Studio Geiger Architecture

Jun 2014

Whenever on Shelter Island, the client uses his motorboat much as one might normally drive a car: he picks up guests at the ferry, eats lunch in town, and takes architectural tours of the island with it. In fact, the idea of being on Shelter Island for him is to be constantly near the water, and the design of his house allows for this effortlessly. The back of the house which faces Dering Harbor and the client's motorboat dock actually acts as a second front of the house, with large openings and strong symmetric forms inviting guests from the yard, terraces and pool, where all of the daily activities take place. While on the property or in the house, one is always at most only a few steps away from experiencing the harbor. Even from the Motor Court, the placement of glazed windows and doors allow transparency through to the sailboats and water beyond. To come upon these two structures under the towering Oak trees is to recognize the familiar island vernacular architecture and its minimal material palette of white shingles, deep red clay brick, and dark green shutters and evergreen plantings. To spend time in this house is to understand that the organization is about experiencing the landscape, light, views and connections between and within the structures. The idea behind the simple sometimes classical detailing is to dress up the house, while allowing it to be the casual, All-American summer house that it wants to be.

Shelter Island, NY

Aug 2012

Upon finding this immensely beautiful three-story redwood house, which had not been updated since the turn of the century, the family planned both a renovation and a move across the country to the Bay area with their two young girls. After decades of living in New York, a strong connection to nature was what they most valued about the new property. The bond with nature became a guiding design principle. When the structural engineer advised re-building the foundation to better withstand future earthquakes, it was an invitation to open the entire floor to the landscape- a Garden Room, Wine Cellar, Library, and crafts Studio. The focus on nature would also include modernizing for environmental efficiency- a living roof on the garage, on-demand hot water and solar hot water systems, a zinc roof to allow pure rainwater run off into the gardens, and sustainable materials such as wood, stone, ceramic, steel, and natural rubber. In keeping with the Arts and Crafts movement, Studio Geiger chose artisan-made or handmade items wherever possible- an idea which translated into hand painted tiles in the kitchen, handmade Heath tiles in the bathrooms, hand-blocked wallpapers, and cabinetry that was all made by a local cabinet-maker or by manufacturers whose products embody an attention to craft. The deep redwood tones inside and out of the house provided a rich backdrop against which all other color and material choices followed. The design received an Honor from the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association in 2012.

Berkeley, CA

Dec 2011

What the clients liked most about this 3000 sq ft townhouse when they purchased it was its history and potential as a home. At the time, the house itself was in complete disrepair, and any original details had been stripped away. We undertook a complete renovation from structural stabalization and digging out the basement, to installing a full new mechanical system, electrical and plumbing, reconfiguration of rooms on the floors, new wood floors and stairways, to the numerous custom wood and stone details throughout. The clients asked that the construction techniques be as true as possible to the building methods of the time of original construction, including using solid wood and wood joinery with as little steel as possible. Simple Greek Revival detailing typical to late 19th century New York Townhouses is woven together with inspiration from colonial homes and from Paris, France integrated into a whole.

New York, NY

Aug 2011

This 2,150 sq. ft apartment in a mid-century building has views of a courtyard garden on the south side and West 12th Street on the other. We made minimal but high-impact architectural moves to emphasize the spatial strengths of this apartment with open, flowing spaces and large, billowing glass and steel windows. Rooms that had been closed off were opened up to one another, and unneeded construction was removed. Every surface is orchestrated, from paint and wall paper, to details of cased openings, backpainted glass, poured concrete countertops, walnut flooring, marble slab walls, teak, and metallic lacquer surfaces on cabinetry, to the crafted walnut slab sliding door and heating enclosure, as well as architectural and decorative lighting anda custom armoire. The clients desired what they termed a "happy" environment, and they are pleased.

New York, NY

Dec 2010

A neutral palette, attention to textures, lines, and materials add a layer of simplicity and focus to the interior of this 6,500 sq. ft Queen Anne brownstone on the West Side of Manhattan. When we began work on this house, the clients had just purchased it, but had not yet moved in. The design had been renovated numerous times, and there was inconsistency from floor to floor, room to room. Additionally, the design was not to the client's liking. We jumped in to provide full design services, from choosing the paint palette for the entire house, to designing custom marble mantelpiece surrounds, providing carpeting, window treatments, upholstery fabrics and services, refinishing floors, replacing architectural light fixtures, as well as custom furniture design and choosing furniture and fixtures such as sofas, antique sconces, and chandeliers, floor lamps and art lighting. After the client moved in, we undertook a renovation of the full ground floor, including the kitchen, lighting, HVAC, cabinetry, stairs, and storage, to make it a comfortable center of their family life.

New York, NY

Mar 2009

"We would like this space to feel like a loft," said the clients who were living in a Tribeca loft at the time that they decided to renovate and convert two one-bedroom apartments into a 1,300 sq. ft two-bedroom apartment in a Pre-War building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. When the doors of the ensuing design are opened, they allow simultaneous views out of nine windows to the treetops of Central Park, allowing the space to flow from the main living and dining spaces through the boudoir hall, to the master bedroom suite, and then back around to the study, which doubles as a second bedroom. Even as the lines are kept simple and the palette restrained, the materials chosen were to evoke those from India, where the clients families are from. The resulting design is a loft-like space that exists within the rhythms and elegance of the Pre-War boundaries.

New York, NY