JHL Design
STUDIO PENTHOUSE, PORTLAND, OREGON PROJECT TEAM DAVID HORNING; HOLLY FRERES; ELIZABETH MORGAN; CHANDLER REDDING KEY CONSULTANTS HAMMER & HAND; QUARTERTWENTY; STONE FOREST; WATERMARK; HENRY WILSON; ALLIED MAKER; APPARATUS; JOCELYN RAHM; JULIA MANGOLD; ELIZABETH LEACH GALLERY PHOTOGRAPHY HARIS KENJAR
jhldesign.com; @jhldesign
After spending several years vacant, the penthouse of a 1927 office building in downtown Portland was converted into a boutique consulting firm’s workplace by local studio JHL Design. JHL’s principals David Horning and Holly Freres were determined to maintain the character of the original architecture, including expanses of glass overlooking the city. Given the unusual layout, which also involved angled walls and a sloped ceiling, the designers’ first order of business was to improve the overall flow of the space. Rather than enclosing the core like a traditional office, the team chose to keep the central area open, accentuating the 14-foot-high ceilings with cloudlike paper lanterns by Molo Design that loom over refined seating vignettes. Through form and materiality, the design gives a gentle nod to the client’s long-standing relationship
Clockwise from above: The wall system that frames the perimeter office spaces is built of Alaskan yellow cedar, a material typical of Japanese architecture. The restroom is clad in handmade tile to tie into the wabi sabi architecture. In the conference room and throughout, JHL left the original scraped-paint walls as found. A custom community table with built-in library lamps is used as a touchdown workspace by traveling staff. The moody entry vestibule just off the elevator features a bronze sconce by Henry Wilson and woven grass-cloth wallcovering hand-stained a custom shade of black on site.
98 INTERIOR DESIGN
with Japan. The overall intent was to add to the patina of the space by introducing uneven textures and handmade materials throughout. The walls had originally been painted and then scraped at some point but JHL chose to leave them as is because they add an interesting reminder of the building’s history. The same goes for the intricate terrazzo tile unearthed unexpectedly while treating the concrete floors.