Client Brief

Client Philosophy

In the interview with Seth Anawalt, topics of the overall goals, profile and requirements of the St. Elmo building in Palouse, WA renovation were discussed. The main vision Seth wanted to achieve in the apartment spaces and common area in the building was a place that naturalistic, yet classical. In the overall space, he wanted to create a flow with structure, with the ability to “dance through the room” (Anawalt).  An architect he mentioned whose worked he liked was Frank Lloyd Wright, but not as boxy. Keeping the history in the building especially on the exterior prevailed as an important part of the renovation in order to keep the history of the 1887 building. As for the interior, he wants it to “be modern, because we are designing for people who are going to live there, that live in the 21^st century. So it will be a mix of the old and the new “ (Anawalt). Seth asked locals what Seth discussed his plans for the second floor renovations we would be working on including the construction on a one bed-room, two bedroom, elevator, stairs and common area. Other areas in the space that will eventually be renovated are an additional two apartment space, spa, and laundry room. Seth expressed his vision to preserve and restore as much of the building as possible. When asked about features that he would like to be kept,  overall, he expresses that he is pretty open to changes, giving the approval to add some coving at the top of the ceiling, changing window shapes, opening the floor plan, and softening up some angles to portray a yin-yang balance. Keeping history was also important, but Seth is contemplating whether to keep the name of St. Elmo’s, the other option Seth may choose is St. Valentines as he envisions a romantic retreat in the future.

Client Profile

            A wide range of occupants are considered for tenants. Seth anticipates a combination of locals renting the apartments and the space of the spa to be a destination for people all over the region. Along with those passing through to stop and eat, visit for a football game, he hopes that it will bring in people from farther destinations. When finished, the building will have eight rooms, and hopefully some can be used as hotel rooms. Unfortunately due to the lack of space, this building will not allow pets on the building.

Materials

            Restoration is essential in this renovation, so Seth stressed that he wanted to keep as much materials from the existing structure as possible. With the materials he will need to bring into the space, he wants natural materials with little to no VOC. “Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released as gases from certain solids or liquids, and can cause short- and long-term health effects. Materials that include high levels of VOC are paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, and building materials and furnishings. High concentrations of VOC are often ten times higher indoors than outside due to the materials” (An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)). To keep the building safe to live in, Seth has requested that the paint, flooring, paneling, etc. accommodate this feature. 

            Other materials Seth preferred to have used in the space included hardwood, stone, marble, granite, and tile. Other sustainable materials he suggested were glass, rock, natural paint, and stainless steel, ceramic, or porcelain sinks. Sustainable materials that have already been used in the space is the lumber, and sub floor with 0 VOC. Other sustainable materials that could be effective in the building that have worked for other homes are “redwood claddings, reclaimed engrained block wood, cork flooring and highly efficient appliances” (Hidden House). Plumbing materials should be eco-friendly PVC pipes, and copper to withstand rats and other animals.

Structure

            With the building over 130 years old, some conflicting issues occurred with the existing structure and the requirements for the new design. On the third floor, which will be completed after the second floor is complete, is four apartments, a men’s spa, and possibly a greenhouse if space permits. Seth also plans to keep the skylight that stretches through the third and second floor. Leading right into the common area, the skylight will provide natural lighting, as it was intended for in 1887. Seth suggests adding to the skylight some glass structure that will play along with the natural lighting. Day light will play a large role in the lighting of this building, though there are windows already installed from the existing structure, he is open to changing the windows. He states he wants to have a unity of windows looking from the outside, but is interested in geometric shaped windows.

            Issues regarding the amenities in the apartment are parking, security, storage space, and noise control. To ensure the safety of the occupants, Seth plans to include double locks on the doors. The spa is public, but open to the residents at all hours. For this issue, Seth will designate times the spa is open and closed to the public. For parking, there is a back lot, but he will further have to check if he is required to provide parking spaces for the tenants. Strict leases will regulate the noise control of the building, and he says he will insulate walls where he think is needed. Built in storage space is included in some of the walls as a pantry/ closet. Other storage will take place as the occupant needs.

            The exterior of the building he hopes to preserve. Seth prefers the old brick look as it fits better in the environment compared to the modern metal worked buildings. In addition, he hopes to restore the 2^nd floor balcony, possibly adding balconies on the outside of all the units.

Furnishings

            In the apartments, Seth will not be providing furniture, but will be providing appliances. Though no specific brand has been chosen for the appliances, Seth has created somewhat of a checklist the appliances must meet, such as; high efficiency, green appliance brand, and does not take up a lot of room. He does not want microwaves, and prefers an electric, not gas stove, therefore he prefers a range and a dishwasher is optional. The overall kitchen needs to be spacious, well located appliances, easy access cupboards and cabinets.

            There will be a laundry room located on both floors for the tenants to use. Seth will not be equipping the building with WIFI, as there is a library next door. Later a computer and fitness area will be added off of the common area for the occupant use.

            The vision for the common area is an informal, private, quiet and nice area to give the people in the apartment breathing room. Some seating should be provided but with the idea of the space “flowing” in mind. Seth suggests getting rid of the existing hanging lighting and adding central lighting. On the topic of the spa, an infrared sauna, Jacuzzi, tea room, massage room and shower room will be included.

The design of the St. Elmo’s building is meant to be open and free. A broad palette of earth and sky tones will be used to portray a natural, harmonious atmosphere.

Accessibility

Seth realizes that potentially a young couple could move in and live there until they are in their 70’s which proposes the topic of accessibility in the building. One feature of the building is a five person elevator that will give occupants access to all the floors, accommodating those with a disability. He is very enthusiastic on incorporating universal design including appliances, furnishings, and layouts for aging in place, and people with disabilities.

             

References

Anawalt, Seth. Group Interview. 5 Sept. 2012

"Hidden House Is a Stunning Example of Sustainable Modern Architecture | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building." Hidden House Is a Stunning Example of Sustainable Modern Architecture | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2012. <http://inhabitat.com/hidden-house-is-a-stunning-example-of-sustainable-modern-architecture/>.

"An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html>.

Dream. Design. Grow. One Bedroom Apartment and Common Area

Dream. Design. Grow.

Original Floor Plan

Vision
Building on my work from the previous kitchen and bathroom design of the two bedroom design, the one bedroom design in the St. Elmos hotel is the display of the process I went through to design a home.  Starting of with an inspiration song of what a home means to me, I chose the song "The House that Built Me" by Miranda Lambert. In this song, I understood a home to be a place that someone dreams about, and making those dreams come to life. A home starts out small, then slowly starts to grow, it may not always be perfect, but in the end, it is a place you call your own, and make memories.

Final Parti Sketch and Preliminaries

Building a Concept
From there, I brainstormed multiple parti sketches, in which I incorporated the ideas of  home, dreams, and building. Choosing a parti where I incorporated a swirl for a dream into a straight line, with small lines representing a a wooden fence, which is used in a "home". From there, a concept model was developed that resembled the parti sketch. I used brown materials and wood to emulate building materials, where in the apartment and common area, I used a significant amount of wood, metal, brick, and glass. I wanted the design to come out feeling warm and welcoming, while still meeting the guidelines of the client. Taking these concepts and ideas into mind, I can up with a concept statement.

Concept Statement

A home starts with thinking of multiple ideas, designing, rethinking, and redesigning. From there, an idea is taken, written down, and brought to life. As the building progresses, all the pieces grow together and function as a whole. A home leaves the impression of being warm and welcoming. As well as having a welcoming home, a home is a place where people grow and create memories. Evolving through time, a home needs to be incorporate sustainable elements for longtime use. This warm, sustainable feel is put together in neutral browns combined with a complementary color scheme of green and red tones. The materials continue to represent the building blocks of a home, shown in the metals, wood, and tile work. The completion of a home is a vision long in the making, full of components that will benefit a family both presently and into the future. This design is not only useable for day to day life; it has plenty of room for entertaining, growth, additions, and will be timeless design for whatever the future will hold.

In the spaces, I used the concept of warmth in a home to choose a color palette of neutral, yet warm browns, and use the accent complementary scheme of greens and browns. Since this is an apartment that can be used by a variety of users, this design will accommodate all.

Client Requests
Incorporating this statement and ideals to my design, I found the one bedroom apartment somewhat difficult to plan. Given a large space, I wanted to give the apartment an open feel, but yet warm an welcoming. Coming in from the entrance, I provided a space to walk in and built in storage to set your coats and shoes, next to a framed opening, which emulates a vision, looking into the rest of the space. The overall space needed to comply with ADA visit-ability standards, therefore, I designed all the door openings with 36" space, allowed for a five foot diameter turn around in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as the counter heights allow for side reach access, as well as the toilet being side accessible.Also to keep with accessibility, I redesigned the building's exterior in order to include at least one operable window in the bedroom. With this choice to redesign the windows, I created a more organized appearance on the outside, with 4' 6"x 5' windows, evenly spaced at either 6' or 12'. Not only does this provide organization to the home, but brings in extra natural light to the important gathering spaces of the home; the living area and kitchen.

To meet the sustainability requirement of this design, I chose a few sustainable materials to incorporate in my design. I originally chose a maple wood veneer to use on the cabinetry in the kitchen and the bathroom, later finding out that that wood was for commercial use, I had to find a different material. I then found a Soft Maple wood sample in which comes with the option to choose one of four stains to apply. For the bathroom, I choose to contrast the light porcelain floor with the darkest stain, and oppositely in the kitchen. Also in the kitchen, I found a dark cork floor that is made from cork tree. Lastly, while the rest of the apartment remains a wood floor, I found a carpet made out of recycled material for the bedroom.
In the common area, I wanted to bring restoration and reuse of materials from the original building into the space. With this goal, I designed a half brick, half glass wall on the left side of the entrance from the stairs, as well as two brick pillars . With the wall providing some privacy from traffic flow, around the other side is seating is available for the residents or the users of the spa to gather and enjoy each others company.


Reflection
Through this process work to a final presentation I grew as a designer in my work. I discovered and worked through many small details that came up along the way.  These details include looking up dimensions, knowing proximity requirements, drafting techniques, picking out materials and presenting my work in an way that is understandable to anyone who were to look at it. Time management was a large factor in this project, keeping myself of a schedule I find will be crucial in future projects in order to not rush my work and provide the best possible end product. If I had to change anything about my project, I would try to be more inventive and creative with my design. I do not feel I necessarily played it safe, but I would like to have included something that was a distinct focal point in the space and was easily recognizable from my concept sketch. Overall, I am very proud to show my completed project as I spent a lot of time thinking, asking questions, reevaluating, and coming up with my final product. 

Final Presentation Boards

Process Work: Parti Sketch (top left), Concept Model (top right), Concept Statement (middle right), Second Floor 1/8" Floor Plan (bottom left), Section (bottom right)

1/4" Floor Plan of One Bedroom and Common Area.  Elevations of One Bedroom.

Perspective Views of Common Area (top), 1BD entrance (top left), Living Area (bottom left), Kitchen (bottom right) and Common Area Materials

Exterior Elevations and Materials

Project Design Review at Gestalt

On Saturday November 17, 2012, I met with Debra Howard at Gestalt Design Studio to gain a professional perspective on my current one bedroom apartment design. She opened her business in Spokane and currently works of both residential and commercial designs. With a focus in historical preservation/adaptive reuse, sustainable design, this would be the perfect company to get feedback from.

Being a smaller business, Debra was familiar with working with building renovations, and materials used in the home. Going into the meeting, I was unsure about my materials that I selected for my design so I wanted to get her input on that. My main color palette is very neutral with complementary accents of green and red, so I was concerned that it would be too bland. Debra said that a neutral palette works well in residential design, especially apartments.

In the kitchen, I originally chose a brown, gray, and black flecked granite counter top, but with my glass green subway tile, Debra suggested that the granite choice may be too busy and instead brought me a couple black granite samples. I decided to go with a granite called "Absolute Black." This material will break up the light colors in the cabinetry, without being too busy.

Another suggestion in regards to my materials was in remove the copper border out of the shower and just use it as the sink's back splash in the bathroom. Debra informed me that over time, the water exposure to the copper would eventually ruin the coloring, and turn the copper a greenish color.  Instead, there is a small brown glass detail within the border, so she suggested that I used just that portion as a border or possibly a whole wall.

After my visit, I was very glad I able to get an opinion from a professional design who does this everyday. It was nice getting an outside perspective and practicing explaining my concept to someone who was new to the project. Also, I was able to communicate and explain my concept and ideas through my drawings. 

Bathroom Design

Concept Poster

 

Rendered Perspective

About the Design

A home starts with dreaming of the space as a whole, and when that idea is brought to life, each piece grows together to create that whole. The bathroom continues in the path of universal design. The concept of accessibility was applied as a place any guest can use and a space that will be sustainable for a long time. The finish materials used in the bathroom emulate building materials that are sustainable, yet decorative, and durable to withstand the uses of a bathroom. 

The sink area is connected to a built in storage cabinet. This design is effective in that it allows for a very universal use, as the heights of the cabinet space are both high and low. Keeping the sink and cabinet in the corner allows for a very open floor plan, with wheelchair accessibility.

 

Birds eye view of the North-West Corner.

The shower space is a unique feature as it has five sides; two are the wall, and three glass walls. To ensure privacy, the glass walls are frosted glass to the 5ft mark. The part of the shower with the two sides against the wall is covered by Indian red continental slate, porcelain tiles.  This material is a good choice in the shower because the material is durable through water exposure. Also accenting the shower is the same mosaic tiles as the back splash behind the sink, adding to the continuity in the space. The chrome shower head was placed at 6 ½ feet to accommodate different heights, and control lever at 3 feet.

I carefully designed the toilet area to continue the overall accessibility. An elongated toilet bowl and just 1.28 gallons of water per flush are highlights of this toilet. Also added on the walls are grab bars in requirements to the ADA codes.  A 36”x 48” clearance was included between the toilet, shower, and counter for frontal clearance to the toilet.

 In cohesion with the kitchen, the cabinets use the same handles. Also, the cabinets in the bathroom are similar to the ones in the kitchen in that they are both made out of maple. The ones in the bathroom are just a darker color than the kitchen ones. The continued use of wood cabinetry represents the materials used to build a home. Similar to the red tiles in the shower, how they resemble bricks, with a little bit of metal. 

Special Sketches

Sketch of the accent light and mirror over the sink.

Mermaid Rocks Border for black splash and shower accent.

  Study Model 

Reflection

To further gain experience in residential design, this bathroom allowed me to work on a space that was very small detailed oriented in that it was a very small space, and the sink and toilet area had to meet ADA requirements. Overall, I feel my design is very successful. Utilizing the space in th best way, there is an exceptional amount of open space in the center of the room. Relating the building material to my concept of building a home and growth, the materials of wood, metal and stone "brick," were used. This time drafting my elevations, plan, plan oblique, and perspective took about half the amount of time as is did for the kitchen design as I was familiar with the space, and had just completed previous ones. 

Brushing up on my skills in Photoshop and InDesign, I added a background that starts as the porcelain tile used on the floor, fading into the wood used on the cabinets. This demonstrates my idea of growth, and building into something new. One thing I would change is the black font on the captions, the captions that were over the wood part of the background are difficult to read because I did not realize how dark the background was. Overall, I feel I was able to create a poster that successfully displays my bathroom design.

Though I wanted to focus on the essence of warmth, sustainability, and natural materials, a goal I will have for the one bedroom full apartment design is to include a point of focus, that being a light, piece of furniture, or add an accent color to liven up my design.