PAHC Studio
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Location
Chicago, IL
Status
Completed 2014
Type
Cultural, Office
Size
5,000 sf
Sustainability
LEED Gold Certified
Tags
Art making requires an intimacy between the artist and her medium as much as it requires a close relationship between the artist and her physical space.
Studio Gang’s design for the PAHC Studio prioritizes healthy indoor air quality to facilitate the artist’s work with often noxious materials, while creating a crisp and meditative architectural environment that supports her process.
The PAHC Studio’s large drawing and painting stations are organized to isolate and reduce the potential effects of hazardous art materials. Paints and chemicals are used farthest from the offices and are equipped with direct exhaust systems, while a seamless, low-VOC floor system utilizes a resilient under layer to ease extended periods of working.
In close collaboration with manufacturers, Studio Gang designed a floor-to-ceiling vertical storage system, creating an accessible archive necessitated by the artist’s iterative process. Aligning these materials in practical but surprising ways allowed for the transformation of the studio’s technical requirements into a language that communicates the intimacy of making art.
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing
Awards
Citation of Merit, Interior Architecture, Design Excellence Awards, AIA Chicago, 2014
