CREATIVE SPACE

The headquarters of business and life partners Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows is a minimalist masterpiece.

The Modernist aficionados behind leading US creative outfit BassamFellows are in their element with the transformation of the company’s headquarters.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR ENDURING CREATIVE INFLUENCES? Scott Fellows: We have always been influenced by Modernism’s rigour and clarity, combined with quality craftsmanship and the warmth of natural materials. Louis Kahn’s work is the best manifestation of this. His projects are completely and utterly resolved and that is a goal we strive for. The same can be said of Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson’s early work.

WHAT WERE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR STUDIO AND HOW DID YOU BOTH FIRST ENCOUNTER THE SCHLUMBERGER ADMINISTRATION BUILDING BY PHILIP JOHNSON? All our furniture pieces have been created from a response to an architectural or interior design project brief. In that sense, architecture drives everything we do. We wanted our studio to reflect that – it had to be an architectural space. It was actually Craig’s family visiting from Sydney that discovered the Schlumberger Building. They saw an historical house museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and became chatty with the docent. They mentioned that their son was an architect and lived in a Philip Johnson house, and the docent, a member of the town council, explained there was a Philip Johnson-designed building in Ridgefield in danger of being torn down. That was the beginning of an eightyear odyssey for us to secure and restore the building. PJB, as it is known (Philip Johnson Building), was part of a complex of buildings on 18.2 hectares. The majority of buildings have been torn down and now PJB is located in a park-like setting

COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO ITS HISTORY? It was Philip Johnson’s first non-residential building and built one year after he designed the Hodgson House (in nearby New Canaan, Connecticut), which is our primary residence. We didn’t set out to become Philip Johnson scholars or own two of his buildings – it just happened. We were drawn to New Canaan from New York City over 20 years ago because of its concentration of Modernist houses. New Canaan is home to examples of Modernism from the likes of Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Eliot Noyes and many others. Our first

house was a Modernist house designed in 1956 that we restored and listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. After that we were looking to build a house, then the Hodgson heirs were looking for a sensitive buyer to preserve their family’s legacy.

WHAT DID THE BUILDING’S ALTERATIONS ENTAIL? PJB was an executive building for Schlumberger’s research scientists. Its rectangular plan has offices around the perimeter, surrounding a core of collaborative spaces and an open-air courtyard, and the core is ringed by around 80 skylights. Our alterations were relatively minor. We added a disability compliant restroom, a kitchen for events and entertaining, and a long coffee bar. We also converted spaces that were secretarial pools into collaborative spaces, including an informal meeting room and lounge/ living room. There was much restoration to the building envelope and the interior surfaces – we paid special attention to preserving its historic fabric. Our restoration earned preservation awards from the State of Connecticut as well as Docomomo, the international organisation committed to the preservation of Modern buildings. WHAT INFORMED THE SELECTION OF ART, FURNITURE, FITTINGS AND FINISHES? The furniture placement comes from the functionality of the spaces. All private offices were furnished equally, with a sit-to-stand desk, a very good ergonomic desk chair (the only pieces not designed by us) and guest seating such as a sofa or banquette. It shows the full range of the BassamFellows collection, including pieces designed for Herman Miller. Art is very personal to us and we collect it mostly from our travels. The space features sculptures from Morgan Shimeld, whom we met in Sydney some years ago, paintings by German artist Anke Blaue and architectural drawings from our favourite print gallery in Milan. The materials are mostly original. The iron-spot glazed brick was cleaned and restored, and the oak woodwork was heavily water-damaged and had turned orange from years of exposure to daylight from the skylights. Our restoration crew hand-sanded it but could not remove the staining entirely so we went a step further and bleached all the

wood. It was a massive job but it was worth it. The original floor was a pale grey vinyl tile but it had been destroyed. We replaced it with the same French quarry tile that Philip Johnson used on the Hodgson House, in a pale-grey colour that nearly perfectly matched the original. The tile was from a company that no longer existed but we knew the French village where it was located. A colleague phoned the village council and explained the company that we were trying to find. The person who answered the phone had a relative who worked at the original company and said the company still existed, but was acquired in the 1950s and was now under a different name!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COMPLETED SPACE? It is rigorous but also supremely comfortable – a very powerful, uplifting and optimistic experience. The skylights create a lightbox effect where you can view furniture anywhere, at any time of day. It’s the perfect showroom. WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT WORKING IN IT? This was Philip Johnson’s first non-residential building and it lies between a large Modern house and an office building. That is what we love. It doesn’t quite feel like home but doesn’t feel like a traditional office either. Every single office has operable windows for ventilation while the collaborative spaces open to nature with sliding and pivot doors. COULD YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORK DAY? The drive from home is a spectacular 20-minute drive through the countryside. Mornings are spent speaking with our team in Italy regarding product development or production. Craig then settles into drawing on the computer and I jump between different functions from marketing to sales to finance. We tend to work late and enjoy the quiet time when everyone has left. The building takes on a different mood at night – lamp lighting in the offices and the courtyard lighting makes it feel intimate and residential. WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO? We are designing a pool and guest pavilion for the new owners of the first house we restored in New Canaan. We are also restoring a Modernist house on Long Island. On the furniture side, the next Salone del Mobile is scheduled for September and we are also launching two designs for Herman Miller and a Stellar Works chair. bassamfellows.com; livingedge.com.au

These pages, from left “Many years ago we wrote down our ultimate goals,” says architect Scott Fellows (right, with partner Craig Bassam) of BassamFellows about their space in Ridgefield, Connecticut. “One of those goals described our ultimate headquarters and design studio as a piece of architecture surrounded by nature. We knew that was a big ask … but we are determined and patient.” ‘Circular' table, ‘Geometric' chairs and ‘Sling' club chairs, all by BassamFellows. Their restoration work on the Philip Johnson-designed Schlumberger Administration Building has won recognition from the State of Connecticut.

These pages “When we visited the building for the first time, we were hooked from the moment we stepped foot on the property,” says Scott. “We think it creates a perfect dialogue between the architecture and what we are trying to achieve as a brand.” BassamFellows daybed and 'Spoke' tables.

This page, from top “Every space has a direct connection to nature – either through the three-metre-high window walls in the private offices, or the glass walls surrounding the courtyard in the collaborative spaces, or through the skylights,” says Scott. In one of the collaborative spaces, 'Asymmetric' sofa, ‘Geometric' lounge chairs, ‘Geometric' dining table and ‘Mantis' side chairs, all by BassamFellows. In the meeting room, ‘Plank' table and ‘Wood Frame' side chairs by BassamFellows. The small grey floor tiles were sourced from a French village and closely resemble the original flooring. Opposite page, from top A lithograph of an artwork by Le Corbusier that was commissioned by Jørn Utzon as a tapestry for the Sydney Opera House. 'Plank' table and ‘Spindle' side chairs by BassamFellows. Sculpture by Morgan Shimeld. In the office, ‘Tambour' wall-hung credenza. 'Geometric' dining chairs surround a 'Circular' table, all by BassamFellows.

This page, from top “It would be very rare for a company today to build a building of this relatively small scale and spend on major design elements purely for reasons of beauty and wellbeing. That’s impressive,” says Scott. In the office, ‘Sling' club chair by BassamFellows. In the hallway, an artwork by Anke Blaue. The offices were formerly the Schlumberger Administration Building, designed by US architect Philip Johnson in 1952 and based on another of his most well-known buildings, the Glass House from 1949.