FAUCETTA Loft
NEW YORK, NY
1,600 square feet
$325,000 budget

The Faucetta Residence is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The project is an interior loft renovation of 1,600 square feet. The loft is divided in half by the main faceted wall which responds and performs based on the functions and activities that are happening adjacent to its surfaces. The wall becomes a ledge to act as a buffet in the dining room, a medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom, a wine rack and shower.

Using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and advanced 3D software, POD was able to design and fabricate this complex wall by cutting hundreds of pieces of plywood on a Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) device and assemble them without any fasteners or nails. All the pieces were numbered and assembled like a three-dimensional puzzle with interlocking joints. The triangular panel shapes were printed full scale on sheets of paper and used as templates for cutting the sheetrock. In order to maximize the total amount of storage space there were no additional walls built. Instead, 'walls' of storage were created and used to divide the additional rooms. The storage wall is accessible from both sides giving the master bedroom and guest bedroom equal amounts of storage and closet space. In the breezeway area, glass walls and doors were used to bring natural light to the interior of the loft created a light and airy feeling. The guest bathroom is located at the bend in the main wall right across from the kitchen. At that bend, the solid wall changes to color glass which is also the shower in the guest bathroom. This creates light and shadows that can be seen in the main public area of the loft. Each item designed as multiple functions as can be seen at the countertop in the guest bathroom. Here, besides being the sink base, the counter also extends all the way into the shower serving as a shelf for soap and shampoo. In addition to the design of the interior layout, POD DESIGN+MEDIA LLC also designed all the built in furniture including the kitchen island, entertainment center, wine display rack, radiator covers, and also managed part of the construction of the project.

Project Description:
Interior renovation of a 1,600 sq. ft. condominium that incorporates a unique and flexible space using new fabrication techniques to fabricate the new, the flexible, the functional.

The Challenge:
To create a solution within confined constraints that deals with the clients needs, but also creates a flexible space without being flexible. Based on a given set of requirements from the client, how can we maximize the storage space, and blend the functions into a single and integrated unit for living.

The Solution:
This is an extremely exciting project that is seeking to push boundaries not only through the use of material, but also through the process of design, fabrication, and assembly that has been fully digital from the beginning. Throughout our design process we have been exploring materiality as it pertains to seamless, functional architectural surfaces and were continuously drawn to your product not only for it's aesthetic interest, but also because of its inherent properties of seamlessness, strength, machine-ability, translucency, color fastness, and durability. We feel that these qualities can be explored and enhanced through digital design and fabrication. What we propose takes advantage of these physical properties to create an aesthetic and functional architecture that creates new possibilities.

To describe some of our ideas about the project briefly, we are constructing what we are terming as an "armature" wall and a kitchen island. The armature wall wraps the entire center core of the residence and becomes an active screen that structures the public and private zones of the home through material, use and form.

The armature has been designed conceptually as being responsive to different forces of use and provides possibilities for different functions as the client uses the space. Formally this means that the wall is ‘pushing and pulling’ into different "faceted" forms to contain and become functions such as cabinets, shelves, glass panels, wine bottles, bath tubs, and lavatory counters. More precisely, the armature wall becomes the architectural possibility of a shelf, a bathtub, a counter/sink, a ceiling, and a storage niche to name a few. We have even determined that, where our original design called for glass panels being inserted into the armature wall, we could use a thinner profile material to create thin-skinned areas of translucency (when backlit) in the wall while still visually being a seamless material. In actuality we feel that the architecture can be constructed to become a seamless shell where it is both a finish and a functional piece of architecture and furniture.