The AIA Columbus Chapter E-Newsletter

Small Project Honor Award Winner


Jonathan Barnes Architecture & Design is the recipient of the AIA Columbus 2006 Small Project Honor Award for the design of Feinknopf Studio in Columbus, Ohio

This project consisted of improvements to an existing ground floor commercial space in an existing downtown loft condominium building for a photographer’s studio. The space requirements included a studio, conference room, offices, a digital lab, a changing room, kitchen and storage. The existing space was approximately 16 feet high, permitting the insertion of a loft space to increase usable floor area. The digital lab is located on the lower level.

A minimal and efficient spatial organization was employed to make full use of the limited space and to clearly express the functions as viewed from both inside and outside the studio. Partial separation between the functions creates a desired level of privacy while encouraging communication among the staff and filtering daylight throughout the studio. The full-height shooting space with a cyclorama wall and the loft structure defining the office spaces above and below it are the defining elements of the space. Exposed concrete and steel structural elements and details in accent colors bring texture and relief to the rest of the white-box interior. An existing storefront was retained and an existing south-facing window enlarged to increase available light. The daylight was tempered and with a full-height perimeter set of sheer and black-out drapes that also provide privacy from a well-traveled city street. Color-corrected halogen lighting above the shooting space, the low-profile downlights above and below the loft, and the decorative pendant light centered on the conference table all serve specific functions and add to the range of spatial character in the studio.

The efficient use of space, in three dimensions, and the effective application of responsive lighting techniques and daylight controls are the primary success of the project.

The Small Project Awards is a Program of the AIA Columbus Small Project Practitioners Forum. This first annual awards program recognizes the excellence of small project design and raises awareness of the value that architects bring to any project, no matter the limits of size or scope.

The entries were judged by a Jury comprised of the Advisory Group of the National AIA Small Project Practitioners Knowledge Community. Criteria included demonstration of exemplary skill in meeting program intent and requirements and achievement of Excellence in Design.




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