Project description

Our project narrative centered around bringing together elements of the Arts and crafts movement, the northern coast and cliffs, and mid-century modernism, which informed our interiors in this new, ground up project for a local developer. We worked in the vernacular of the craftsman era of Berkeley but modernized and streamlined it using elements of both Japan and Scandinavian design. The result here is clean lines, but a warm enveloping space. Installation art was an important focal point of the project which ended up being a key element of the project. We worked closely with Detroit based artist, Ellen Rutt to come up with the concept for the custom mural and painting in the interior lobby of the space. Her abstract art has a narrative rooted in environmentalism, LGBTQ and social justice issues which are central focal points of the Berkeley collective hive thinking and intellectual landscape.

Rather than your standard apartment furnishings, we curated the furnishings with a surgical, artful eye. We went for an elevated hospitality feel with special sculptural elements like chairs from Estudio Persona, a custom rug by Christopher Farr and a custom sectional by Croft House. The game room features Nanawall pocket doors and opens up to a firepit and outdoor lounge that allows for community gathering and friendships to foster and develop in the building. Views of the city and the entire San Francisco Bay can be viewed from the communal rooftop, where we programmed spaces for communal dining and socializing, as well as more private spaces to lounge and relax amongst the landscape of plants and trees. The design result is relaxed & approachable, yet an elevated California vibe which feels distinctly Berkeley. 

Architect: Pyatok | Landscape Designer: Miller Company | Interior Design Principal: Amy Eliot | Photographer: David Wakely