Tovin Studios

In a game of addition and subtraction, the roof and walls of a derelict warehouse in Nyack were carved to create side-by-side, day-lit design studio and showroom. The intervention was all about light and lines.

photo: François Dischinger

Establish an appreciation for where materials come from and how things are built

The idea is to make choices tangible, transparent, and human. Sebastian’s designs are relatable and understandable; they seek to answer the questions of how something came to be and who made it. As Sebastian works, he incorporates a knowledge of local culture, building materials, and construction techniques, as well as the human experiences of using the materials and making something out of them. Sebastian partners with skilled tradespeople and treats them ethically and compassionately. Material choices may demonstrate their use and process. For example, materials that are enriched by time and their own aging process.

Symbol Audio Exterior. This building In Nayak seems, at first glance, to be made of what is commonly thought of as “cheap” materials: large steel, rusted panels. However, here there is beauty in both age and process. Large steel panels were repurposed exactly because of—and not in spite of—the aging and rusting process. Materials age. They have a living surface. Why hide that? Instead, Sebastian incorporates it.

Tovin Studios

In a game of addition and subtraction, the roof and walls of a derelict warehouse in Nyack were carved to create side-by-side, day-lit design studio and showroom. The intervention was all about light and lines.

Establish an appreciation for where materials come from and how things are built

Exposed, large steel rusted panels demonstrate the living, evolving nature of materials and the beauty of the project’s industrial surroundings.

Marlborough Gallery