studio for a composer, spring prairie, wis.
johnsen schmaling architects
milwaukee
This freestanding studio for a guitarist/composer drew architects Brian Johnsen, AIA, and Sebastian Schmaling, AIA, LEED AP, into their client’s creative process. “We were motivated artistically to do something inspiring,” Johnsen says, in a building that marries technical capability with a sense of poetry. The studio’s steel-clad shell—inspired by the rusting farm implements abandoned in the overgrown fields nearby—provides sound insulation, while its ends open to meditative forest views. The ipe-lined entry offers a modernist take on the timeless appeal of pickin’ on the porch. “It’s incredibly clear,” remarked one judge, “like a painting in the forest.”
project credits principals in charge: Brian Johnsen, AIA, and Sebastian Schmaling, AIA, LEED AP, Johnsen Schmaling Architects; general contractor: Matt Bugenhagen, Vintage Custom Homes, Mukwonago, Wis.; project size: 315 square feet; site size: 1.7 acres; construction cost: $207 per square foot; photography: John J. Macaulay.
product details
bathroom and kitchen fittings: Kohler, www.kohler.com; bathroom and kitchen fixtures: Kohler; cooktop: Miele, www.miele.com; countertops: Caesarstone, www.caesarstone.com; flooring: Ultimate Bamboo; green products: Firestone Rubbergard roofing (recyclable), www.firestonebpco.com, Sheetrock gypsum board (recycled), www.usg.com; hardware: Baldwin, www.baldwinhardware.com; hvac equipment: Carrier, www.carrier.com; insulation: Bonded Logic, www.bondedlogic.com; kitchen cabinets: Ikea, www.ikea.com; oven and refrigerator: General Electric, www.geappliances.com; roofing: Johns Manville, www.jm.com; skylights: Velux, www.velux.com; solar energy system: Uni-Solar, www.uni-solar.com
