This project illustrates how families benefit from open spaces that facilitate communication. The shared spaces of kitchen and bathroom were our starting point: A new red “ribbon” erases the cabinets and closet that block the existing galley kitchen from the living room and the outdoors. New colorful, dynamic forms responding to the client’s needs then grow from the ribbon’s wandering profile.

The ribbon ties together the different pieces of this renovation, linking the building shell to the new architecture. The new forms reconnect the client in her kitchen to her family, to her friends, and to the outdoors. Like the architect, the ribbon is a benevolent invader bringing contemporary culture to a traditional place.