Jeffrey Kovel:
Control Freaks, by Design
Total Control
Kovel took his process and product even further with his next restaurant, a Portland-area Japanese eatery called Sinju. On this project Skylab further advanced its use of the Mac, doing 3D visualizations with Form-Z. Ultimately, the Sinju interior turned out even more detailed than Doug Fir’s.
Before the Sinju construction began, Kovel and his team generated precise renderings that specified materials, lighting, furniture, and signage. Creating 3D visualizations and renderings allowed them to flesh out every detail in advance and communicate the information to their contractors, so they had fewer changes to make on the fly — and fewer trips to the construction site. Now, Skylab uses 3D visualization on every project. “We can take on more assignments, and execute them more efficiently,” says Kovel.
The robust Mac toolset supports Skylab’s trademark approach: creating sophisticated environments by closely managing not only architecture and construction but interior design, landscaping, audiovisual systems and graphic elements such as signage, logos, and menus. “We go after complete control and discipline integrating every component of the design — from the height of each outlet and light switch to how the fire sprinklers and music speakers lay out in relation to our lighting plan,” says Kovel.
The Language of Materials
In Skylab’s universe, building materials carry literary significance. “To us, materials are like words to a writer,” he says. “They have a history, with the implications of different eras of design. So as we combine them into a narration — we create a new experience.” It may sound like architect-speak, but it’s a creed that gives Skylab’s work its distinctively urbane look.
Not surprisingly, Skylab eschews the shortcuts that ease construction at the expense of design. “In our buildings, you won’t see things soffetted down to hide a duct,” says Kovel with pride. “There’s no fudge room. Everything has a finish material.” They typically don’t use drywall and trim and other construction conventions that exist to bridge the gap between what happens in the design office and what happens on the job site.
And that means Skylab’s designs must be strong enough to account for any possible site condition.
Rooted in Opportunity
The Mac plays an important role in that painstaking attention to detail. “Everything has to be resolved in advance,” says Kovel. “We work out all the problems here on the computer — not in the field.”
The architect expressly works to blur the distinction between a building’s interior and exterior. “We want to spacially and environmentally integrate the house to take advantage of the topography, the view, the light, the wind,” he says.
Ultimately, Kovel aims for each project to be sui generis. “In each opportunity we want the product to be as much a part of the client and of the site as it is part of us,” he says. “By doing that, we’re creating what we hope are new ideas and executions that are rooted in the opportunity, not imposed from the outside.”
From the Ground Up
In the past year Skylab has more than doubled in size — from five employees to 11. With current projects in Chicago, New York, California, Washington, and Oregon, Kovel is looking to keep growing. The Apple platform — including the firm’s new Xserve — provides expandable support for more users in the office. Skylab is starting to build more buildings from the ground up and to take on larger projects, like multi-family housing. Kovel eventually hopes to design public works and cultural projects such as libraries, museums, and schools.
“We’re not afraid of growth,” says Kovel. “But we do take it seriously, and we want to do it in a controlled way.” One aspect of that planning, for Kovel, is making sure he gets to keep doing the things he likes best. “My favorite parts of the architectural process are that first reactionary stage — where you gut-react to the conditions and put out your first forms — and being on the construction site, watching projects come to realization.”
