Craft Hair Studio

Craft Hair Studio, located in East Downtown (EDO) Albuquerque, is an interior renovation of an existing concrete block warehouse into an upscale hair salon. The main design challenge was creating a unique space for a ten chair hair salon within a low profile concrete warehouse prone to echo and lacking natural light. To provide natural light, long thin deep spaced fenestrations were added high on the wall to allow natural light and upward views without unwanted solar gain, glare or views of the alley below the windows. Sound and echo mitigation within the space is creatively dealt with through the design of the wall and ceiling. Code requirements and a desire for energy efficiency called for insulating the existing concrete block walls. Mineral wool insulation (an excellent insulator of both heat and sound) was specified within the applied wood framing and then covered with a sound proof and fire rated black cloth. Evenly spaced horizontal wood battens are then applied over the cloth wall and also along the length of the ceiling further absorbing unwanted sound and echo within the space. Design and function are one in the same in this design, as they should be in any decent work of architecture.