Parting Shot: Aloft
Aloft/adv 1. to a great height 2. in the air
When confronted with a problem at a loft condo in the contemporary One Boulder Loft building in Boulder, Colorado, architect Dale Smith did what architects frequently do – he came up with a workable solution.
The problem concerned placement and installation of a fireplace.
“The entire building is ‘minimalist,’” he said, “with its structure exposed. There are other condos above and below; therefore we had limited access to utilities.”
Smith’s solution was to hang the fireplace from the ceiling, and to construct the entire unit from brushed stainless steel. “We used the tube steel for aesthetics,” he says, “but primarily to provide a hidden means of getting the gas and electrical (for ignition) from the ceiling to the firebox.”
The legs have a diameter of four in.; the table – also of brushed stainless steel – is 60 in. in diameter, and the fireplace hood is 48 in.
Take a look at the ceiling. “What you’re seeing,” says Smith, “are the steel beams and structural steel deck of the floor structure above.”
What we’re also seeing is a unique fireplace that not only complements its surroundings well, but also acts as an artistic focal point.
For information contact Fänas Architecture, 1320 Pearl Street, Suite 103, Boulder, Colorado 80302. Phone: (970) 601-4023. www.fanas.us.
