The design of IVEY Salon balances an exposed concrete skin with cavernous daylight and geometric furniture to transform brutalism into beauty.

Framed with full-length windows and 14 foot ceilings, IVEY Salon is any artist's dream, especially a hairstylist's. Only 1,650 SF, a skillful open-concept plan lays out 10 styling stations, reception and retail, shampoo lounge, and blow-dry bar in the small space.

The Synecdoche team based the design on highlighting the raw elements of space: the exposed board formed concrete ceilings, the impressions of previous framing on the window trim, and the weathered floors and block walls. This aesthetic is honored and replicated in the salon’s branding and logo, also designed by Synecdoche.

To overcome the challenge of spatial flow, the team fabricated all the free-standing furniture with dual roles to blend uses between spaces.

Using a combination of analog and digital fabrication techniques, the furniture is a blend of metal, wood, and textile components.

The fabricated pair of branching stylist stations simultaneously incorporate benches for hair processing and drying stations. The team designed the stations with a matching freestanding bench and reception desk to create a social hub for those getting service, providing styling, greeting guests, and browsing retail.

To implement the solutions of the space, a partnership was created between the architect and stylist. In a new business model working towards new modes in the future business of architecture, equity as design investment situated the design as an investment and catalyst for economic performance of the space. As business partners on the project, the work was not only about implementing the best design visually but also the best design for the business proforma.

Recognitions

2019 APR Global Future Design Awards, Commercial Interiors: Third Place

All About Ann Arbor: Aveda concept IVEY Salon opens in downtown Ann Arbor