The Beauty Within - Transitions
By Maurice Levitch, AIA
It is difficult for me to think of the interior of the home as distinct from the exterior. While interior design is a specialty in itself, an architect must keep both the interior and exterior design in perspective, keeping transitions in mind as he or she develops a project.
It is true that you can separate outside from inside to create an intentional surprise or contrast upon entry. You may choose to keep the exterior design of an existing building as-is while changing the interior to something completely different due to cost, desire to avoid design review by the city or a homeowners' as- sociation, or just to update to a new look or style. You might consider the exterior as one room with its own consistent design and the interior as many rooms with different uses and design themes, working together as a whole.
Whether remodeling or building new there are some building features that you can't help but integrate, such as windows and doors. The placement, proportion, materials, and mullion layout for windows along with floor plan, massing and roof design are the glue that keeps a project together. Given the opportunity, most architects will want a high degree of control over these features.
Once these decisions have been made, it is not uncommon to separate out the interior design, which involves filling in the space with a multitude of choices. Providing guidance to a home or business owner who is interested in selecting interior products and finishes can either be a simple task or a time-consuming project with a life of its own. If the client is not sure what they want or has a difficult time narrowing down choices, I recommend that they consult with an interior designer either to confirm their choices or to develop a complete plan for interior finishes. The danger is that with another design professional involved, the overall vision of the architect could be compromised or changed to something different from the architect's original concept. Sometimes you just need to let go. The benefit is that the architect can offer the vision, keeping a broader focus on the entire project, and the interior designer and client can follow it through. For this reason, the interior designer should be acceptable to both the owner and architect.
There is such a variety of products today that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and environmentally responsible that the selection process is fun! From flooring to cabinets, paint, tile, lighting, appliances, countertops, plumbing fixtures, as well as salvaged products, there is an abundance of choices. In flooring alone, if you are considering using rapidly renewable resources, in bamboo there is a choice of horizontal or vertical, natural or carbonized, and now stranded bamboo with a combination of light and dark tones. There is also a variety of palm products (not as in the "Treo") for flooring and other architectural woodwork. In tile, porcelain has such a great range of textures and colors and is so hard you can roller skate on it (with the old-fashioned metal wheels if you like).
No matter how you divide your time in delivering professional services, some interior finish selections will be much more complex and time consuming than the exterior design of the building. This work may best be handed off to a competent owner or to the owner with assistance from an interior designer. If you are an architect who loves to do this stuff on your own, more power to you. I have my limits, however, and will let my opinions be known if the interior design solutions or details are not in keeping with my vision. If all is under control, however, I have plenty of other elements to worry about, such as trim and railing details and how one material meets another. It's all about transitions.
June 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue
| Permalink
