LAB #2(41) 2008

StudioM, Sean Ahlquist, Thom Faulders _ Box Wearing Skin | Photo Thom Faulders Architecture / Studio M | Text Eugenia Ba- khturova | Each architect who dreams of building a white house should try his luck, but not in the USA. There is a place where his wish will be accepted, and that is Japan. As the practical experience has shown, the Japa- nese can understand virtually anything, without trying to explain some or other phenomenon, but just accepting it. If it is so, nice. It is easy to explain such an attachment of the Japanese to the white colour, which includes all other colours of the spectrum, and to standard shapes, which prove the simplicity of being. As well as the urge to decorate these shapes can be understood, otherwise things would be too sterile. An American can also accept nearly everything. Because they are not accustomed to explaining things. The American are able to under- stand the Japanese. On this favourable intuitive ground a collaborative project of an American and a Japanese designer emerged.

The Japanese Studio M in collaboration with Ameri- can designers Thom Faulders and Sean Ahlquist have designed a house that has been named Airspace. The former were responsible for the tra- ditional values, while the latter worked on integrating these values into a modern city. The work reminded of snapping eyes at each other: Hajime Masubuchi linked the object to the environment, designed lay- outs and ergonomic characteristics, while Faulders and Ahlquist in America were bashing out on their Macs various fantasy patterns reminding of a vague photo of organic tissues under the microscope. As a result of these manipulations a beautiful and func- tional space and object, which will be convenient to use for the years to come, was created.

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