Magazines: Home Fort Lauderdale

An article written by the magazine

Redemption and Renewal

SHUSTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO AN ORIGINAL DAN DUCKHAM DESIGN

Frank Lloyd Wright, in describing his own work, once said "The space within the building becomes the reality of that building."

Text John O'Connor



Architect Dan Duckham must have had those words in the back of his head when he created this building back in the mid 1960s. Just as Wright championed an "organic architecture," so too did Duckham, concerning himself with how this structure could come alive both through its procession of spaces and through the people who inhabit those spaces.

In his design for the Robinson’s Beauty School, Duckham created a true beauty — one that pays tribute to Wright's Prairie School homes, as well as his sleek, elegant Usonian homes designed in 1939. Until recently, this structure was used by the Boys and Girls Clubs as a headquarters. Last year, the Wilton Manors building was purchased by Shuster Design Associates’ president, Louis Shuster, and underwent a complete renovation to become the company’s design studio. According to Shuster, it was love at first sight — a quarter century ago.

"For 25 years I have lived in Fort Lauderdale. I’d pass by here and see this building. I’d always loved it. I used to tell people I was with when I’d drive by that if it ever came on the market, that's where I’d love to have my design studio. It just seemed to embody great architecture." Shuster, whose company specializes in clean, pared-down, high-end design, looked past the rotting fixtures and failing mechanical systems and saw potential in the former school. "I got over here at 9 am the day the building went up for sale and was the first to put in a bid," said Shuster. "I immediately saw that although it was rundown and a little dilapidated, the bones of the place were good. It definitely needed a facelift but the architectural elements were all still there."

According to Shuster, the space planning, as originally done by Duckham, translated perfectly for the new use. The delineation of the rooms was in sync with both the amount of staff Shuster had as well as what would be the building’s new purpose: to be a working design studio. Shuster's team updated a lot of the plumbing and replaced all of the flooring, which was in an advanced state of disrepair. For the needs of a design studio, all of the lighting needed to be corrected to approximate daylight.

"Color is everything in my business" said Shuster regarding the lighting. "We wanted to duplicate daylight. The combination of the daylight from the fluorescents and the natural light that comes through was just perfect." Shuster updated all of the bathrooms and fixtures to the highest quality. In the main bath, which clients might use, he added a twist. "Upstairs we found three cartons of the original glass, one-inch tile that was used by Duckham. When we ripped up the carpet, we found that it had been used on the floors but, because the carpet was glued down, the tile had been ruined. So we used the boxes of original tile to complete the bath."

Shuster also realized that the Wright-influenced light fixtures that remained were one-of-a kind Dan Duckham designs. He had them restored. Some had been mangled by hurricanes, the lenses of others were damaged. Additional lighting problems Shuster encountered involved replicating pieces of the interior recessed lighting fixtures, which were original with the building. He researched to find bulbs that would be color corrected but would fit the original fixtures.

On the interior, Shuster worked with friend Joe Mirabile of Minimalista to get just the right furnishings for the firm’s new home. Classics like Saarinen's 1956 Tulip chairs and table complete one space while a distinctly Miesian ensemble graces the atrium-like central space with its floating ceiling and clerestory windows.

The new landscaping created by Classic Gardens is ideal for the building's horizontal design. According to Shuster, it was a well-thought-out process. "Because the building is in the Prairie Style, we did some research. We found some old photographs and found that originally there was very little Florida foliage, very little grass. It was mostly gravel, large stones and prairie grasses."

Shuster decided to go back to the source and speak to the architect himself. He had worked with Duckham on two projects a couple decades ago and found the architect living in North Carolina. Duckham was beside himself that someone would take the care Shuster was proposing to restore the building. During their conversation, Duckham reiterated that tall Florida palms and floral elements were not what the building was about.

In the end, Shuster tried to replicate what the architect himself had originally specified. The result is marvelous in its simplicity. Shuster has found his staff loves working in the reborn structure as well. It has given a boost in morale and creativity to everyone who works here. "They seem to be coming in earlier, staying later and our clients love the energy of the space. They are blown away with what we’ve done here. Even the neighbors have come in and thanked us for what we’ve done. It’s amazing," said Shuster. "All the way around, it has been a total plus for my company."