West Village Duplex

Manhattan, New York, NY, United States

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Other Projects by Chad Smith Architect

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Boucher Orcutt House

West Village Duplex

Manhattan, New York, NY, United States

Firm

Chad Smith Architect

Type

Residential › Apartment

YEAR

2005

The client for this duplex residence had one directive: a place for everything.Our inspiration was the Japanese cabinet, known as tansu. For this project, we created residence-as-tansu. The design centered around a continuous cabinetry lining for every aspect of the owner’s belongings and functional concerns. The cabinetry took on architectural functions as well, creating openings for light, folding into a cantilevered stair, opening up the kitchen, and displaying books as artworks in a continuous, rhythmic pattern. The cabinetry is both functional storage and architectural device.The residence-as-tansu approach does not stem from the idea that architecture is defined by the shape and functioning of its space. Instead, it proposes that architecture is defined by our perceptions and emotional reactions, in addition to our abstract understanding of the spatial boundaries. It encapsulates both our mental understanding and our emotional reaction, the conceptional and the experience of material. Our solution was to create architectural devices out of what would normally be considered built-in furnishings. It is also a pragmatic approach suited to renovating post-war apartment buildings, where the slab and plumbing risers limit spatial flexibility.

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West Village Duplex

Manhattan, New York, NY, United States

Other Projects by Chad Smith Architect

Boucher Orcutt House

West Village Duplex

Manhattan, New York, NY, United States

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team