Some buildings have a civic responsibility. This building is on a piece of land in the middle of the village. There was once a business there that burned down, leaving only the foundation and a not so nice hole in the streetscape of the village. However, the lot had a nice view of the bay.
Our clients wanted to do something good for the village that had become their home and came to us to design a building that would fill that gap but still keep the water view. They also had a very specific building style in mind, one that honored the dominant style in the village. They wanted the building to belong and feel like it had been there a long time.
This took some serious research and several attempts before we arrived at a simple and functional solution. There is an art gallery on the main floor and a very flexible space above, capped by a glass walled lantern. It’s a sobering lesson for any designer to work with an established building style and stay faithful to that tradition. It’s your chance to honor the past and celebrate some of the skill that gives these buildings their life. Welcome home.