Where does architecture end and furniture design begin? Michael Logue has sidestepped this quandary by fusing the two. He’s currently consulting with Herman Miller on a modular office system with cubicles that can quickly convert into a meeting room. “Here in the Bay Area, we have a unique situation where companies contract and expand very quickly, and that requires our office furniture to do the same thing,” says Logue. “I’ve always been very interested in how to change a space to accommodate each of our immediate needs.”
His multidisciplinary approach reflects his varied experience: After architecture school at Columbia University, he went to Copenhagen to study industrial design and then apprenticed as a temple builder in Kyoto. Launching his practice in San Francisco during the dot-com era, he developed a clientele of Silicon Valley engineers who are used to turning “what-ifs” into reality. For one client, Logue designed a living room that—with a touch of a button—cantilevers an entire seating area out of the wall and features a kitchen island that appears monolithic but morphs into an Iron Chef–like arena.
These assignments provide Logue with valuable insight into fabrication and materials, which in turn fuel projects like his latest effort: reinventing the door. “If you can use the area set aside for doorways, you can reclaim an amazing amount of space in the home” says Logue. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be shopping for doors with interchangeable storage for everything from toiletries to stereo systems—so stay tuned.
