Details
There is no better way to put it. Details are sexy. There is just no more fun than to geek out over constructional design moments squeezed down to mere inches ("1/32 of an inch" can happen to be uttered). You get to combine visual desires with technical necessities. Design impulse with exacting precision. Happenstance with the practicalities of construction. If nothing else you get to dig deep and poke around the art of design.
This is a stainless steel cable rail incorporated into a slender post made of wood sandwiched by carbon steel for a custom modern home in Concord, NC.
Its all jambpacked tight in those details like an architectural roux: materiality, texture, shadows and light, function, structural forces, constructional practicalities, stories, dreams, and skill. Often the design intentions of an entire building boil down into those small moments, telling a story far greater than themselves.
This steel bracket gets to hold up an 18 ft long architectural glulam beam by slicing through a slatted cedar wall. A light and airy touch to a heavy affair in my own home.
It's not a surprise that these details often take the longest to figure out. They have to be just right. Simply perfect as they become a signature. Which of course is not a quick but an easy task since they are about the coolest thing of my job.
This is a steel railing for the terrace of a contemporary home in Charlotte, NC. The piping and connectors are off-the-shelf items, while the uprights are plasma cut and powder coated carbon steel. The uprights are thin in the direction of the main view to limit the visual impact.
A concrete counter for a custom kitchen upfit in Davidson , NC. The cabinetry was custom made and the concrete and wood seamlessly merged for a smooth transition. The snail housing is cast in to the sink that also holds a cutting board.
Some of the folks that I worked with on these are Jahan Nourbakhsh, Josh Canup, Claudio Rodriguez, Jim Warren, and Eric Boyd.
~ Toby