After completing a remodel for Clayroom Potrero Hill clay studio, which included a new layout and material palette, and additional storage for the glazing and members areas, we were asked to reenvision their hand building room. In contrast to the rest of the studio, which is constantly in motion (think spinning wheels, pieces moving from shelf to shelf, bodies shuffling from station to station), the hand building room is a place where people can work in peace and quiet for a few hours on large, clean work surfaces.

For the glazing and members areas we developed a contemporary aesthetic that took cues from a cabin in the Sierras; for the hand building room we continued this language, focusing on the communal and inviting experience of gathering around a campfire.

For the primary design piece, the casework, we chose prefinished maple plywood and millenial pink to bring warmth to the small space. The two work tables, each 3'-0" x 7'-8", consist of white HPL laminated to 1" hardwood plywood with exposed edges. A rectangular window with sliding glass panes was added to increase connection to the rest of the studio.