July 23, 2020

Text: Kristie Garrell

14 Spaces Where Rough Meets Refined

We’ve been seeing it in projects of all genres—tough concrete, exposed brick, and aged beams juxtaposed with soft materials, pastel palettes, and sleek metal accents.

1. 10 Questions With… Rebecca Benichou

Bar Divine by Batiik Studio. Photography by Giaime Meloni.

2. Forms and Function: 4 Design-Driven Workplaces

Distillery by KOGAA Studio. Photography by BoysPlayNice.

3. The Nieuw and Ibiza Interiors Go Off the Grid to Create an Island Paradise

Eginstill crafted the kitchen island of steel with a marble top. Photography courtesy of On a Hazy Morning.

4. Concrete Sets the Tone for Industrial Lower East Side Apartment by Noha Hassan Designs

Minimalist, monochromatic pops of color highlight the gray interiors. Photography by Gieves Anderson.

5. MAPA Constructs Minimalist House from Concrete in Uruguay

A floor lamp and lounge by BoConcept join a sideboard and tables by Estudio Diario in the living area. Photography by Leonardo Finotti.

6. Utilitarian Forms and Fun Inspire Paum-Designed Offices for PETSHOP in St. Petersburg

A central meeting area within rounded glazing separates the graphic design and IT areas. Photography by Sergey Melnikov.

7. Pedro Reyes Studio in Mexico City

The fabricators who collaborate on the sculptor’s Brutalist-inspired art constructed a workshop to match, punching portholes into the building’s precast concrete panels, then connecting its three floors with a spiral staircase in the same material. Photography by Edmund Sumner.

8. +Arquitectos and Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos Create Weekend Retreat in Chile

The concrete-slab roof is supported by 21 steel columns around its periphery. Photography by Roland Halbe.

9. JHL Design Transforms a Historic Portland Penthouse into a Japan-Inspired Office Suite

The space had been demolished of all its previous finishes except for the existing black and gray walls. Photography by Haris Kenjar.

10. Visual Display’s Office Design for Autostar is Openly Unconventional

A social area outside the meeting room includes a La Cividina sofa, Tacchini chairs, and a table by Billiani, all upon a Karpeta rug. Photography by Rocco Taglialegne.

11. Von M’s Minimalist Vision for Designit’s Munich Studio Focuses on Flexibility

Curtains demarcate the lounge/break room, complete with a skateboard and foosball table. Photography courtesy of Von M, Stuttgart.

12. Studio O+A Gives a 21st-Century Update to Oakland’s Breuner Building Lobby

The mezzanine conference room offers West Elm seating and fine views of the Lee Broom pendant in the lobby. Photography by Garrett Rowland.

13. 10 Questions With… Alexander & Co. Founder Jeremy Bull

Woolwich Pier Hotel in Woolwich, Australia by Alexander & Co. Photography by Tom Ferguson.

14. Kingston Lafferty Design Transforms a 200-Year-Old Dublin Coach House Into a Modern Residence

A playfully over-size Maison Dada pendant fixture hangs above the barrel-vault reading nook’s custom banquette and engineered-oak floor. Photography by Barbara Corsico.

Recent Projects