Fifth Ave Kitchen & Bath, Brooklyn NY
The kitchen responds to site, use, and the aesthetic desire for physical and material durability. Simplicity in organizing programmatic use allows the inventions of overhead refrigerators and integral dish rack / cabinet supports.
The use of concrete in this project continues the idea of a simple and durable cast surface. Cast as self supporting pieces, the countertops touch the steel boxes underneath only at the ends. The steel boxes frame and support the appliances like the overhead refrigerators, supported only lightly by the continuous dish rack. The steel frames also house the cabinetry in the same fashion as the appliances- the cabinetry is not stacked or load bearing; it is inserted into the steel frames later in the construction process. Below the refrigerators, panel lights fill the gap above the compressors.
In this bathroom renovation the viewer experiences a solid, durable vanity as something slender and light.
This bathroom vanity, countertop, and sink are realized as one monolithic element. The physical weight of the concrete is made visually weightless through both cantilever and scale, achieved by recessing the steel and the concrete into the wall. The appearance of framework articulated as trim disguises the mass of the cabinet. The quality of light can be controlled by using the overhead spotlight, or the lightbox within the backsplash, or both.
Design / Fabrication: Lauren Crahan, John Hartmann, Corey Yurkovich, Andrei Pogany