Two graphic designers wanted custom millwork to add visual interest to their nondescript townhouse, unify an existing fireplace and little-used television, and hide the array of stuff that comes with modern living, such as remote controls. Although the brief was simple, says Jeffrey L. Day, FAIA, the result is only deceptively simple.
At the townhouse’s ground floor entrance, the architectural built-in unit cants to nestle an entry bench under cove lighting, conceal a closet, and frame a removable wall panel for artwork. One floor above, in the main living area, a second built-in frames the fireplace, conceals the television behind a folding door, and camouflages two cabinets and a switch plate. “This detail is extremely clear about its intentions,” one juror said. “I’ve had clients who are totally into hiding all the gizmos.”
The lamella units might look straightforward, but appearances once again prove deceiving. Stretches of flat white oak boards (matching the main level’s existing floor) ripple out of plane across their expanse, culminating in sculptural inflections at the units’ outer corners.
To create this effect, the designers developed 18 board profiles, from the standard shiplap to shaped sections that incrementally rotate individual boards up to 60 degrees from the wall plane. Parametric design algorithms helped control costs, Jeff says, “by using a fairly limited number of board profiles to create the visual appearance of rotations.”
Citation | Architectural Details
Actual Architecture Company
Dundee Walls
Omaha, Nebraska
Project Credits
Architect: Jeffrey L. Day, FAIA, partner in charge; Matthew Miller, project architect; Dennis Krymuza and Ethan Boerner, designers, Actual Architecture Company, Omaha, Nebraska
Builder: d.KISER design.construct, Omaha, Nebraska
Interior Designer: Actual Architecture Company
Project Size: N/A
Site Size: N/A
Construction Cost: Withheld
Photography: Colin Conces
Key Products
Cabinetry: Custom-milled white oak; formaldehyde-free plywood and MDF substrates
Hinges: SOSS Door Hardware
Interior Paints, Stains, Coatings: Sherwin-Williams; M.L. Campbell; StewMac