Square One: Good Home Design Starts Here

Lessons From a Small Studio

comments (10) October 5th, 2011 in Blogs

Rob Yagid , senior editor

54 users recommend

The west elevation of the Russian River Studio. A workspace, guest house and gathering place for a writer and a photographer.

Photo: David Wakely www.davidwakely.com

1 | 2 | 3 next> View all

Add Comment
Print

The Russian River studio designed by architect Cathy Schwabe serves as a workspace and guest house. Her clients, a photographer and a writer, also use the space to host workshops and large group meetings. With such specific demands placed upon a studio, it might be easy to ignore the relevance of such a project when considering a whole house design. However, looking at projects within a different context, and with such different goals, can often provide inspiration and insight into strategies not easily found in more literal project comparisons.

Recently, I asked Cathy to elaborate on the some of the major design strategies used in this project, but with an eye towards those that can be replicated in other house designs. Here, in her own words, are the most noteworthy:

One Big Room:
Almost all residential clients share the same three goals. Their project design needs to be comfortable, functional and beautiful. The idea of using one shared space for a combination of functions is an increasingly common method of responding to all three goals, whether at the scale of the main space in this small studio or the more familiar “great room” within a larger dwelling.

The specific functional requirements for each “big room” will not always be the same, yet they will present similar design challenges:

Since there is no longer a place for everything, they need to be thoughtfully designed so that there is a space for everything.
They will need some degree of flexibility to accommodate multiple uses.
They will need to work well for a group of people and yet still feel comfortable for just one person.

The “big room” in this project is essentially a rectangle whose corners and one side have been pushed and stretched to include three saddlebag-like alcoves. Two of the alcoves can be open or closed to the main space with easy-to-slide, brightly colored panels. The panels, when open, reveal the two individual workspaces. Each has its own window. Though small in size, they are comfortable to work in since they borrow space and light from the main room. When the panels are closed, and therefore appear as colorful wall elements, the shape of the room becomes that of a simple rectangle with an open corner alcove and one fixed interior element, a wood burning stove.

The room as a whole lends itself easily to the flexibility of furniture arrangements the varied group functions require. The wood stove provides both a heat source as well as a focal hearth element for the room. This works well for a group, but it also provides an element next to which one or two people can sit and feel they are within their own personal space. The design of the open alcove and southwest corner framed with glass doors share an intimacy of scale and a sense of protected enclosure. When you’re within them, these two corners allow the option for no, limited and/or more active interaction with the rest of the space, which itself might or might not be filled with other people. It is the combination of the woodstove, connection to the outdoors, scale, enclosure and choices for interaction that allow a space large enough for 20 to 30 people to feel small enough for just one or two.

1 | 2 | 3 next> View all

Small Homes That Live Large
From the editors of Fine Homebuilding Live Well By Living Small $8.99 more info...

posted in: Blogs, remodeling, architecture, additions, windows, floor plans, contemporary, living room, workshop, home office, fireplaces and chimneys

Add Comment Print

How to look at houses (like an architect): Base II

Back to List

A Fresh Take on Traditional Architecture

Comments (10)

savorsmith writes: As one of the owners of this studio, I am thrilled to see it featured on your blog. It was an amazing process to envision this with Cathy. Since we have a primary residence 40 feet away, this was always seen as a studio/workspace/ guesthouse when needed. She spent time with us exploring both of our needs and desires and took such great care creating a remarkable space for us. We wanted a space where we could do our own individual work. I am the writer, my husband, a photographer. We also wanted a place to daydream. Be inspired. The building was sited perfectly for the latter taking in the views and bringing the green countryside in. An aspect of our space that has not been discussed is the psychological impact when you enter. Immediately you are surprised by the volume, and combined with the view, you have the sensation of being safely perched in a tree looking into a forest. Sharing our space with others was equally important. I like to cook big and we have a long wooden table that we place in the middle of the space. It seats twenty and it will again be the location of our friends and family Thanksgiving this year. As others have written it has been used for writing and drawing workshops, a memorial and a classical guitar concert. We are imagining more uses. The couch shown in the photographs makes into a comfortable bed and the alcove becomes a cozy place for a sleep over allowing our guests to enjoy the stars before nodding off. It is meeting all of our needs and continues to inspire us. We are so grateful to Cathy.
Posted: 1:03 pm on October 14th

zhmmcc writes: (http://top4biz.com )
Online Store,Get Name Brand Fashion From 12USD Now!
Lv,Gucci,Prada,Coach,Chanel Women sandal is $30

Posted: 8:17 pm on October 13th

KennethCaldwell writes: This is a rare residential buildings with a public/private program. I have attended concerts for several dozen, a writing workshop for 10, and stayed over with just my partner. It is rare to find a space that can work at all those different levels. Beyond the spatial experience it is also incredibly comfortable in the summer heat. In that way it works perfectly as a passive solar structure. Didn't get the Starbucks comment. If only Starbucks were so comfortable. But they do have wifi!

Posted: 11:23 am on October 13th

RYagid writes: TheCatalyst, thanks for posting. It's great(and surprising) to get the perspective of someone who has actually been to the studio. Though I didn't state it in my text, I find that these sort of projects make you question the way you live in your existing home. What's necessary. What's possible. I can actually see myself living in this space as well, but I'm personally drawn towards smaller homes in general.
Posted: 2:27 pm on October 12th

TheCatalyst writes: I have spent a lot of time in this space, and it's amazingly versatile, comfortable, and well designed. I have attended a live concert here (the acoustics are wonderful) and a memorial. I have had weekends here alone working on a book project. I also lead all day writing retreats here, so I have had the opportunity to see how the placement of windows and doors allows many variations for air circulation and comfort--including a nice cross breeze, or some fresh air coming in from the lower windows while the wood burning stove is fully stoked.

Having slept here MANY times as well, I can attest to the kind of flexible space this is. I could easily live here, and just as important, I can appreciate the thoughtful design of this architect when considering future additions. This building has the potential to grow and change--right now and also in the near future. It is dynamic, as all well designed buildings are.
Posted: 2:03 pm on October 12th

jp13 writes: This is a wonderful project! While conceived as a studio - clearly with great flexibility and opportunity for changes in the future - I think it's a provocative example / model also for a weekend home for 1 or two. It's simple yet sophisticated; it's homey yet elegant. From reading the text, it appears that this was a thoughtful collaboration between architect & client. Of course it may help that the clients are artists but I think for many getting help articulating what we want and working with an architect to refine & achieve our priorities AND getting great design too is the ideal. One specific aspect I'd like to comment on is the 'main space'. I have toured many homes and seen countless projects in magazines that include a 'great room' -i.e. the 'main space'. I find that many of these, while providing lots of room, fail miserably. They fail because they're too big, the proportions are all wrong, there's no specialness or change in scale (such as the alcove in this project), etc. In this project, I think this concept really works! I would move in tomorrow! Thank you for posting this project.
Posted: 6:45 pm on October 11th

Cathyschwabe writes: Thanks to both of you for your comments and for taking the time to write. I'll try to respond.

Lash66:

Regarding the opportunity to use PV's and whether this was considered:

The site has quite a few mature trees which shade parts of the roof much of the day. This made using a single zoned array problematic - and a multi-zoned array would have been prohibitive. The electrical demands of the building are also really low and the budget was limited so even if we had no shading issues the cost benefits of PV would not likely have penciled out.

However,as PV panel designs improve in efficiency and with net metering now available in this area as well as new local opportunities for solar + or energy related rebates this is something that may well be explored in the future, especially when the clients are able to live there full time.

Goalieump:

Are these custom windows?

As Rob noted, the windows are not custom. There are a lot of them for sure - but they are standard sizes by Marvin and all of the components can be found in their catalog. Marvin will work with you to combine various operations and they offer shaped tops -- if you don't want everything to be parallel. The interiors came primed and the owners painted them the colors you see. Both of the exterior aluminum cladding colors are also standard. The windows are trimmed out on the exterior with the battens used as part of the siding at the jambs and use a shaped head and sill trim made of the same western red cedar. The shaped pieces of trim were run by the mill and then field cut as the units were installed.

Designed for snow?

It does not snow on this site -- well I suppose it might get a light dusting on a rare year but there is no snow load.

Is this a living space?

Wanting a good and flexible working space for two productive artists as well as a living space that would on occasion be a guest house won't be on every homeowners list - and a shift in emphasis would result in a different design and a different kind of "living" space. I got an email from someone today asking about this very issue - they liked the studio a lot but wondered if I had ever designed a version with bedrooms and or had integrated a more standard approach to heating than a wood stove.

Home or Starbucks:

I have tried to respond to your last comment several times but have deleted each effort because other than understanding that this does not read as "home" to you, which is fair if it doesn't, I am having to guess at your full meaning and intent.

Posted: 2:11 am on October 11th

RYagid writes: Thank you both for your comments. Lash66, I don't think the site is as ideal for PV as it might seem. Cathy will know more and might post. If not, I'll find out for you. Goalieump, you make some interesting comments. I feared that people might look at this project and not get it. No, it's not a living space with "long term occupation in mind". It's a studio used as a work space and as a guest house. There are good lessons here that can be replicated in "homes", though. Also, the windows aren't custom. Cathy can weigh in here as well, or I'll get more details. I'm with you, though. They do look custom.
Posted: 5:39 pm on October 10th

goalieump writes: Attractive in appearance, but is it a living space? It looks like the building was over-designed with an emphasis on expensive custom windows and doors, and no real emphasis on long term occupation. Sure, it would be nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. There are numerous approaches to designing one room/divided buildings, and this one looks nice, but it's a Starbuck's, not a home.

I hope it never snows where this building is built...
Posted: 10:01 am on October 10th

lash66 writes: Sounds as though one step forward, two back. Use of space, natural light, wood stove, on and on, cooling ventilation through windows in low southern walls, high northern walls. Intuitively, a south facing roof slope From the photos, one large rectangle of sloping, southern exposure. No mention of any use of appears a huge solar opportunity wasted. Maybe later?
Posted: 5:25 am on October 10th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.