Directory

Harlem Town House addition, New York, 2007

Front Studio

Architects Directory 2008

Yen Ha (1974) and Michi Yanagishita (1973) studied together at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University. Ha originally set up Front Studio in 2001, before being joined by Yanagishita just a few years later, with a remit covering 'projects in the allied fields of architecture, design and food.' Their approach is straightforward and analytical - 'We are very good at distilling an overall concept for a project and allowing that main idea to inform the decision-making process' - but eventually spills out into a realm of juxtapositions and toying with the old and the new. Ultimately, their aim is to transcend fashion. Media junkies, self-confessed foodies and unabashed novelty-seekers, everything goes into the pot.

Buildings

FRONT STUDIO - USA
Kautz House, Callicoon, New York, unbuilt
Able to combine renovation, restoration with new interventions, as well as conceptual designs that merge the natural with the urban environment, Front have a well-rounded portfolio. Their un-built concept for the Kautz House in Callicoon, New York, proposed a naturally rusted steel box as an addition to a traditional country house. The Townhouse in Harlem reconfigured an existing traditional structure into three different units, using a modern extension at the rear of the property and careful insertion of a new staircase. 'We are forever inspired by our surroundings, whether we are walking around town, eating lunch or reading a book; everything we experience on a daily basis contributes to our design work,' they say.

Architects Directory 2008

INFORMATION

Address
239 Centre Street, 3rd floor
NY 10013

Telephone
1.212 334 6820

Website
http://www.frontstudio.com
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