Header: Younes Bounhar, Teddy Shropshire
Canvas House is many things: a piece of modern art, a family residence, and something everyone visiting the neighboring houses will point at and ask, “Who lives there?”. Designed by PARTISANS, the unique building functions as both a private residence and the home of an art collection.
The brick facade was designed to embody the artwork the residence holds, specifically taking cues from a piece by Larry Poons. Inspired by Poons’ use of vibrating dots, the design team created a textured, three-dimensional facade that suggests movement and depth through light and shadow. This pattern, referred to as the “voxel-bond”, was achieved through a custom brick arrangement consisting of a repeating set of five bricks, with slight variations in their placement to create a ripple effect. The undulating texture shifts in appearance depending on the lighting, casting shadows that enhance the sense of dynamic motion and giving the surface a changing character throughout the day.
Inside, the home combines the qualities of a gallery with every person’s needs. This unique mix of aesthetics is achieved through neutral finishes and minimalist detailing, with an art collection in the background serving as the cherry on top of this artistic cake. Through the interior and architectural design, each collection piece stands out without competing with the design itself, making for a calm and creative environment, the perfect setting for drinking a morning coffee while thinking about the next piece that will adorn the residence’s walls.
Light is one of the most important elements of this design, as it should be. The team’s choices were carefully thought through to ensure that natural light would softly fill the interior while keeping surfaces relatively free from visual distractions. Furthermore, the staircases and hallways were designed with organic curves and smooth material connections, which created a contemplative ambience throughout the home.
Each element of this house was curated to the design vision: showcase the artwork without sacrificing a warm, livable atmosphere. Whether you look at the house from the inside or outside, you get the sense that art was transmuted into life, as the house itself can be described as an artwork.
The project was recently recognized by the prestigious BLT Built Design Awards, a platform that strives to share design with the world. It won the coveted Architectural Design—Residential prize.
- Company/Firm: PARTISANS
- Lead Designer: Alex Josephson
- Design Team: Suzan Ibrahim, Tim Melnichuk, Nathan Bishop, Teddy Shropshire
- Interior Designer: Patti Rosati Studios
- Construction Company: Duffy & Associates
