FRANK M. BUA

Client Goal:

Convert exist'g dead space into functional 2 person office. Convert storage area into bedroom & find a place for all their belongings.

Strategy:

Exercise simplicity while maintaining interest.  Use natural, 'off the shelf,' materials in functional, easy to assemble ways.  

Client Goal:

Convert existing corporate luncheon space to accessible, comfortable (& profitable) lounge space.  Attract new clientele.

Strategy:

Destroy stuffy - create comfy!  Started by asking, 'WHY?,' in regards to seating groups & personal interactions.  The idea that a small group of friends can mix w/another small group of friends. Or if they didn't want to, they didn't have to - they could still feel as comfortable in public as they did in their own living room.  The space is a mix of larger seating groups, intermingled w/ smaller seating as well as an area of moveable furniture for the inhabitants to create their own seating groups as they see fit.  

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for BG Studio International

 While working for this Maritime interior design firm, I was lucky enough to be involved in many great projects, including The Reflection Suite, aboard a Royal Carribean Cruise Ship.  This project recently received the SBID International Award. 

Mixed-use commercial, community facility & residential condo development. Selected for display @ New York Society of Architects 100 year anniversayr party. Currently under construction.

​Some select slides from my Folly Competition entry.  

'Folly,' is a term to describe an architectural sculpture.  My idea was '#frame,' - an interactive sculpture that also reflected /utilized today's social networking interactions.  The inspiration was classical picture frames combined with wood joinery techniques.

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for ODA

After a brief, ‘competition,’ we were chosen to design the interiors of this private residence located on the 89th & 90th floor of the Trump World Tower on Manhattan’s east side.  

Check out these select slides from our entry. ​

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Problem:

As someone personally affected by Hurricane Sandy, I felt the need to help out in anyway that I could.  I saw a major flaw in the immediate rebuilding process.  That flaw being that people's homes & lives were being rebuilt according to a contractor's budget and time, and not to the needs of the people themselves.   Along the way I saw a lot of dangerous building conditions, disgusting price-gouging, and people being contracted into things they necessarily might not have understood.

Strategy:

The overall inspiration for the project was to turn a bad situation into a good situation.  The idea that people could rebuild their homes into the home they had always wanted, as opposed to a cheap reminder of a hard time.  Using social media, I tried to solicit as many building questions as I could from people who were rightfully frustrated and tired.  I would walk through peoples homes and give free professional advice as to what people should expect throughout their rebuilding process - whether from a contractor, or local building departments.   

for ODA

      320,000 s.f. of boutique condo units located in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Design, coordination & construction of boutique public  and private projects. Managed design and consultation teams.

Competition Entry 

Select slides from my winning entry for a church conversion commission.   Located in downtown Toronto, the concept was based around interchangeable intimate arrangements organized throughout the space.  The flip-up tables allowed for the dinnertime crowd to give way to a late night party.  

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