Located in Sarasota’s Rosemary District, Hive Architects’ design studio occupies the northwest corner of the historically designated BOTA Center. After completing the renovation of the building’s shell in 2017, Hive Architects viewed the mid-century design of the building as the perfect space to represent the firm’s architectural philosophy. With its exposed post-and-beam steel structure, authentic terrazzo floors, original thin aluminum window frames and a large expanse of glass, the building’s envelope embodies the honest use of materials and the clarity of structural expression that Hive Architects strives for in their approach to modernism.
The simplicity of the existing building envelope becomes a platform for the materiality of the design studio. Like a canvas, the existing exposed structure and other original elements subsist as the material palette background. True to the honest use of the original materials, simple wood panels, hot rolled steel elements, and frameless glass partitions are used as accent materials to define space and enhance the cohesiveness of the studio.
Similarly to the building envelope, the open floor plan within the existing building generates the organization and catalyzes the creative philosophy of the design studio. Based on the concept of collaborative brainstorming, the open floor plan is a methodology to promote interaction and communication between team members.
Location:
Rosemary District | Sarasota, Florida
Status:
Completion, 2018
Awards:
2019 | AIA Florida/Caribbean Merit Award of Excellence for Interiors
Photography:
© 2018 | Ryan Gamma
