On the Boards: BLOCK 90

Fig Studio has been blessed with a full-load of great projects to kick off 2012.  I decided it would be fun to do an "on the boards" series highlighting the beginning phases of each project and let you know what we're up to here in our corner of the world.  We anticipate growth and many changes this year so look out for news here and on our portfolio site.

I'm kicking off the series with our Block 90 condo project.  Fig's clients and their two adorable Dachshunds are fairly recent transplants from Kansas and found their way to the bustling Pearl District about a year ago.  Their unit was formerly on show for the 2009 Street of Dreams showcase (the first and only year the show went urban) and is situated at the Penthouse level of the Block 90 development.  The building's architects, Vallaster Corl, emphasized the connection between indoor and outdoor space, access to large terraces, and preserving the urban view.  Once an industrial warehouse, Block 90 now wears a mixed-use hat with residential space, the Aveda Institute, restaurant space, retail and office space all under one roof.

For my part, I am helping my clients make connections to the surrounding architecture, create functional layouts, specify long-term furnishings solutions, and design custom millwork and cabinetry.  I always say the most sustainable decisions are the ones you only make once--  committing to a dining table that will gracefully outlive all of us is more green than just looking for the type of finish applied to the wood.  We are starting with a blank slate, with just the floorplan and a growing art collection to guide us.  The design is leaning toward a spare plan with contemporary lines.  A few injections of artistic accent in the lighting and custom upholstery design give the space balance.  We are lucky to be working such great Portland vendors for this project-  Hive, Inform Interiors, and Kai Fuhrmann to name a few.  You can follow our concepts for the project over on our Block 90 board at Pinterest.

Block 90 is slated for completion late Summer 2012.  Italian leather sofas bow to no one.