Wall Credenza – diapositivia – Designed by Carol Wilson, Artisan Mark White
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| Designed by Carol A. Wilson, Architect | Original Napkin Sketch |
Architect’s Statement
Past architects who have designed elegant, comfortable furniture were not amateurs. Many came to architecture through building apprenticeships and as journeymen. Marcel Breuer’s achievements as a “master” at the Bauhaus came through his devotion to the carpentry shop. Although myself a student and teacher of woodworking trained in a post-Bauhaus school of design, I am an architect, thinking on paper with a mechanical pencil and a scale.
In this program I participate as a collaborator, looking to Mark White, a designer of exceptional diversity, for the knowledge that is not mine. My architectural precision is complimented by Mark’s intuitive thinking. His vast body of knowledge is the recorded dialogue between hand, eye and material. He is unrestrained when working with any material and never fails to ask every question of it. Tapio Wirkkala said, “All materials have their own unwritten laws … you should never be violent with a material you’re working on, and the designer should aim at being in harmony with his material.” I have seen Mark decipher the laws of each material, one by one – bronze and wax, acrylic, every elemental metal and wood in every form. So I wonder, who am I to take up, for a few weeks, the design of a piece of furniture, which implies a thorough understanding of materials, ergonomics and joinery. Rather than try my hand at a unique piece of furniture, I decided to do what I do best – design cabinets.
The beauty of this cabinet is not only in the straightforward simplicity of the design, but also the detailing. The front edge of the cabinet is a triangular piece of solid walnut let into the veneered plywood. Mark and I looked at several hinges for the doors, pins and pivots. Convinced only a knife-edge hinge would work, Mark recessed them into the surface. We discussed handles, where they should sit, whether or not to exposed the edge of the handles or to hide them. We tried to avoid a catch on the doors if possible, requiring perfect placement and balance worthy of Mark’s skills. Both Mark and I enjoy attention to detail. Perhaps too often I opt for less is more, simplicity over spectacle, but for me that’s sufficient.
Carol A. Wilson Architect
Carol A. Wilson FAIA, is principal of Carol A. Wilson Architect in Falmouth, Maine. She is known for her modern and environmentally responsive buildings.
She received her architectural training at North Carolina State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. She is licensed in Maine and New York and is former president of the Maine Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and currently first President of the Portland Society of Architects. She has been a visiting Professor of Architecture at the University of New Mexico, Scholar-in-Residence at Bowdoin College’s Coastal Studies Center, Adjunct Lecturer in Bowdoin College’s Gender and Women’s Studies Program and most recently, Visiting Critic at VCUQ, Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar.
Her Bisharat Residence on Chebeague Island, Maine was just honored with an AIA Maine Design Award for Excellence in Architecture. In 2003 she was recipient of a 2003 AIA Maine Honor Award for a Writer's Studio on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. The project was also honored with an AIA New England Honor Award and has been published in Wood Design & Building Magazine and 25 Houses Under 1500 Square Feet, by James Grayson Trulove. Her Gardenhouse designed for Prouts Neck, Maine won a Maine AIA Award and a Citation from the American Wood Council's Wood Design Awards. Maine Audubon's Environmental Education Center in Falmouth, Maine, in conjunction with Van Dam & Renner Architects, won a Maine AIA Award for Excellence in Architecture and an Honor Award for Sustainable Design from the Boston Society of Architects and AIA New York. Maine Audubon’s building is still considered one of the best examples of environmentally responsive work in Maine.
In addition to her architectural practice, Ms. Wilson is founder and Vice President of House One, a Maine Corporation, designers of affordable manufactured housing. House One has been featured in House Beautiful Home Building, 'The Best Starter House' and in Progressive Architecture as an alternative to the mobile home.
She spearheaded the Portland Lecture Series "Architalx" at the Portland Museum of Art, now in its 16th season. Ms. Wilson also serves on the Advisory Board to Greater Portland Landmarks where she has stressed that preservation of buildings makes good sense ecologically - recycle and reuse. She has written articles for the organization's newspaper, Landmarks News.
Artisan
Mark White
Mark White, a Maine Native combines cabinet Making precision with a passion for modern design to create furniture and multidisciplinary projects.
In 1996 he established his own studio and production facility in Portland. He offers prototype design, manufacturing and production for both commercial and residential clients.