Brief: Design a residence for a chosen twentieth century artist couple.
Theme: Separate but Together in Harmony. Structure: Stereotomic Masonry
Site and Response: Site: Abbey Gardens, Bath . The use of Bath stone, slim curves and Classical proportions reflects the architectural context within Bath.
This house was designed around the concept of harmony. With the clients - artist couple, Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera - and with the environment. This masonry house has 100% physical accesibility to accomodate Frida's chronic leg and back pain; the vertical circulation is an inclined platform spiraling around the central courtyard. This inner greenspace allows occupants to feel constantly amongst nature and further acts as a habitat for Frida's beloved animals. I designed the residence to have a "stacked and staggered block" typology within which the circulation is an upwards journey outside and this layered effect enables the couple's individual studios to have north werstern panoramic views.
Frida Kahlo Studio - Top Floor Internal Perspective
Open Plan Ground Floor - Internal Perspective
Whole Section Detail Design with Internal Perspective
I believe in the honesty of materials and so left the red brick walls exposed both internally and externally. This reflect's the couple's love of tradition and nature inside a house where the barrier between outside and inside is blurred.
The artists have separate studios to allow space from each other during their tumultuous relationship and for Frida to have her own medically-equipped quarters (with a second entrance for art supply arrivals) on the top floor for her health hiatuses.
Ground Floor - Open Plan with Indoor Courtyard and Office
First Floor - Diego's Studio and Bedrooms
Second Floor - Frida's Studio and Health Quarter with Roof Garden
South Elevation
