Artful inhabitation

China

Puro Apartment by STUDIO8 Architects has been reconfigured to meet the needs of an art-collecting owner.


In the metropolitan landscape of Shanghai, STUDIO8 Architects has conceived a home that transcends conventional domestic patterns. Puro Apartment, as it is now known, was originally structured as a three-bedroom residence. Now, however, it has been reconfigured to prioritise and amalgamate habitation and artistic curation – an open-plan living space tailored to the needs of an art-collecting owner, where the intervention focuses on spatial fluidity, materiality and adaptability.

The design eliminates the original master bedroom on the south side, utilising the space to increase the footprint of the newly expansive living area. The updated configuration forms a continuous space that accommodates living, dining and an open kitchen while retaining a degree of spatial hierarchy. Dual northern rooms have been consolidated to form a singular, more private master suite, transforming the apartment into a one-bedroom residence. Meanwhile, the lounge area at the other end of the dining table remains relatively private – it can serve as a temporary guest room when the sliding door is closed and opens up to connect the space when the door is open.

Beyond architectural interventions, custom-designed furnishings contribute to the identity of the apartment. The vestibule bench, conceived from French seabed stone, serves a dual purpose as both functional element and sculptural piece. Arguably, the centrepiece of the living space is the central dining table: constructed from brass, resin and wood, this bespoke piece functions as a gathering point. The resin panels divide the long table into three equal parts, paired with armchairs in the form of intersecting seats. The brass plate will patinate over time, bearing the marks of age, while the resin panels allow light from the opposite side to filter through and connect with the surrounding space. In the adjacent lounge area, a Julian Opie portrait, ‘Walking in Hackney.2.2016,’ hangs in the centre of the wall – noteworthily the owner’s favourite artwork and the only fixed piece in the space.

Suggested: A personal, compact project that takes cues from London terraces

Materiality plays a pivotal role throughout, with the open kitchen comprising a wall lacquered in volcanic rock and a stainless-steel wine cabinet. On the other side of the wood-coloured wall, behind an invisible axis door, is the private master bedroom. A concealed door within the wood-panelled wall leads to the private quarters, where an open walk-in closet precedes the master bedroom. Given the limited ceiling height, a no-ceiling design was used to conceal lighting as much as possible, accented by artistic light sources to create a warm home atmosphere.

Next up: Avoiding excess at Three Peaks House


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Habitusliving Editor

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apartmentapartment designapartment fitoutscustom-designed furnishingsInterior Designone-bedroom residenceOpen plan livingPuro ApartmentShanghaistainless-steel


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Issue 62 - Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62

Living in the Environment Issue

Issue 62 is the first issue of the year and always a great time to put our best foot forward. With Adam Goodrum, the loveliest man in design, as Guest Editor, we draw on his insights as a furniture designer, artist and educator to look at the makers shaping our design world. Sustainability has never been more important, and increasingly this is a consideration from the start with projects designed to address their immediate environment as well as the longevity of the planet. From the coldest winters to the most tropical of summers, addressing how we live in the environment is crucial to creating the perfect home.

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