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Giovannitti's brief was to transform the existing garden - which was dark and overgrown with plants that blocked light from the apartment - into something that would complement the apartment'sindoor living space, both aesthetically and functionally. Situated on the ground and basement levels of a pre-war building, the apartment had been refurbished by Clarissa Strauss Arquitetura e Interiores, who had used light and light-reflecting materials, such as sycamore wood and steel, to create an airy, contemporary space.
"My overall idea for the garden space was to create something similar to a ship's construction - something totally waterproof, like a pool, but filled with light instead of water," explains David Giovannitti, whose design and build firm, Giovannitti, was responsible for the project. "Whatever material we used had to be able to withstand the extremes of New York weather - so it needed to be both waterproof and able to resist fading."
Having worked with DuPontTM Corian® in the past, Giovannitti had been impressed with its performance, particularly in bathrooms and wet areas. Being completely solid and non-porous, the material does not absorb moisture, resists the growth of mould and mildew, and is easy to clean and maintain. In terms of colour, it also offered what Giovannitti was looking for: Glacier White, a light-reflecting, pure white that would visually maximise the somewhat restricted space, and would not fade in direct sunlight.
Continuous, curved construction
Important though its performance benefits were, it was the design freedom offered byDuPontTM Corian® that really excited Giovannitti. "DuPontTM Corian® is thermoformable, which meant I could create a continuous, curved construction," he says. Giovannitti designed a series of thermoformed panels that curve at the corners, sweeping from the top of the garden, 12-feet up, down to the floor and across. Joined using a special adhesive, the panels are apparently seamless, with no jarring notes to mar their clean, sleek lines.
Drawing on his technical knowledge - Giovannitti has a building background - the designer created a number of prototypes of the panels before the final version. Due to the scale of the pieces, one of the biggest challenges was to thermoform and join them in such a way as to ensure they remained stable during the transporting and fitting process.
Adaptable space
The panels are attached to an aluminium structure of horizontal cleats, which connect to aluminium tabs fitted to the backs of the panels. Each panel is set 5/8 in apart, leaving a space where moveable hooks can be fastened onto the framework. These hooks are used to support a comprehensive range of furniture and accessories, such as occasional tables, shelves, plant pots and an ice bucket - all made in polished aluminium - allowing users to adapt the space to suit their needs. A white nylon hammock can also be hooked across a corner of the garden. On the ground, two chaise longues in tubular aluminium and white neoprene, give the definite impression of a grown-up space, but the garden can be transformed into a mini-adventure playground in minutes with the addition of a climbing rope and pull-up bars.
Aluminium troughs
When it came to adding foliage, Giovannitti was mindful of the fact that a basement-level garden is rarely conducive to flourishing plants, and placed most of the garden's greenery around the topof its walls, effectively at ground level. On three sides of the garden, he has installed aluminium troughs, fitted with a built-in irrigation system, which are planted with bamboo. These plants serve not only as decoration, they also shield the garden from the facing high-rise apartment buildings, giving users some privacy. Uplighters in the troughs illuminate the plants at night while during the day, sunlight filters through the leaves, creating the right balance of light and shade below.
Now working on a new incarnation of his "second-skin" concept for other environments, Giovannitti says: "Though I was very familiar with DuPontTM Corian® prior to this project, I had always wanted to use the material in a more extended format. This urban garden project presented me with the opportunity to do this."
About DuPontTM Corian® - DuPontTM Corian® (www.corian.com) - an exclusive brand and product of DuPont - is used in a wide range of applications in segments as varied as hospitality, healthcare, catering, publics spaces and retail, as well as in home furnishing, furniture, lighting and decorative objects. It is a nonporous solid surface material that is stain-resistant, easy to clean, durable, renewable and repairable. Available in about 100 standard colours, DuPontTM Corian® solid surfaces can be shaped into virtually any conceivable design.
About DuPont - DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
An overview of the global offer of DuPont for architecture, interior design and construction is available at www.buildingonscience.dupont.com.
Media contacts DuPontTM Corian®:
- Press office of DuPontTM Corian®: Melisa Lasell,
DuPont_Building_Innovations_News_Italy@bt-media.net;
- Claudio Greco, DuPont Building Innovations, Public Relations and Media Relations Manager
(Europe, Middle East and Africa), claudio.greco@dupont.com
For information about David Giovannitti:
Contact David on + 1 914 963 1744, or at dgiovannitti@optonline.net.
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