The Shop on Martha’s Vineyard was originally designed by Chester Wisniewski, an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, professor at Cooper Union for over two decades, and founder of Davis, Brody and Wisniewski (now Davis, Brody, and Bond) to be used as an active workshop to repair wooden sailboats. In its newest iteration, The Shop has been transformed into a residential space. The spirit of the original concept of a workshop remains alive in The Shop.

Rethinking The Future Awards 2021
First Award |  Private Residence (Small-Medium) (Built)

©Nikole Bouchard

The main space is divided into two zones: the public zone which mimics the flow of a workshop while the private zone is separated into rooms, built into the space in the language of cabinetry. Adapting to the unique layout and rationale of the space, we designed and fabricated many custom furniture elements, as well as threshold moments to fit within the character and use.

©Nikole Bouchard

The public zone is designed around the concept that every tool or action in a workshop has its own space. What was once an area for cutting and sanding has transformed to a space for cooking or dinning. The private zone, consisting of bedrooms and bathrooms have pocket doors made out of birch plywood with metal handles that give the feeling as though one is walking into a tool cabinet.

©Nikole Bouchard

The private zone features wood through different elements and uses, such as expressive grain on the individual ceilings of each room, large slab black walnut barn doors with a natural edge to highlight their natural character, and patterning in the bathrooms and ceilings throughout that express means and methods within construction.