Arrivederci Prima Donna

I have a new banker. He visited the office last week to introduce himself and to begin our meet and greet session he asked "you're and interior decorator, right?" Long silence and then, "no, I'm an architect." Truth be known, it wasn't a first, it won't be the last, but frankly, does it matter? I realize my knee-jerk reaction is part of an education rooted in the Bauhaus school, which eschewed decoration, but this gentleman's perception is worth exploring.

Stereotypes, which depict extremes will help explain what I do exactly. One end of the spectrum has the architect,

And the other, the decorator...

Truth be known, architect and decorator alike are often perceived as Prima Donna, and the battle is over who wins the title, which I think is a loosing proposition for all because life occurs somewhere in between what both of these design professionals do. It is my belief that Studio Santalla's work exists in that zone and so I present the evidence.

This space, the Lobby of the Dupont East condominium in Washington, DC, is a very architectural space, complemented by the choice of furniture and accessories. Other views of the space show how the lighting, while functional, creates a decorative pattern on the ceiling.

http://www.studiosantalla.com/spaces/r2c1.html

In this home in Potomac, Maryland, the Living Room was infrequently used, so the client claimed it as her own. To that effect, we created a "softer," more "feminine" aesthetic. The custom carpet is based on a photo of a dogwood flower.

The Clubhouse for Treetops, a residential community in West Chester, Pennsylvania is in an old barn. The stair and second floor are new, as is everything except the original exterior walls of the building. Regardless of how great the space may be architecturally, it wouldn't serve all its functions if it was not properly lit, furnished and had the right artwork and accessories. http://www.studiosantalla.com/spaces/2r4c1.html

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the furnishings, light fixtures, and accessories for his homes and other buildings. For some of his clients, he designed dresses to complement the space. Nobody looks down on him for this, so why should I be worried about questions of being a decorator?


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Green Was Not Sustainable

I’m thankful green is a color again. A few years ago, it seemed like all I heard was “Go Green.” Luckily, those who were in it to turn a profit were exposed as frauds and we could re-focus on the global issues we face.

Far from being left behind as a fad, however, the “green” discussion has more aptly focused on sustainability and is more heated than ever because it’s a fluid goal and concept. One discussion leads to others, introduces a new set of issues, which add a new set of considerations. And so on and so forth.

Take Daylighting for instance. Daylight is free on a daily basis and available to everyone equally-at least in theory. As a lighting technique it decreases our reliance on artificial lighting, generally powered by electricity, which is typically produced from fossil fuels. The notion that daylighting is desirable in many application is simple to embrace.

Possible is the operative word; it’s conditional and environmental in its application. Environmental considerations are two-fold: the natural environment and the built environment. Let me explain with an example. The apartment where I live with my spouse faces a busy street in Washington, DC. The building across the street is the same height as ours, so lots of morning light comes through our floor to ceiling windows. Further, when it was renovated, interior walls, which otherwise block light from reaching farther in to the space were removed or minimized. As an unanticipated benefit, at the end of the day light bounces off the building across the street and we get another burst of light. 

BEFORE

Preconceived notions suggest rooms are defined by doors and walls. In this case, a small space seemed smaller and was much darker. Double doors were out of proportion with the room they led to.

AFTER

The redesigned space was opened to the light, which seems so obvious to me. These are small spaces with big windows, so why not capitalize on the assets? You can see the building across the street in the background.

BEFORE

More walls, which then require a pass through, except there is a counter in between, which made it hard to reach. And trim, lots of trim to give the space a more "traditional" feel. Perhaps "traditional" and dark go together?  These types of decisions are not functional to say the least of architectural. The expletives that come to mind are kitsch and pastiche.

AFTER

The space is open front to back. There are areas that serve the function of cooking, office, seating, etc., rather than cubbies with room designations.

Parts of the ground floor of our building might receive direct sunlight on very specific moments of the year when the sunlight angles are such that for a brief period of time golden rays come through their storefronts. Basically, using daylighting techniques it’s not feasible for them because of the context, i.e. the built environment.

This is not the building where I live, but the photo serves to illustrate the concept that lower floors of buildings receive less daylight and therefore, other lighting techniques must be used.

What about smog-filled cities where a good day is when the sky is a shade of gray, no literary pun intended? Diffuse light is desirable in some instances, but when the source of light is diffuse at best, the environmental issue that caused the fog to become a constant companion has to be addressed first. So now we need to discuss air pollutants and that discussion, my friends, has been raging for years.

I am a strong proponent of working and living in urban centers. We certainly have our work cut out for us, but we're working on it. It applies to all of us and the solution begins with awareness.

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Luxury, Necessity Then Obsolete

When things like electricity and telephone service became available to those who could afford it, some households passed on the offer because they had servants to keep their rooms lit at night with candles and other servants to deliver and receive messages. As with any other technology, the novelty caught on to the point of necessity where we are very hard pressed to subside without either one of them for more than a day as we rely on electric chargers to keep our phones operational.

A hand powered electric generator

What's in the box? Remember the car phone that plugged in to the cigarette lighter? It was the size of a scanner.

Other technologies, very expensive at first like fax machines, became something we could not operate without. At present, most of us use the fax to scan documents we email as an attachment and for that occasional fax that someone insists on sending. I know there is a way to get rid of it, but the phone company is holding me hostage by not allowing to transfer the number and use it with an internet based solution. Therefore, this technology is one that lingers.

Then there are those artifacts that are here today, gone tomorrow because they were just an interim solution, such as 8-track cassette, which was quickly ousted by the more compact and reliable cassette.

Bell bottoms, afros and 8 track tapes were all the rage in the early 1970's

My lead up is to make the case for the necessity of what is mostly considered a luxury, like the work I do as an architect and interior designer by removing what I consider obsolete.

Architects are charged with many responsibilities, which include meeting building codes, zoning ordinances, environmental concerns and being responsive to community interests, among others. The architect is asked to adhere to a budget and a schedule, as well as coordinate an often long list of specialized consultants, such as engineers. Architects are not responsible for producing beautiful work, but strive to do so.

From the screen adaptation of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," where the character of Howard Roark is loosely modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright.

Commercial Interior Designers work in the context of highly regulated spaces like office buildings, theaters, restaurants and shops. These interiors are designed to be commodious and the desire to create beauty is high by the Owners and design professionals alike. Residential Interior Designers, often referred to as decorators, are specifically hired to create beauty.

Auntie Mame's hydraulic bench; poking a joke on Interior Design

Woody Allen does a balancing act on a futurist chair so minimal and conceptual it didn't work.

I was trained as an architect, but when I started working I couldn't understand why I was supposed to hand things over to the designers. I was told I didn't know how to pick colors, so I learned. I also learned how to select and specify furniture. I learned the subtleties between residential and commercial work. I learned about lighting and AV systems. Most importantly, I made it my business to put it all together as a singular product, which is different from saying I do it all.

My services are considered a luxury by many, but I contend they are a necessity.

First, my office combine the skills of a host of design professionals. My office handles complicated building code issues, but we also specify drapes as part of our skill set. We are concerned with space and equally concerned with how to make it functional and beautiful. We work with structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, but help clients select bed linens.

Second, we favor quality over quantity.

And third, we design spaces for our clients to live and work in comfortably and occupy less space. Efficiency translates in to reduced design and construction schedules, which in turn saves money. It's a winning proposition.

I believe a new breed of design professional is emerging to reduce the redundancy we've created through compartmentalization. Very specialized applications require very highly specialized professionals, but that does not apply to most projects, which require a design professional who directs the orchestra to bring all the players together and produce well executed, cohesive projects.

As I see it, there is no excuse for attractive buildings to have mediocre interiors that are poorly planned and sloppily engineered. By the same token, I don't subscribe by the notion that more space and expensive fittings define luxury. Spending money that way is wasteful and socially irresponsible. Luxury is created by the way all the components of a design come together functionally and aesthetically. Excess is obsolete, but the use of good quality materials is of the essence. Informed choices are key and what opens the door is good design.

The design industry must catch up with the 21st century. Commercial architecture, design and engineering are way ahead of the residential market, where the American Dream must be redefined.


Visit www.studiosantalla.com to see some of our work. Email mail@studiosantalla.com if you'd like to discuss a project you have in mind.

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