A studio with 14’ tall ceilings and 50’ of north facing windows. It’s a dream for any artist unless that artist also requires mirrors and mounting surfaces for tools of the trade - a hair stylist. The space began with several raw ingredients worth highlighting. The exposed board formed concrete ceilings, the impressions of previous framing on the window trim, a grit to the weathered floors and block walls, all enhanced by an enormous volume filled with daylight. The challenge then became how to situate salon stations within the space while maintaining window exposure and flow between areas.

A pair of branching station platforms sit in the middle of an open floor plan to provide 10 individual stations with an incorporated processing bench. Along the rear wall is a shampoo lounge, while at the front window, a series of chairs line up at a counter for blow-dry service. 

In the heart of the space is the reception area anchored by an existing column that stitches together the retail, blow-dry bar, processing bench. It provides a social hub for those getting service, providing styling, greeting guest, and browsing retail to intermingle.

These custom furniture pieces within the raw industrial shell balances the modern edge with warm and soft details, allowing the core architecture to be a rough yet intentional backdrop to a series of articulate fabricated components. 

Beyond providing architectural services, Synecdoche's history with launching successful small businesses extended the commitment into this project through equity investment in exchange for design. This new business model for design services and project partnership creates a long term relationship between clients and projects for their continued success.