Two years ago, I wrote an article for the Ottawa Citizen called It's a Dog's Life where I described Paul Kariouk's ingenious dog friendly entrance design. At the time he was planning to move into a new unit in the Mondrian, with plans to design a second dog shower and have a bronze tile with his late dog's paw print set into the floor in his bedroom. I recently came across photos of the architect's condo remodel, and it is amazing. He completely transformed the initial basic floor plan to better suit their needs and make the space feel much larger.
Above is what the original plan looked like. The many walls made the space very choppy and the options to arrange furniture were very limited.
In the updated floor plan, the architect managed to maximize the amount of natural light and significantly increase the amount of storage and living space.
Superimposing the two plans, you can see how he increased the amount of living space and considerably reduced the amount of wasted space, especially when it comes to the bathroom.
The shower enclosure with an extra sink also serves as a piece of art right in the middle of the space. I imagine that is also the new doggy shower (Nice upgrade).
For those who are not too keen on standing naked in a semi-transparent glass enclosure in the middle of a room, a drapery system was installed for more privacy. A more minimalist alternative would have been to use electric glass walls instead. But it's probably quite a bit more expensive as well.
I like the way he was able to conceal the concrete columns by adding more sculptural interest and storage in the space.
You can see in the top right photo, the bronze tile with Hannibal's paw print next to the bed as planned. The architect's new big dog is shown above next to a sleek doggy water fountain. Kariouk definitely designs with his dog's in mind, which is most likely one of the reason why the entire floor is tiled. I'm definitely taking notes for when I get to adopt my own dog.
Check out the video below for a tour of his 850 sq. ft unit. You can also find out more about the ideas behind his concept here
Redeveloper Apartment from Chris Davis on Vimeo.
Source : Contemporist | PdK Kariouk Associates |
Wow - that's quite an overhaul for a condo, at least for the Ottawa market! Interesting approach - convert a cramped 2br into a spacious bachelor with room for a dining table. Any idea how they got water and drain in the shower location? Looks like it would have originally been the fridge-ish, so I doubt it was pre-existing. And I doubt you're allowed to trench into the concrete subfloor in a condo. I'm guessing this must have been done by the builder.
ReplyDeletePS - I remember the Citizen article!
It's great to see things like this in Ottawa and I'm happy to see that you remember the article.
DeleteFrom the picture, it looks like the kitchen area all the way to the wall on the left (in the plans) is elevated. I think they probably created the elevated area so that the new shower drain would connect to the existing one on a slope.
Cold and over the top. When are architects going to design for the general public and not just for themselves (literally in this case) or for rich friends. Shouldn't good architecture be obtainable by all?
ReplyDeleteMost modernists would not find it cold, but I guess it's a matter of taste. If it works for them then it's not over the top. Architect design for people who seek their help, and they tend to find solutions based on their client's budget. It's not because it's stylish that it's exclusive to rich people. There are plenty of examples online
DeleteI agree.......Does he design things other then for himself or friends?
ReplyDeleteInteresting... How did you know what Anonymous #1 was going to say before I made the comment public? Are you a psychic or are you trying to back up your own comment? O_o
DeleteMoOT - I agree the problem with the Blog world is people don't have to assign their names to their comments. Its a great example of how to make small "standard" space interesting while also reflecting the character of the person that lives in it. Ottawa (in my opinion) is in the middle of a fresh modern movement and we should celebrate it and the work being done.
ReplyDeleteWell done
Thanks Andrew. I'm just glad there are people like you and Kariouk in Ottawa who are willing to try new things instead, diversify and refresh Ottawa instead of using the copy-paste method! As far as I'm concerned, that's the way forward
DeleteA very cool condo that definitely optimizes space. Although I'm not so sure about the shower in the middle of the living space... I'm definitely a curtains-closed kind of girl! I love the bronze tile with Hannibal's paw print - such a lovely tribute to a wonderful companion & friend. And his new dog is pretty lucky to have his very own water fountain!
ReplyDeleteYeah the shower is definitely not for everyone. Reminds me of the showers you see in some boutique hotels. I love to see the different ways he integrates doggy-friendly design.
DeleteA much better use of the space and a very clean and sophisticated design. One of the more interesting projects in Ottawa. I don't under understand the opposition to the location and materiality of the shower. This apartment would never have more than a single person or a couple living in the space. Are we really so concerned with being nude in front of our partners/spouses?
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I like it as is. I think the curtain around the shower will make it more user friendly for some and will not work for the more conservatives and traditional people. To each their own. It's just nice to see a bit of change from the same old stuff all the time that often doesn't work as well.
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