Sky Village, Denmark

Right now, the housing market is slowing down, and developments focus more towards office-space. One that shows flexibility. Where offices can easily be transformed into housing - and vice versa. Where smaller units can be transformed into bigger ones - and vice versa.

By creating a tower that is a grid structure with a minimal pixel size, any configuration can be imagined and filled in. The grid-size of 7.8 x 7.8 m combines a good parking grid, a proper housing unit and office type (a unit of 7.8 x 7,8 x 4 m, approx. 60 m2 or 240 m3), that can easily accommodate a large variety of tenants, e.g. young people that want to live close to the city and starters in the office market. Small offices and home offices… a vertical SOHO! The units, or pixels, can also be joined together to form larger spaces to accommodate larger apartments, hotel rooms or offices.

A sustainable structure arises. The grid has been organized around a central core with lifts, stairs and shafts. The central core is divided in three individual cores that individually serve the apartments, the offices and the hotel and restaurant. It allows for deeper offices with cells and meeting rooms, and for deeper houses, or public functions like for example a library or a conference space. By varying the infill, less deep offices and houses can be created. By pulling away many pixels on the ground and lower floors, a more open plaza is created, while keeping some program on ground floor for lobbies and shops. By stacking the units more towards the northern side on top of the cube a taller building emerges with sunnier terraces with views to Copehagen city centre, Skåne, and the rest of the region. By opening the cube in the middle, a series of covered terraces is created to allow for communal outdoor areas for offices or public functions.

A sky village. The columns are clad with cast-aluminium panels. It serves both domestic and office purposes: individualized usages, natural ventilation, and maximum visibility from the sky towards the grounds. Where needed stability elements are diagonally positioned behind the façade. The tower continues underground with some small shops, the plant rooms and a parking garage. By using the identical pixel-unit sizes, the plaza obtains the same qualities and character as the rest of the tower. As if the tower is ‘emerging’ from the ground. This mixed use concept also demands for a mixed environment. The bench surrounds a protected play area, an outdoor fitness area for elderly citizens and picnic zones.

Location         : Rødovre
                            Denmark

Site type          : Urban

Building area : 22000 m2

A project by    : MVRDV, ADEPT Architects

                             Architecture

Photo Gallery of Sky Village, Denmark

Convection Slum, Brazil

The Rocinha community originated in the 1930’s from the division of bigger farms in smaller lots for food production. The pressure came specially from people seeking for jobs in infrastructure construction taking place in other parts of developing Rio de Janeiro. The proposal located in this settlement is directly related to local space needs and the lack of inhabitable land.

Concept: Poverty, hunger, discrimination, reality. Life experience. In what way could we relate the lack of inhabitable space  to the huge amount of  underprivileged people in one of the largest Brazilian cities? Differences between living space and designed space. The organization in a slum is similar to a competition for survival, where the strength, be it political or physical, coupled with low budget creates huge spaces of both innocence and turbulence, human and inhuman spaces to the extreme, an example of vivid architecture, not about mistakes or successes, about the huge range of differences. Plurality. Experiences. Culture.

Interstitial spaces are the living spaces of slums, this spaces are the consequence of the lack of private space and the high density, forcing the street meetings, so the boundary between public and private becomes invisible, almost non-existent, but it does not become a problem for the culture of miscegenation. The multi-space (the transition area) becomes the meeting place of the local community. The building design aims to maintain the diversity of events generated by the “favela” in its interstitial spaces. Resulting from this, the skyscraper is shaped spontaneously in a rich mixture of sustainable spaces. Program:   The building, more than 500 m (1640 ft) tall, will provide housing for thousands of people and also access to educational, cultural and leisure infrastructure to inhabitants and nearby communities. The plurality and mix found in the “favela” is applied to the programmatic needs of the skyscraper:

Culture – theaters, cinemas, music halls, auditoriums, museums, places for samba rehearsals, libraries, places for expositions; Sports – gyms, pool, sport rooms, lockers, services; Green roofs; Health Unities; Schools, elementary schools and nursing houses; Small offices areas; Service and Commerce areas; and, most significantly, habitations of various sizes. The vertical circulation always starts and stops in an interaction space, a gathering and cultural place with enormous encountering and exchange possibilities. The building is provided with a major vertical circulation and various secondary circulations.  Hierarchy is established by the vertical movement, the principal one, the generator of multiple possibilities. The secondary vertical circulations act as local transitive elements, mixing uses and promoting contact.

Photo Gallery of Convection Slum, Brazil

Black and White Photography in Whistler

I have taken up photography. Is there ever a lot to learn. I started by taking a digital photography course at Emily Carr University. Then after much research and trial I decided on my camera and lens: a Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 18-200 lens with polarizing filter. I wanted to get a full format FX camera but decided to get familiar with a DX camera first. I got Photoshop CS5 and Silver Efex Pro 2 (a program that converts color digital photography to black and white photography) as well as several books that I downloaded to my iPad 2 (BTW I love my new iPad 2 which was a gift from a client – thank-you very much!). All of this because I have a very curious mind and a very curious eye. I love the fact that when I look through the view finder of the camera I see the world differently from the way I view the world of Interior Design through my eye unframed. Looking through the lens forces my attention down to a small and very refined focus. I am also a believer of the value of life long learning and the fact that the appreciation of different  art disciplines enhances and broadens our experience of life.


The above photo was taken at a client’s home in Whistler just before sunset as I was standing on the edge of the dock. I went there to take photos of the lovely views from their home of the dock and lake, with hopes of getting some good images to frame and hang in their just completed home in Vancouver. Somehow the color version looks nice in a smaller format for viewing on the internet or in the photo album, but when I thought about enlarging it to a frameable size it didn’t look like fine art. I far prefer to hang black & white photography on walls. I converted the digital color photograph to black and white photography with a software program called Silver Efex Pro2 and I quite like how the images below the water show up much clearer in the black and white photography then in the color version.


This image was converted from a color digital to black & white photography using a program called Silver Efex Pro 2.

These are some of the other photos I took.

Fresh fruit for our morning brunch. The sunlight was streaming in the window and this setting was calling out to me to take the photo quickly before 1. either the sunlight moved on or 2. we sat down and started eating. So much of photography I am learning is to seize the moment. Thank-you Nora for the delicious and beautiful meals you prepared.

 
The picture above and below were taken at sunrise in one of the most beautiful places in the world Whistler.

The morning dew.

I will leave you with a quote by the brilliant French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson.

“To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis.”

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Qualicum Beach Smiling Rock

I was visiting Qualicum Beach this weekend and someone put this rock down on the beach path. It put a smile on my face. Thank-you – whoever you are!

 
PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

10 Things to do in New York in the Summertime

1. Sit on the grass roof terrace at Lincoln Center. This stylish sloping green lawn is situated on top of a restaurant at the recently remodelled Lincoln Center and overlooks Lincoln Center’s reflecting pool and Henry Moore sculpture. The night I was there was a perfect summer night and the bonus was it was a full moon which hung in the sky with the city scape of New York below it. I had a hard time leaving.

2. Visit Vicente Wolf. I met Vicente when he was in Vancouver this Spring and he invited me to drop in and see him when I next in New York. He showed me around his office and then his showroom which is packed with treasures that he purchases on his yearly trips to exotic locations.


3. See a play in the theatre district. This time I saw Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. It is the story of the Wizard of Oz long before Dorothy drops in, and the relationship of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. It was a great show. Be sure to dress up and have a nice dinner before the theatre, as I think it makes the experience all the more special.

                                        A close-up picture I took of the curtain before the show started
4. Have dinner at:
La Esquina in Soho 
You have to walk down a flight of stairs and through the kitchen to get to the restaurant. Book well in advance as it is very popular. It is the best Mexican food I have had outside of Mexico. I was told by a friend to try the deep fried Crickets. I was happy when I was told that they were no longer on the menu so I didn’t have to lie and say I had them. They also have a selection of over 200 premium tequilas. The waiters wore red t-shirts with ‘SEXICO’ on the front. 

Le Colonial in the Upper East Side
The ambiance of French Colonial Vietnam (Indo Chine) of the 1920’s has been recreated in this two storey townhouse, decorated with black and white period photos, ceiling fans, lush potted palms. I had one of their signature dishes - Vietnamese crisp-seared whole red snapper with a light, spicy and sour sauce. Yummm!

5. Have lunch at Bergdorf Goodman’s restaurant, decorated by Kelly Wearstler and overlooking Central Park. 

6. Shop, shop, shop
My favourite street is Madison. I start at Barneys at 61st and walk up to 70th and then down 70th to visit one of the most beautiful galleries in New York - the Frick, with a stop at the Nespresso Boutique between 65th & 66th for an Iced Latte and the best quiche outside of Paris. This trip I also “did Soho” and discovered some new stores:

7. Walk Central Park South East
I never knew this pond was here in Central Park. As we were walking back to our Hotel after our shop, shop, shop afternoon, I saw the trail lead into Central Park – you enter off of 5th Ave and 60th Street. In a few short moments we were transported into another world – a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is situated below street level, and  the noises of the city are left behind. We were able to walk through the lush park almost all the way back to our Hotel. 

8. Visit Francine at Interieurs. Francine is a friend of mine that I met through the Blogosphere. One of the highlights of my visits to New York is to visit her at her wonderful store and then go out to dinner together. Francine has one of the most outstanding roof decks in all of New York where she hosts many parties in the summer. There is never enough time to catch up on everything. She is busy working out with a personal trainer to prepare herself for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September.

9. Have drinks at the Empire Hotel which is where Gossip Girls is filmed and has the official drink Cocktail List of the ‘Gossip Girls’ TV show with catchy names like: I’m Chuck Bass – Dewar’s Scotch, Red Apple, Ginger Bites and Apple Cider. You can read the Cocktail list here.

10. Visit MoMA
Get there early especially if you go on the weekend. We arrived at 10:30 on Sunday morning with a short line-up and by the time we left at 12:30 the line-up outside was down the street and around the corner. I head up to the top floor (and work my way down) to see my favourite painting – Monet’s Water Lilies which I could feast my eyes on forever. It is an amazing 42 feet in length. Tip: This trip I purchased a membership which is very cost effective and means you don’t have to stand in a line-up.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Luxury Home

“An upfront interview process allows this Vancouver design firm to meet
all the design needs of busy professionals”.
Luxury Home

PATRICIA GRAY INC
story by Romy Schafer
photos by Roger Brooks

For nearly 30 years, Patricia Gray of Patricia Gray Inc. has been creating one-of-a-kind residential installations for individuals too time-pressed to contemplate their design wants and needs, much less deal with the inherent challenges of renovating a room or entire home. “Most of the clients I work with are busy professionals, so I handle all the details for them,” says Gray, principal of the Vancouver-based design firm, which has executed projects in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Africa.

“All the details” typically range from ascertaining a client’s needs and wants to designing custom furnishings to arranging amenities. “I offer a complete service for my clients—everything that’s required in making a space personalized for them,” she says, noting that she also does full design-build project management.

Thousands of sheets of silver leaf were hand applied to the recessed ceiling, reflecting the crystal chandelier, sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling windows and the water of False Creek.

Gray’s recent installation at Vancouver’s The Erickson—a 17-storey residential tower designed by and named for world-renowned architect Arthur Erickson—illustrates her complete-service approach. When a busy San Francisco couple commissioned Patricia Gray Inc. to turn their spacious two-bedroom, three-bath condominium into a second home for impromptu visits, the designer looked to a luxury, five-star hotel for her inspiration. “They wanted a home that they could come to on the spur of the moment and everything would be ready for them,” she explains. “I set up flower delivery, maid service, laundry service and concierge service, so the clients can just send emails [to these service providers] when they decide to come to Vancouver. When they leave, the maid service cleans everything up.”

Limestone countertops and backsplashes, SieMatic cabinets and Miele appliances give the kitchen a modern, European look.

So how does Gray, an award-winning designer who studied at the Parsons School of Art and Design in Paris and the University of Ferrara in Italy, determine clients’ design preferences and needs—something they often don’t know themselves? “I arrive at that through my extensive interview process,” she explains. “I ask them how they’re going to live in their space, what their entertainment requirements are, what their family requirements are [and so on]. Then, I get to know them, and the style evolves by osmosis.”

Thoroughly acquainting herself with clients’ lifestyles at the project’s onset enables Gray to develop a complete design concept for them, “so they know exactly what their home is going to look like when it’s finished, before we even start,” she says. “Everything’s designed and priced. Then, they approve the concept and the budget, and I proceed from there,” ultimately handing over a completed, customized new home.

But, as every experienced designer knows, the journey from the initiation of a project to its completion can be filled with challenges. “There’s a lot of coordination to do with all the different suppliers and sub trades involved,” Gray explains. “It’s one thing to be able to design something very beautiful, and it’s another thing to be able to execute it. The great challenge is in the execution—it’s like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces have to fit together, and everybody’s got to work together to bring it to fruition.”

Adjacent to the kitchen, accordion-style doors open the entire 20-foot width of the balcony. Views of the downtown Vancouver skyline and the mountains can be seen in the distance. Patricia Gray Inc. custom pillows in Sunbrella fabric. 

For Gray, working with high-level tradespeople and artisans is key to a successful, problem-free renovation. “I have quite a wonderful group of people that I’ve built up over the years that can execute my designs,” she says. “I think that’s one of the bonuses my clients have in me—my intellectual knowledge, all the years of experience I’ve had and having the right people working with me. I have a wonderful contractor who I can totally count on. Everyone I work with shows up when they’re supposed to and completes their jobs on time and on budget.”

Creating custom-designed furnishings like tables, seating, media and wall units, pillows and artwork further enables Gray to create personalized spaces for clients. “I have a millwork company, an upholstery workroom, a drapery workroom,” she explains, adding, “What I do is very unique and very specific for each client. I like to think of my design as couture. Everything is custom-designed and made specifically for each client.”

This penchant for designing home furnishings has led to a new business venture for Gray: a line of custom furniture based on some of the limited edition, custom pieces that she’s created for past projects. At press time, possible manufacturing partners and marketing initiatives for the line were still being worked out, according to Gray.

The master bedroom is on a corner, with windows along two walls. Patricia Gray Inc. custom motorized silk draperies and roller shades control the natural light reflecting from the silver leaf ceiling. The linens are by Frette bedding with an Hermes throw and Patricia Gray Inc. pillows made with Jim Thompson fabric.

Creating elegant, personalized spaces will no doubt continue to be Gray’s métier. When asked what she considers the most rewarding part of her job, she quickly responds, “When I hand over the completed project to my clients—when all the months of work are finished, and they see everything in its beauty and perfection.”

Discover more about Patricia Gray.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™