Creative architectural concepts on display at national design show

BOSTON, Nov. 5, 2007 (VNS) – An exciting new home design featuring creative architectural uses of vinyl has been attracting keen interest at the National Design Triennial at the Institute of Contemporary Art here.

Columbia University architectural professor Craig Konyk, who specializes in the use of new materials to create unique designs, says he has been greatly encouraged by the level of interest and the numerous inquiries received. “There is no doubt that vinyl’s superior energy-saving qualities are of great interest to New England designers and builders,” Konyk said.

The vinyl home, called the UP!house (www.up-house.com) was first shown at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York It will remain in Boston through January 6, 2008, and then will be on view at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, January 26 through April 20.

The exhibit consists of a cutaway section of the easy-to-erect prefabricated structure, with insulated fiberglass wall panels, a luminous, seamless vinyl interior shell and a fiber-optic interior lighting system. “The overall feel of the home is very clean and calm – it is like being inside a cloud,” Konyk said, adding that the feedback from building professionals and members of the public has been excellent.

Interest has been expressed in the building as a second home, vacation home, a ski lodge, or beach house, he said. Architects have also shown interest in adapting some of the pre-engineered concepts for use in other buildings they are developing. “Overall, the exhibit has been a great success and we are especially excited that it is now being shown in different parts of the country,” Konyk said. In addition to teaching at Columbia, he is also head of Konyk Architecture PC in New York (www.konyk.net).

Support for construction of the exhibit was provided in part by the Vinyl Institute in Arlington, VA.