By Sean Vincent O’Keefe
Photo courtesy of Jess Blackwell Photography
No matter what is being developed – residence, restaurant or office – design is a journey that wisely begins with the client. Architecture has an obligation to the hard lines of the site and the limits of the budget. Responsive architecture further acknowledges context and surrounding social cues. For Tim Politis, founder of One Line Studio, good design ought to be one of a kind.
“We push the boundaries of design by making sure no question is left unanswered,” starts Politis from his studio in Greenwood Village, Colorado. He grew up unwittingly making buildings out of sand in a backyard sandbox before discovering his passion for architecture in college. After more than a decade of experience at prominent architecture practices in Seattle and Denver, Politis founded One Line Studio in 2012. “As I see it, architecture requires a plurality of thought. A lot of inspiration comes from people bouncing ideas off one another. So, the first step is building a great team capable of consistently generating significant ideas. Then, they need a creative environment connected to light, nature, and one another, yet still have their own space.”
One Line Studio’s award-winning office building exemplifies Politis’ penchant for human-centered design and biophilic embrace. Boasting an angled roof and a fully transparent north face, the studio looks more like a mountain town library than a commercial office building on the fringe of suburbia. Inside, the open daylit floor plan puts every employee on the glass. As designs make their way down the line, seasons change before their eyes.
“Our office is a great example of how we approach the design process,” continues Politis. “We want to integrate technology into the building form seamlessly. We used Dowel Laminated Timbers (DLT) to create panels that soften the space and provide amazing sound attenuation. The lighting is integrated into alcoves. Even the MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) system is hidden in the walls. The focus was to pull the outside world in, so everyone working here is continually connected to nature.”
Photo courtesy of Jess Blackwell Photography
With access to views and daylight democratized, One Line Studio’s creative process begins with the owner’s objectives, which often only scratch the surface of site, situation and solution.
“Regardless of whether they are hiring us to design a commercial event space or a family retreat, during client development our focus is building trust,” says Politis. “Most clients come to us with exactly one problem. As the design process unfolds, the many other issues in their situation become apparent. We create value by devising solutions that solve more than one problem.”
Politis points to the use of DLT (Dowel Laminated Timber) as an example of the duality of design in One Line Studio’s solutions. Like Cross Laminated Timber, DLT is a mass-building material that assembles dimensional lumber into structural members. The difference is rather than adhesives, pieces are friction-fit with hardwood dowels. Like all mass timber products, the environmental positives of DLT include carbon sequestration through the incorporation of readily replenished new-growth wood. In the case of One Line Studio’s office, DLT does double duty as biophilic structural members that absorb echoes, quieting the space.
“Our material selection strategy always includes looking at the simplest, least expensive, and most readily available building materials required,” shares Politis of the intersection between building technology and design. “Today, there are all kinds of fully customized, 3D printed choices out there. We’re trying to create that custom aesthetic using off-the-shelf products. Can we use or detail practical materials in a way that puts them in a different perspective?”
Photos courtesy of Jess Blackwell Photography
Politis reveals that owners should understand products and materials are the least costly part of any project.
“The labor costs required to build the structure are far more expensive than the materials. The more complicated or specialized the materials or equipment is, the more expensive it is to install,” he says. “We try to design things and describe how to assemble them in simple ways. This allows a subcontractor with inexperienced labor to confidently price and correctly build it. Doing so doubles the value.”
Among the myriad tools in One Line Studio’s design kit, besides nature Politis really appreciates the impact and drama of light.
“Lighting is one of the main design tools we use to achieve different emotional characteristics,” he continues. Through the balance of lumens and color temperature, space can become energetic, subdued, or something in between. While lumens can always be controlled, when it comes to increasingly interactive entertainment technologies, the desire for the latest and greatest audio/visual equipment can become overwhelming. “Some clients demand very high-tech A/V equipment. No matter how much they value it, there is still a limit to what they can afford. So, we look for ways to be resourceful.”
Beyond being in budget, thoughtful design should also strive to achieve more with less. In the case of a bar/restaurant that desired a 360-degree video experience to surround patrons, Politis suggested that people can’t see behind them. Instead, rightly placed ribbons of video screens give users an everywhere-you-look perspective rather than a literal 360 degrees of surrounding TVs.
“It is impossible not to integrate technology into entertainment spaces, but the correct placement is essential. Otherwise, it’s overwhelming for guests,” continues Politis. Designing with light, controlling acoustics, and amplifying views through space allow energy and excitement to travel across the room. “In any entertainment space, especially a restaurant, it’s important that patrons never feel like they are alone, even if the place is mostly empty. We use light to control drama and make the materials pop.”
A wise owner is always willing to listen. Very few don’t want to maximize value. Other times challenges are more pragmatic. When One Line Studio was commissioned for the adaptive reuse of the charred remnants of a local furniture store as a multi-level event venue, the rightful issue was the fire code.
“BurnDown is hospitality at its best. 25,000 SF of restaurant, event and office space in a building that nearly burned to the ground in the 1970s. The result of the first post-fire adaptation was a building with a three-story atrium that was no longer code compliant, which was a fire hazard,” says Politis. “Rather than installing a $150,000 mechanical exhaust system to bring the non-conforming atrium up to code, we found a way to place a few smoke curtains to separate spaces, allowing people to exit in an emergency without blowing the budget.”
Photos courtesy of Ryan McNurry Photography
With the center of the space open three floors up and down, light and sound carry, filling space and bringing the vibe with them. The scorched posts and beams, steel and wood give the space a gritty authenticity that’s hard to fake.
“Whether we are working on an adaptive reuse of a once burned building on South Broadway in Denver or a West Texas family retreat, the main objective in our architecture is to elevate people first,” says Politis. “Studies show that in all settings, people enjoy being connected to nature. So, our work reflects that.”
Politis illuminates a residential project on the line that is currently seeking construction pricing. The client’s brief called for a sprawling rural Texas ranch to earmark a family’s legacy for generations to come. The floor plan splits the house into three parts – one for the homeowners, one for the homeowners’ son, and one for the grandchildren. The parts are interconnected by covered exterior spaces, undulating the home from inside to out. “We patterned the perforation using the dots and dashes of Morse Code. Sometimes technology can be an underlayment, used in ways that even the client doesn’t know about.”
Inside, things are subtle as well. The design calls for a shell structure of composite beams and north-facing windows. The home’s lighting package is designed to work with the starry night sky, balancing the mood as the West Texas evening dawns. Always resourceful, in planning north-facing window walls Politis found the closest commercial glazing manufacturer and designed all openings around their standard sizes.
“Technology is critical to any modern space, be it office, entertainment or residence. However, it’s easy to specify and even purchase new technologies, only to have what is considered top-of-the-line change before the project is built,” continues Politis of the challenge of outfitting architecture with the latest and greatest whatever. “The architecture’s structure and systems must allow for those changes, so integrating or updating technology doesn’t require building adaptation.”
For Politis and the team at One Line Studio, design is about getting things done. Any good product or technology should enhance human experiences in more ways than one.
“As an architect, I’m looking for a spark, some strong idea that resonates throughout the design to drive decisions,” finishes Politis. “We are interested in designs that haven’t yet been created. We take the client’s desired outcomes and vision and turn them into something beyond reach.”
Sean Vincent O’Keefe is an architecture and construction writer who crafts stories for Technology Designer Magazine and others based on 20 years of experience and a keen interest in the people who make projects happen.
