Nodding to the bay windows so common in San Francisco, the AetherSF shop's second in the stack of three shipping containers cantilevers out over the entry not only to provide a bit of shelter from a rainy night, but also to permit an expansive view of the neighborhood from the second floor lounge.
Last night, January 23rd, Dwell and Aether Apparel teamed up for the Dwell Conversation Prefab's Progress. We were joined by a two architects, a metal fabricator, and a prefab entrepreneur to talk about how prefabricated architecture can solve the problems presented by difficult sites.
Douglas Burnham, principal of Envelope A+D, and designer of the AetherSF shop describes how the trio of shipping containers are connected by just four bolts, making them entirely mobile. Because the buildings at the Proxy are intended to be temporary—San Francisco has designated the lot for mixed-income housing when it has the capacity to build—Burnham and his colleagues faced a difficult site not in terms of topography, but in terms of time.
Seth Krubiner (plaid shirt) and Benjamin Parco (black blazer) describe how they used prefab tools to build a pair of Bay Area Houses. Krubiner is a founder of Simpatico Homes and lives in the firm's prototype house in Emeryville, California. A hybrid site-built and modular system, Simpatico Homes build as much as they can in the factory but as Krubiner argued, certain elements (like the garage) are better done on-site. Parco designed a panelized prefab system for a house high in the Berkeley Hills, too high for a big truck and a crane to move a modular solution to the site.
At just nine feet wide, AetherSF succeeds by being a vertical store. A customized dry-cleaner's conveyor belt hoists tons of jackets tens of feet into the sky, essentially suspending the shop's inventory.
Rather an informal talk, Deputy Editor Aaron Britt (in the tie) moderated a talk about prefab design with (from left) architect Benjamin Parco, Seth Krubiner of Simpatico Homes, architect Douglas Burnham, and metalworker Chris French. Here French describes how his long experience doing custom metalwork allowed him to avoid a trial-and-error approach to the Aether interior.
We recently paid a visit to March, located on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. With its impeccably curated collections of tableware, custom commissioned pieces from American designers, and beautiful interiors, March may well be San Francisco's loveliest shop for kitchen and tableware. The space is anchored by an enormous vintage display cabinet that owner Sam Hamilton procured from a monastery in Ghent, Belgium, three years ago.
Casey's Pizza truck kept the crowd in high spirits and thin-crusted eats.
Large Suede Pot Holder from MARCH, $22 at marchsf.com
Available in five colors, this handsome suede pot holder is meant to be displayed, rather than shoved into a drawer next to the stove.
The Slow Club was a restaurant in SF with a long history around Dwell, new and old.
The S.F. Climates app tackles the weather variations in the City by the Bay.
The exterior of Connect 4L 1,600 sf 3 bed 3 bath 2 story modern prefab.
Page 94 of SF Environment's report to the Living Cities Foundation mentions Dwell.
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
SF Historic Renovation
This 340 sf Maryland ADU replaced an existing one-car garage.
The kitchen tiles are by Heath Ceramics with barstools by March SF and pendant lights by Allied Maker.
The 760sf flex space is large enough for guests and creative endeavors.
This 760 sf ADU sits off an alley in Vancouver, BC and serves as a home and office.
The interior of the 800 sf ADU melds the warmth of exposed wood framing with the crisp white finishes of the efficient kitchen.
With floor-to-ceiling windows, and custom shutter-deck enclosure, the 500 SF cabin feels totally connected to the natural landscape.
The new design resulted in 2,250sf with an 11-foot high master bedroom and a 20-foot high kitchen space.
90 SF Backyard Storage Shed
The 1,214sf home has a deep set-back on the 7,092sf lot. The mature pines in the front will drop huge pine cones!
296 more photos