Orbital Chroma

Orbital Chroma explores the alignment of bold colours, hemispherical shapes and bespoke fittings within an interior apartment space. The designs are informed by Gretchen Albrecht’s landscape narrative which features across her works, as well as the physical qualities found in her vivid paintings and large scale gallery installations. The use of hemispherical shapes and bold paint colours reflects highly throughout this artist residence apartment design.

My layout is established around the concept of altering the viewers perspective by elevating the horizon line. The layout explores the unique sensation of differing heights and outlooks through elevation and immersion, engaging the viewer in a new perspective. Spaces such as the bedroom and studio are raised above ground level and compress the height of the room to enlarge the appearance of the bold colour use. By using compression and elevation, it was my intention to create the unique experience of living in limbo, where the viewer abides transitionally between earth and sky.

Considering Gretchen Albrecht’s landscape narrative in relation to these experiences, her work often acts as transitional, whether it be a sunset or a transition between colour. She distorts the horizon line and utilises the entire canvas space as a cascade of bold colour. This style of her paintings established by stairwell design, with a bold influential colour scheme engulfing the space but altering the horizon by rotating the contrast vertically. My design expresses application of colour though the use of a vibrant established chromatic palette, which features across all aspects of the interior and stretches into the exterior zones, these spaces are illuminated by the thought the use of highly reflective flooring.

Being a colour and light criteria, I thought it would be really interesting to create a space which reacts to the light, and alters the colour. Through the use of form I am able to manipulate 1 solid colour in to multiple tones, by casting shadows and reflections executed but the structure, flooring, and fittings. The lights effectfulness on the colours is highly dependent on the use of natural light, and the floor’s ability to reflect and illuminate the spaces.

The spaces I have designed embody Gretchen’s commonly used hemispherical shapes, whether structurally or in the minor details, the use of her inspired aesthetic in relation to circles and semicircles are evident and distinct, large and small. A large quantity of white surfaces envelop the space and reflect these elements. They allow the bold chromatic aspects to take charge and project across the space, as her work seems to do within gallery spaces. So by maximising the white space, I have created the residents own modern gallery inspired space, where similarly in Albrecht’s work, the colour is large in quantity, and the bespoke features are emphasised by their achromatic surroundings.

The use of teal and green was drawn from the narrative of a sunset over the ocean, featuring deep blues and greens below the horizon line. Alongside these deeper jewel tones feature vibrant yellow and orange, drawn from dusk, where the transitional skies meet the deeper tones in a strong contrast.

Utilising the natural light, I have raised the spaces which receive the most light, in order to create the sensation of being closer to the sky, as well as lessening the space for the light to fill, and through the use of reflective floors the light is able to illuminate the entire house even where windows aren’t present. These raised spaces forms a juxtaposition with the level spaces and creates the illusion of descending when entering the lower areas.

Key features around the spaces include a bespoke 3 dimensional outdoor wall feature, coral and teal form a strong contrast in large semicircle shapes, featuring in the outdoor dining space. As well as custom green GlassArt wall and floor addition in the bathroom, creating a stage for the freestanding ovular tub, reflecting vibrant green light across the bathroom. Green tinted glass is also featured in the lounge area as a sliding door, to coincide with the 360 degree custom oval screens in the reading nook, these are able to rotate fully to provide as much or as little light and privacy as the visitor wishes. And lastly I have designed a mesh inspired window/separator feature, I have positioned it within the stairs as a screening system, and also as you exit the top of the stairs, this lets light pass through creating striking detailed shadows across the stairwell and also the interior of the entrance space.

I have designed the spaces as multipurpose, aside from the bathroom and kitchen, all spaces can be rearranged and manipulated as to the preference of the inhibitor, the large space near the exterior can be used as a studio space or lounge or dining, and vice versa with the rearranging of furniture. As I was designing this apartment as an artist residence, I knew that the user would be constantly changing, and everyone has different preferences on how they utilise space, so I wanted to design the spaces with little built in additions.

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