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Cut above from Home & Remodeling volume 2604
Industrial buildings of the 1920s and '30s have a character that's hard to replicate with modern materials and budgets. So when this former laboratory building came on the market, it was quickly snapped up by the owner – a graphic artist who could see the potential of the warehouse loft-style space.
Architect Ted Flato and Bob Harris of Lake-Flato Architects say the property, which comprises three separate buildings, is located in a light industrial area on the edge of the city.
"We could see the property had plenty of character and good bones," Flato says. "It also had an outdoor space where we could provide a an urban hacienda courtyard."
The architect says the owner wanted a live-work program. One building could be given over to the main living area and master suite, another building could accommodate the studio with a separate apartment above, and the third building could provide garaging.
The property included a derelict alley that ran between the two main volumes. This was repaved and new lighting introduced to create an entry for the house.
"Most converted industrial properties don't provide an entry sequence, so we wanted to make the most of this space, which was nicely proportioned," says Flato. "We kept the industrial look, but refined it to create a smart entry hall – it just doesn't have a roof."
Where possible, the original architectural features of the main building were retained on the inside. However, a fire during construction damaged the existing flat ceiling and skylights. This gave the design team an opportunity to add a ziggurat saw-tooth roof that would be in keeping with the industrial warehouse style.
"The clerestories in the roof are north facing so they allow light into the building, but no direct sun," says Flato. "They are also designed so that when they are viewed from the far end of the room, the windows line up and the ceiling appears to be completely glazed."
The roof is supported by large, exposed steel trusses that reinforce the building's character and introduce a strong graphic element to the interior. This is enhanced by the steel's black powdercoated finish. Services, including the air conditioning ducting, are also exposed, in keeping with the raw, industrial theme.
Other materials include plywood, which features on the ceilings and walls, and concrete. The concrete floor was given a Lithochrome stain to provide a worn, industrial finish.
To help contain the large living area visually, lounge seating is grouped in the center of the room, and the kitchen positioned in one corner. Freestanding half walls with a concrete finish hide appliances and worktops, but still allow the owner to socialize with guests while preparing meals. A separate scullery accommodates many of the items that would otherwise clutter up the space.
In contrast to the soaring living area, the dining area is a much more intimate space.
"The dining table is positioned off to the side in what was originally a steel vault," says Flato. "We carved a window into the wall to make it a little lighter, but the fire-blackened steel walls help create the sense of a room that is of a very different scale to the rest of the house."
At the opposite end of the living area, sliding industrial-style chalkboard doors open to the master bedroom. This room also has a lowered ceiling that provides a more intimate space. Hand-troweled plaster walls enhance the room's distinctive urban feel.
A bathroom off the bedroom incorporates a solid concrete tub, which was poured on site.
Although the house has no visual link to the street, a series of high windows with translucent glass allows light to penetrate the interior. On the opposite side of the house, glass doors open to the new landscaped courtyard and lap pool. This oasis of green is enhanced by an ivy-covered pavilion that was once a small building housing a generator.
This loft-style house in a 1930s industrial building is essentially one large open space. An intimate dining area on one side of the room is tucked within the building's original steel vault.
All the structural elements and services are exposed to enhance the raw, urban feel of the interior.
The different areas within the space are defined by furniture groupings. The kitchen, in one corner, is partially concealed by a freestanding half wall.
A new saw-tooth roof reinforces the industrial look of the building, and allows light to penetrate. A series of translucent windows on the street front also allows light inside, but retains privacy.
Entry to the house is through an alley that was refurbished to create an open-air entry hall. Large, sliding chalkboard doors open to reveal a bedroom at one end of the living space.
Display shelving retains the sense of openness in the kitchen area. Additional storage is provided in a scullery.
Plywood features extensively throughout the interior, on walls and ceilings.
The bathroom, which is positioned off the bedroom behind the chalkboard doors, includes a concrete tub that was poured on site. A minimalist vanity unit reinforces the sleek, contemporary look.
As if in an urban hacienda, a private courtyard with a lap pool provides a quiet retreat for the owner. Doors open to the courtyard from the main living area and the separate studio building, which can be seen at left. An outdoor pavilion, covered in ivy, was originally a generator room.
Credit List
Architect
:
Ted Flato AIA, and Bob Harris, Lake Flato Architects (San Antonio, TX)
Flooring
:
Concrete with Lithochrome concrete stain by LM Schoefield
Story by Colleen Hawkes
Photography by Through the Lens Management, Inc
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