Victoria Meyers : Invisible Buildings

hMa / Myonggi Sul collaboration: Won Buddhist Retreat in Claverack, NY

Won Buddhist Retreat site - southwest view

Victoria Meyers architect's (hMa's) latest Green project, designed in collaboration with Myonggi Sul, is the new Won Buddhist Retreat compound to be located in Claverack, New York. This is to be a Green community designed with a zero carbon footprint.

Ms. Sul brings great strengths to the hMa / Sul collaboration (hMa/S).  Ms. Sul was formerly the Director of Interior Design at Gatje, Papachristou and Smith Architects, and an Associate at GN Associates.  Currently, Ms. Sul is a Professor at Pratt Institute's Interior Design Department.

Ms. Sul's clients have included:  Samsung Corporation;  JP Stevens;  Westinghouse Corporation;  Kolon Corporation;  Random House;  Chemical Bank;  kNBC;and GE Medical Systems;  in addition to private residential clients.

Click here to read more about the Won Buddhist Retreat on hanrahanmeyers.com

Meditation Hall interior looking west

At the Buddhist Retreat in Claverack, Ms. Sul brought great strengths to the project, with insights into the interior design of every room in the project.  Ms. Sul designed most of the project interiors, and was instrumental in the high level of discussion that occurred throughout the project.  This includes the powerful manner in which the team linked interior spaces with the exterior views to Nature. 

 

Guest Residence #1 - courtyard view

The Won Buddhist Retreat is a retreat in rural, upstate New York for spiritual reflection and discussion. The property gently slopes toward the west, offering views of the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains. The buildings for the center, which include permanent and guest residences, an administration building and a large meditation hall, are placed in the northern end of the site, set back from the rural access road. The buildings are all oriented towards the west and south to maximize view and light, while each building is organized around an internal courtyard.

hMa's Bridge-Studio in Easton, PA: Update

Bridge-Studio in construction Fall 2010 Click here to view more photos of this project at hanrahanmeyers.com.  Post: Victoria Meyers architect

A centered breezeway that connects two private studio spaces features a fireplace and looks out toward the Delaware River  Click here to view more photos of this project at hanrahanmeyers.com.  Post: Victoria Meyers architect

Bridge-Studio is a new artist studio building designed by Victoria Meyers architect (hMa) for artist couple Joe Amrhein and Susan Swenson.  Bridge-Studio will house a painting studio for Joe on the East side, and a writing studio for Susan on the west.  Bridge-Studio features a breezeway in the center, between the two studios, with an outdoor fireplace.  The new studio is entered by walking up a bridge, into the open breezeway, overlooking the Delaware River, approximately 100 feet below the edge of the site.

The outdoor fireplace hearth houses a flue for a second fireplace in Susan's writing studio, and for a third fireplace, in the open outdoor area below the 'Bridge'.  In addition to producing their own bodies of work, Joe and Susan own Pierogi Gallery in Williamsburg, New York, and regularly entertain artists from their New York gallery at their home in Pennsylvania. The couple's desire for an appropriate setting to entertain artist friends created part of the program for the new studio building.