Project Description
Applauding its “strong use of materials” and “very sculptural, very
quiet” presence, the judges chose this entry as the only winner in the
bathroom category. “We wanted it to feel like a little rain forest,”
said designer and contractor Jonas Carnemark. The vanity, for instance,
has a 6-inch concrete top and a cabinet made of ipé, a renewable rain
forest wood. Clerestory windows ensure privacy yet bring in light
reminiscent of sun rays through the trees. The curbless shower has two
showerheads and an open glass panel, but no doors to open or thresholds
to step over.
Great care was taken to perfectly align the floor finishes. For
example, the large-format flamed-impala granite of the shower floor is
thicker than the bamboo flooring outside it, so plywood was used to
bridge the difference. A stainless steel strip secures the grout on the
tile side while allowing the bamboo to expand and contract on the other.
The floor is slightly raked toward the gutter drain, and the concrete
shower “cube seat” is subtly raked as well.
Other sophisticated elements include bright blue porcelain vessel
sinks, a private toilet concealed behind a shoji door, and a large linen
closet tucked behind a shoji screen pocket door. Tiny but powerful
halogen spotlights are discretely mounted on the high, pyramid-shaped
ceiling.