Ideal Live/Work Space: Post Family’s Davey Sommers

“My ideal space changes from day to day. New sensory inputs, outside perspectives and friction with my surroundings causes me to focus on things that I wouldn’t normally focus on, or necessarily want to focus on. When such a friction or tension is created between me and my environment, that is when I do my best work, or have the most eureka moments–the very moments that keep me working from one day to the next.

I have my clearest thoughts when I’m thinking as an escape of sorts or a reverie from where I am, or the task I am doing. If I see something or think of something that relates to a far off thought in my head, the unexpected connection fuels my next move. This is all driven by the friction, and going to the same place to sit in the same space everyday, is not much help. At the same time, if I have the motivation, focus and know exactly what needs to be done then isolation from any friction is best.

For my space to be effective, surroundings and situations need to change, but at the same time there must be consistency to make it usable. Otherwise, the same problem will appear each day, and just like going to the same place everyday, that problem will eventually be solved and that solution will become a repeptive task. So how can one’s surroundings challenge yet remain static enough to support your needs. There lies the challenge, and somewhere between a cradle and a war zone; or nil and infinity, lies the solution.

With all of that in mind, projects by Scup(IT) [Architects Pieter Peerlings & Silvia Mertens make up Sculp(IT), they live and work in this space pictured above and below. It is 2.4 meters wide, 5.5 meters depth and 12 meters height. Via Coolboom] and LOT-EK appeal to me. Shipping containers positioned and interconnected in different ways to create an inhabitable space.

I like the simplcity of contruction and the ability to easily replicate the design in multiple locations. The thought of throwing my home/office on a flat bed and taking it with me is appleaing but not very practical, nor as convenient as having one waiting for you wherever you might end up. The main places I find myself working are the cafe, park, bar, studio, in isolation and when I travel, or go somewhere new.

These places can somewhat be replicated in one of each section of the live/work space, and like the project by Sculp(IT) could include: wide open windows and interaction with the street on the first floor, food/drink on the second, sleep/bath on the third, isolation on four, and on top a garden. I would lay it on its side for a mountain or a lake setting.”

Davey Sommers is the Post Family’s resident blogger.

Photos by Luc Roymans via Coolboom.

The Post Family

Seven men. That’s who began this design collective. They are based in Chicago and are all artists of one kind or another. I was really impressed with the Post Family story (check out Family Values). There’s something compelling about a group of creative people figuring out a way to work together. It was their design blog that caught my eye and drove me to contact them to see how we could fold the Post Family into Lifework. The idea is simple, really. I asked them to imagine your ideal home workspace and express it in some kind of visual way. A nice broad brief that has thrown up some truly inspiring work. Over the next week I will post work from Alex Fuller, Davey Sommers, David Sieren, Rod Hunting and Sam Rosen. Look out for Alex’s piece later today.