Designing outside the Box: Stairs

Stair design is such a uniquely fun opportunity for an architect.  A great stair can become one of the most dynamic and fun elements of layered architecture - sculptural in its own right.

Here you can see the evolution of a non-traditional stair in a One Architects home currently under construction, which, even at this early phase already contains elements of sculptural opacity, translucency, material layers, and a wonderfully creative riser detail.

For more photos of some of our favorite finished stair designs, please visit our earlier Stairs as Art post!

Evolution of a Bridge Detail

It is highly gratifying to see design come to 3 dimensional life in the construction phase of a project.

Here's a peek at a few job-site photos from a One Architects project in the Mountain Village, now nearing completion.  Working with Russ from All-Steel, these custom steel details came together beautifully with reclaimed wood on this bridge connector element, a main feature from the entrance to the property.  We are excited to share the finished project after it is photographed this spring!

Extraordinary Bathrooms

There's no rule that says a bathroom has to be a hidden room in the leftover space of a home.  

These designs release the bathroom from its tangential, hidden place -- one where we snuck off in quiet, perhaps shameful privacy -- and usher it into its more deserving place: 

A sanctuary for refreshing, clean and inspiring architecture to renew and invigorate.

all spaces designed by one architects, inc.  |  photos © Jennifer Koskinen | Merritt Design Photo

Stairs as Art

I'm not going to lie: I'm mildly obsessed with stair design.  What an amazing opportunity to create a multi-dimensional piece of sculpture in a home, one which will be experienced not solely for travel, but often (as we noticed in architecture school) as a place of impromptu conversation, rest, and enjoyment.  A well designed stair is ergonomically comfortable, can create light and shadow which changes throughout the day, pull natural light between levels and even make music when in use.  Here are some of my favorite One Architects' stairs.

 

photos © Jennifer Koskinen | Merritt Design Photo

Beyond Drywall...

Several years ago, a client posed us the challenge not to use ANY drywall in his home.  This applied to the walls, the ceilings (see rusty metal ceiling in great room below), and even the garage, which ended up with washable, painted bead-board siding.

Creative use of materials is a great way to enhance the experience of a space with texture and color.  From earthy plaster textures to locally quarried stone, to rich board form concrete and galvanized metal - there is an abundance of alternatives to drywall and traditional sidings, and the opportunity to design with them can be hugely rewarding.

photos © Jennifer Koskinen | Merritt Design Photo