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Basil | Charleston | Architectural Design

Completed in August 2011, Basil Thai Cuisine is a 2-story newly constructed building in Seaside Farms commercial area in Mt.Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston.  The building is 7500 square feet with another 2400 square feet of outdoor courtyard dining and deck areas, and has a total 270 seats. 

The building is uniquely located at the corner of a busy commercial area, facing a main thoroughfare where residents of several large neighborhoods pass through on a daily basis, a small public park on the southeast side, and a picturesque lagoon at the rear with a public walking path along the edge of the water. The building is designed to respond to these contextual influences as well as the southwesterly prevailing summer breezes for natural cooling, the midday south sun for natural lighting and the sunset views over the lagoon towards the west.  

The front of the building faces the commercial area and is designed with an urban feel, reflecting the height, scale, mass and rhythm of storefront windows of the surrounding retail buildings, while having a distinctive more modern look unto itself.  Features such as a canted storefront wall covered in a combination of charcoal-colored shiny and matte tile, concrete planters filled with bamboo set into recessed storefront window wells, and an entry area featuring a custom-designed lantern hanging from two cantilevered beams over the sidewalk and a large stunning Buddha statue in the entry window set this building apart from others.  The pale yellow brick and charcoal-colored trim details fit into the context while being reminiscent of the building that the original Basil Thai Cuisine resides in, in downtown Charleston. 

The southwest side and rear of the building face the park and lagoon and are designed to open up to the best views the site has to offer while taking advantage of the prevailing southwest summer breezes. Strong interior and exterior connections are reflected in all aspects of the design at these sides of the building. On the first floor, two dining “pagoda” structures are surrounded by a wraparound side and rear courtyard which starts at the front sidewalk to engage passersby, and extends down along the park, and around to the full lagoon views at the rear. Each of these pagodas has a large open glass corner window, the rear one sliding open for full engagement with the courtyard.  Large canopies and overhangs provide shelter from the summer midday sun and rain. The main dining room at the center rear of the building overlooks both the courtyard and the lagoon via another large open glass corner.  Finally, a 2nd floor bar, which has a loft-type feeling with exposed ceilings and ductwork, fully opens to the exterior by way of three large glass garage doors which extend the space out to a wraparound deck creating an indoor/outdoor bar with stunning views of the lagoon over the treetops.  These strong connections to the exterior are focused on the southwest side and rear elevations, resulting in a building design which fully maximizes the potential of the site, strongly connects patrons to the best features of the surroundings, and provides for maximum natural daylighting of the space. 

The entrance of the building is marked by a custom designed lantern hanging over the sidewalk, which draws patrons in and under a canopy where they are faced with the view of a stunning Buddha statue surrounded by a water feature.  This marks the start of one of two axes through the building.  The first axis begins with this lantern at the sidewalk and visually extends through the building and out to the rear courtyard and lagoon, ending with a feature of six “moonlight” globes floating in the lagoon.  A second longitudinal axis serves as the main corridor through the building and features a decorative curved translucent screen wall lined with bamboo harvested by the owner, and a continuous wood soffit that dramatically extends through the building connecting all patron areas and outdoor areas while serving the employees with a functional spine through the building. The two axes intersect at the Buddha statue, which can be seen from various parts of the building, and reinforce the strong connection to the outdoors.

Other special features of the building include an undulating wood ceiling in the main dining room, a dramatic gesture and pattern inspired by a request from a well-traveled owner; a large open glass cooking line in the main dining room, a feature which is carried through from the original downtown Basil, and an exposed wine room at the entry tucked under the main stair.

The building also has many architectural features custom-designed by the project’s architectural designer.  A functional and aesthetic centerpiece of the main dining room are the adjustable booths, which are a unique invention that allows the owner to create combinations of seating table sizes based on the location of a movable divider.  The booth fabric also has a custom stitching pattern, created to emulate the reed grasses in the lagoon just outside the windows. Another custom-designed feature is two large bamboo fixtures that hang from the large skylight of each pagoda, faced with black bamboo that the owner harvested and cut himself.  These two fixtures create a dramatic ceiling effect and provide acoustical softening of the space. The front entry lantern is a fixture containing a pendant globe surrounded by a custom designed decorative wrought iron surround, designed by the project architect and created and crafted by a local artist metalworker.  Finally, the building signage was also custom-designed to be reminiscent of the original Basil location, which had a historic green neon sign.  In order to decrease the energy use, the designer came up with a custom style sign which combines the long lasting LED technology, but gives a look that emulates a neon style sign at night.  





Basil Thai Cuisine | Mt. Pleasant, SC

Midtown of Charleston

The Midtown project is located on a 1.39 acre parcel, within Charleston, South Carolina’s Old and Historic District.  The overall architectural design of the project continues the language of the surrounding neighborhood, while individual building designs are a modern interpretation of the historic architectural proportions, details and streetscape rhythm.  A mix of new and traditional materials was used in a way that respects traditional building practices.  Details and materials like steel porches combined with IPE decking and bamboo ceilings are consistent through-out the project, creating a fluid language for the neighborhood while making a gesture to the historic language and forms.  The design process created collaboration between the architects and developers, the Charleston Board of Architectural Review, local planning and preservation groups, and the city’s residents.  The response to the Midtown development has been extremely positive.  The end result is a modern urban infill embraced by a unique historic city.


Cordova Residence

The Real Estate Studio

Dunes Properties, the client for this tenant up-fit, was interested in developing a real estate office that has the feel of a lounge, a place where people could come in, check their e-mail or the ballgame score and view the property available in the local real estate market.
The space was stripped down to its original brick walls, which were left natural.  The floors and ceiling were lightened to carry the natural light from the storefront as deep into the space as possible.  The ceiling has continuous cove lighting set in a curved mesh arch to accent the daylighting.  The client area was broken down into three seating groups with flat screen televisions that show virtual tours of local real estate.  A frosted glass wall in the rear portion of the space separates the realtor desk area.  The overall result was a light and airy space with clean modern lines set within the backdrop of a beautiful historic interior.  

The Real Estate Studio | Dunes Properties

163 Rutledge Medical Office Building

An office building owned by two brothers is transformed into a new office complex to house their respective professional businesses. Situated between a historic residential neighborhood and a large medical complex, the design relates to both settings and meets the needs of neighbors, city officials, and members of the City of Charleston's Board of Architectural Review.

The Background The clients for this project are brothers, one a developer and the other a doctor. The doctor occupied a building that was quickly becoming too small and outdated for his practice. Our firm was asked to design a new building in the same location that would provide a larger office for the doctor as well as additional office space for his brother.
Constraints and Challenges This project is situated between a residential neighborhood and a large complex of medical buildings, therefore the design had to relate to both settings and include a sensitivity to pedestrian traffic.
Since the project is new construction, parking played a major role. New parking had to be provided on the site that wouldn't detract from the rhythm of existing buildings along the street. Also, the site is located in historic Charleston and the City Board of Architectural Review (B.A.R.) would have to review and grant design approval.
The Solution NSA designed the massing of the building to be in proportion with the typical Charleston single-style houses along the street. Even though the building is approximately 13,000 square feet, the massing was stepped back horizontally and vertically along the sides of the property to create the effect of a narrower building. Also, the massing on the side of the office building was syncopated with 4' wide niches at intervals that match the typical width of the other house facades.
The design screened the parking area behind a brick wall with curved concrete benches and screened openings above the benches. Planters were planned between the benches to grow foliage against the screens. The all-glass entry at the front of the building used the interior lobby elevator wall to screen the parking from pedestrian view.
The Result After meeting and discussing the design with the client, neighbors, and city officials, the members of the City of Charleston's Board of Architectural Review gave the design unanimous approval and the project is currently under construction.
This building's materials consist of masonry, steel, and glass. The brick walls have two story high window bays that replicate a more residential sized window yet overall, provides a scale that befits the office building design. The front of the building makes a bold, contemporary statement by cantilevering over the entry lobby with an all-glass, exposed steel façade. The cantilever offers an open-air entry lobby at the pedestrian level and the all-glass portions above create office lobbies with expansive views of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina campus. On the top floor, the massing has been stepped back and an exterior roof deck wraps around the building, providing an exterior space with unobstructed panoramic views.

Residences at Longborough

This project is a series of single family residences commissioned by a developer in the newly re-developed Longborough neighborhood within the Wagener Terrace area of Charleston, South Carolina.  The three bedroom residences average around 1,800 square feet with detached garages that face a small alley.  The deep porches and Craftsman detailing is typical of the surrounding neighborhood.  Several homes feature roofdecks allowing a view of the Ashley River.


Lotus Vietnamese Cuisine | Park Circle

121 Calhoun Office Building

Restoration project in the historic district of downtown Charleston, SC

77 Wentworth Office and Condos

77 Wentworth is a historic three story, 15,000 square foot brick building that held the first Bell South company in Charleston.  The clients were interested in both modernizing the building and renovating it for energy efficiency. The storefront level of the building was designed to accommodate Yo Burrito restaurant, which includes an exterior courtyard adjacent to the sidewalk for outside dining.  The second floor was renovated into two luxury condominiums and the third floor is a third condominium unit and the offices of Neil Stevenson Architects.
Several changes were made to contribute to the energy efficiency of the building.  The roof was insulated on top and underneath and then replaced with a light colored roll material.  The roof material has the potential to be planted to make a green roof.  The windows were replaced with double insulated energy efficient models, as the older windows were not historic and/or could not be salvaged.  The mechanical system for the entire building was converted to closed loop Geo-Thermal.  In order to do this, (16) 250ft wells were drilled in the courtyard area.  A system to collect rainwater is currently under design and will be used to water the landscaping and perhaps convert some toilets to grey water use.

IN PROGRESS | Bohicket Brew Pub

This renovation project is on the drawing table at Neil Stevenson Architects.  When complete, this brew pub will have spectacular views of the marsh and waterway at Bohicket Marina. Renderings and video by J&E Renderings

IN PROGRESS | Ashley Blvd Residences

King Street Office Building

UNREALIZED | King Street Office Building

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I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modernist home, and I’m happy to say that Alice and her team at Atelier Cohen led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, my house looks like it could be featured in a Kinfolk magazine. I expressed my wishes of having a clean, natural interior aesthetic and they truly delivered – the natural light in my newly designed home is to die for. They also helped me turn my dated, drab living room into a spacious and cozy space in which I can’t wait to host a party. I couldn’t recommend Alice more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Alice on a few renovation projects and am still floored by her dedication to design and space planning. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with Atelier Cohen, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating or staging experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Alice’s eye, advice, and service is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Alice on redecorating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since I was a teen in the 80’s. I knew it needed a huge refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with Alice about my hazy ideas and she was able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole design process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few meetings. She walked me through every step of the process, from sharing sketches and moodboards to purchasing the final pieces of furniture and decoration. Working with Alice at Atelier Cohen has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modern farmhouse kitchen, and I’m happy to say that Maison Kitchen and Bath led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, our kitchen looks like it could be the envy of Pinterest. I expressed my wishes of having a light, airy feel with natural but polished finishes, and they truly delivered – the kitchen in my home is to die for. They also helped me turn my claustrophobic galley kitchen into a beautiful open-space plan that makes me actually want to cook and entertain in the kitchen. I couldn’t recommend Maison K&B more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Maison Kitchen and Bath on a few renovation projects and am still floored by their dedication to design and construction. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with them, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Their advice and service through all stages of any project large or small is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Maison Kitchen and Bath on renovating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since it was built in the 50’s. I’m quite environmentally minded, so I knew the appliances and electrical elements needed an update. I also knew it needed a bit of a refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with them about my hazy ideas and they were able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole renovation process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few weeks. Working with Maison Kitchen and Bath has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

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I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modernist home, and I’m happy to say that Haus Design + Build led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, my house looks like it could be featured on Architecture Digest. I expressed my wishes of having high ceilings and large windows, and they truly delivered – the natural light in my new home is to die for. They also helped me turn my claustrophobic galley kitchen into a beautiful open-space plan that makes me actually want to cook and entertain in the kitchen. I couldn’t recommend Haus DB more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Haus Design and Build on a few renovation projects and am still floored by their dedication to design and construction. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with them, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Their advice and service through all stages of any project large or small is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Haus Design + Build on renovating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since it was built in the 50’s. I’m quite environmentally minded, so I knew the appliances and electrical elements needed an update. I also knew it needed a bit of a refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with them about my hazy ideas and they were able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole construction process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few weeks. Working with Haus DB has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

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IN PROGRESS | UNREALIZED PROJECTS