Envelope Factory

In a former envelope factory, this condo renovation retains the industrial character of the original building while inserting a refined, spatially efficient interior. The existing board-formed concrete, weathered fir floors and ceiling, and clerestory windows remain untouched, preserving the raw texture and scale of the space.

A new central volume, clad in dark wood cabinetry, contains the kitchen and bathroom, organizing the plan and acting as a threshold between private and shared zones. The bedroom is tucked behind, while above, a compact loft houses a home office and guest sleeping area. The intervention reads as furniture nested within the larger volume, carefully detailed yet deferential to the historic shell.

The owner, a collector of elaborate opera gowns, displays selections from their collection behind glass, lending the space a theatrical counterpoint to its otherwise rational and rectilinear palette.