Hunton House Design Intervention Presentation

historical context about the building

Hunton House

Hunton House - 810 Franklin St, Richmond

a design intervention

foyer of Hunton House

inner room of Hunton

• Hunton House was built in 1914 for Eppa and Virginia Hunton by the architecture firm Noland & Baskervill • Renovated into a doctor’s office in the 40s, and again for VCU in the 70s • There are a variety of design influences apparent in the space, including American Renaissance & Italian villas • The interior was decorated in line with the trends of the Aesthetic Movement - surface ornamentation, eclecticism

How do we honor a building’s history while still meeting its current needs?

= scope of project

How would you like to feel when you are in the building? motivated

excited

What adjectives would you use to describe Hunton House’s foyer? majestic

classic

cared for

empty

in awe inspired

cold

outdated unused

underutilized *based on survey responses from a faculty member, graduate student, and staff member

dusty

Users have general fondness for Hunton, along with the sense that it could use some updates/better upkeep The concept of care - for both a building and its users The foyer, high ceilings, molding, banisters, mirror, staircase, front door, and pocket doors = favorite features As a visitor’s entry point to Hunton and the work done there, the foyer is as ideal space to stage an intervention Interest in preserving the historicity of the building while making it clean, inclusive, warm, functional, and updated

intervention context who, why, & where

Hunton House foyer - 1/16” = 1’ (approx)

Hunton House is a Psychology Department building and home to VCU’s Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development - primary users are faculty, grad students, and staff

design intervention iterative development

concept 1 - light forms

concept 2 - empty frames

concept 2.a. - already there

Inspired by precedents that inserted something new into something old, I explored the replacement of architectural elements (parquet tiles, banister, steps) in Hunton’s foyer with glowing LED forms in the same shape.

There is a lot of obsolete molding in Hunton’s foyer - that is, molding that frames nothing, or less than it could. What if these voids were filled with something that added to the space, aesthetically or functionally?

When studying the visual elements of Hunton, I was inspired by the huge variety of shapes that made up these features. These forms become a starting point for new design choices - a way to play with light and enhance function.

old vs. new; traditional vs. unexpected; function vs. aesthetic

negative vs. positive space; empty vs. full; purpose vs. irrelevant

unique vs. same; complex vs. simple; parts vs. the whole

How is the effect of the whole changed by a disruption to uniformity? How to intentionally fill the gaps in Hunton’s design/use?

How to use these forms change the space for the better?

design intervention final proposal

rendering of room beyond the foyer

My intervention proposes to use simplified forms, drawn from both historical and contemporary elements in Hunton’s foyer, as the basic design language to guide the creation of new stained glass light fixtures and the selection of new furnishings.

3 large, custom stained glass fixtures are the star of this intervention, lining the ceiling of the foyer and guiding you through the space. The fixtures are designed to fit into the molding-lined “frames.”

detail of middle stained glass fixture

lighting the way

rendering of the updated foyer from the view of the front door

design intervention final proposal 4’6” x 13’4” 5’4” x 5’5”

7’2” x 7’10”

Plan view of intervention NTS

= placement of proposed stained glass light fixtures detail of final fixture (furthest from from front)

detail of first fixture (closest to front)

Rich, warm, earthy tones are well-suited to the dark mahogany wood of the foyer

lighting the way

The color scheme is inspired by Papers and Paints “Colours from the Neoclassical Era” color range

design intervention final proposal

Eames molded plastic chair Eames molded plywood stool Hunton House furniture plan NTS

= All Modern velvet upholstered loveseat = Revival washable wool rug = Nienkamper swivel base chairs = Coalesse desk with privacy screen = Daniel Rickey walnut trestle work table = Eames molded plywood stool = Eames molded plastic armchair

Daniel Rickey walnut trestle work table

= Giovanni Barbieri “Blooming” oak parquet Revival washable wool rug

‘Blooming’ parquet wood flooring

lighting the way

All Modern loveseat (in rose)

Coalesse desk with privacy screen

Nienkamper swivel base chairs

There’s already a lot to love about Hunton House...

but that doesn’t mean that improvements couldn’t be made...

Perhaps a start could be made here...

The proportions, scale, and original architectural details

The historicity of the building and its interior make renovations challenging.

It’s an important part of Richmond’s architectural history.

Older buildings naturally show their age and accumulated wear.

Spacious and relatively quiet, with room to work with

The shortcomings of the building lead to it being used less, creating a cycle

Small changes = big impact • rethinking trashcan placement • improved way-finding • re-thinking/improving the use of the smaller rooms beyond the foyer • real plants?

Ask the users what they would like; try and find consensus about priorities

Ultimately, I hope this intervention exercise shows that new additions to a historic building can be thoughtful, attractive, functional, and deserving of care and upkeep.

reflections conclusions and next steps