Art can play a powerful role in architectural design. It can add beauty, interest, and meaning to a home, making it a more inviting and stimulating place to live. Art can also help to create a sense of identity and personality for a home, reflecting the unique tastes and interests of the homeowners.
Here are a few specific examples of how art can be used to create more beautiful and meaningful residential architectural designs here in Aotearoa, New Zealand:
Integrate art into the architecture itself
This can be done by using sculptures, murals, or other artworks as permanently part of the building's structure.
For example, a bespoke relief design could be sculpted into modular interior wall or ceiling linings – or a custom joinery solution. Precast concrete panels could be formed into a repeating pattern which helps to both reduce the mass of a wall area whilst decorating the surface. The tiling in a pool could produce a colourful, expressive design to be seen through the water and lit up at night.
The artworks could be designed to reflect the homeowners' interests or hobbies.
Create spaces for art
We can design homes with dedicated spaces for art, such as galleries, music rooms, or home theatres. This allows homeowners to display their own personal art collections, or to enjoy the work of other artists.
For example, we could design a home with a large, open living room that could be used as a gallery for the homeowners' art collection. The living room could also be equipped with a sound system and a projection screen, making it a perfect space for watching films or listening to music.
The sooner we know about a client’s art collection (be it existing or planned), the easier it is to design dedicated spaces such as under-stair areas for small, floor mounted sculptures; naturally lit wall-hung paintings below long skylights; or joinery units designed to hold a collection of smaller pieces.
Collaborate with artists
We can collaborate with artists to create custom artworks for specific homes. This can result in truly unique and one-of-a-kind spaces that reflect and complement the vision of both the architect and the artist. For example, we can collaborate with a local artist to create a mural for the exterior of a home that reflects the homeowners' love of nature. Or design a pattern to be sculpted into a surface which reflects a client’s ancestral heritage or passion.
The use of art in residential architectural design can create more beautiful, meaningful, and inviting homes. By incorporating art into our designs, Parkes Architecture can help homeowners to create homes that reflect their unique tastes and interests, and that make them feel happy and at home.