The PufferBelly Depot project involved the redesign from train station to a gallery, studio for the artist, and home for the artist their visually impaired spouse.
Design - The proposed apartment has two-bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a sizable kitchen, and master suite containing the master bedroom and bathroom. Sharing a water wall with the master bathroom is the utility/laundry room containing the hot water heater, washer, dryer, and an industrial sink basin. Floors original to the home were preserved, refurbished and stained in a warm honey glow. Color contrasts
throughout the home add character and also create visual signals for the visually impaired so that the person can navigate freely throughout the home without the danger of tripping and falling. The studio houses the artist’s tools of trade, with storage, and workspace. The space has vertical and horizontal spaces, plenty of work surfaces, and quilting loom. The studio sits just outside the residential hallway and adjacent to the utility/laundry room. This allows the artist to readily access the industrial sink basin for the curing of fabrics and accessories. Windows fill the spaces where the original sliding doors existed. The gallery is an open space with display space for a number of pieces from the artist. Movable partitions are scattered throughout enabling the artist to choose the arrangement of future exhibitions. Plenty of wall space is provided for display. A public restroom is available for clients.
Sustainability – Many of the
original walls were retained for repurposing. The master suite contains a predominant
number walls adding to its character and function. All the windows including
the ticket, express, and baggage windows have preserved to add historical
character to the home Two water wall locations were repurposed. One room is the
half bath which uses the plumbing location from the original women’s bathroom
and the other being the plumbing location where the original men’s room was.
The original wall that separates
the studio from the gallery is partly demolished allowing the artist to pass
freely from either area. One of the display tables is the original operation
table from the ticket office. The original sliding doors were repurposed around
the home as to not waste any door.
ADA/UD – Accessible rooms include
living and dining areas, kitchen, half bathroom, entryway, master and guest
bedrooms, master bathroom, and utility/laundry. Accessible rooms include the gallery
and restroom. Plenty of space is made for the ambulation of wheelchairs.
There are a few things I've learned from the duration of this project:.
There is such a thing as being too detail-minded in the learning stages of design. It isn't that the details aren't important it's that the creative part of learning can't be perfected in a few months time and holding it to a standard of perfection diminishes the afterglow of creativity.
Also, I see the importance of the informal, napkin, scrap paper sketches as it pertains to spatial planning. Practicing this will help me capture the moment I see the space when I'm imagining myself standing in the middle of a room. These moments aren't planned, they simply occur and a formal sit down can stifle the small bits of creativity that lie dormant in the rush of deadlines.
Overall, this experience was exhausting and amazing. The process created anxiety through my feelings of utter joy and excitement. I'm looking forward to being pushed like this again and blossoming as a designer.
