Architect Evokes Spirit of Famous Mentor to find the Light

Marlene wanted to wake up with golden tendrils of morning sunlight filtering softly into her bedroom.  A simple request for a simple pleasure – unless that bedroom happens to be in a high rise, tucked behind the living room, its eastern exposure blocked by the solid wall between the two spaces. 

Architect David S. Traub’s inventive solution: A gently swooping, crescent shaped window, perfectly positioned on the bedroom wall to borrow that precious morning light from the living room as it reflects off the river. Artistic and practical, Traub’s creation not only evokes images of a Japanese teahouse, but also adheres to the “facts of light” as taught to him by architect Louis Kahn, the master himself.

“The power of light and its function is not just the simple notion of having a large window to allow light,” explains Traub. “Instead we integrate light into a structure utilizing two different architectural devices, the positioning of spaces with respect to the daily path of the sun, and the shaping of spaces into vessels that will gracefully receive the light. Nothing is done willfully and arbitrarily. Everything starts from a need.”

Indeed in his concept for this Society Hill pied-à-terre, Traub invoked the principles of his mentor: imaginative forms tailored to very specific functions – in this case, spiritual as well as structural.     

This Center City retreat, originally two separate apartments, is much more than just a posh, newly renovated condo unit in the I. M. Pei designed Society Hill Towers.  To Traub’s client Marlene, it is a serene sanctuary, a place for this Lycoming County wife and mother to reflect and recharge--the quintessential room of one’s own.  Purposefully created for relaxation and meditation, it is an environment that supports Marlene’s passion for Eastern philosophy--including compass oriented Feng Shui.  “Based on directional Feng Shui, we determined to the best of our ability where due north was to find the heart of the apartment and map out living spaces relative to compass points.” she explains. “We concluded that the best place for sleep and regeneration at night was sort of in the center of the unit, so that is where the bedroom is.”  

As Traub focused on finding practical implementations for Marlene’s spiritual aspirations (such as flooding natural morning light into a dark back bedroom) architect and client did at times approach issues from opposite ends of the tatami mat.  Ultimately, the duo achieved an understanding and with it, the desired ambiance – a little slice of urban Nirvana. “We developed a wonderful rapport, really listening to each other and trying to be flexible,” recalls Traub. “We are both devotees of Asian culture and shared a spiritual connection that gave the project a real positive energy.”  

It was Traub who decided to knock down an interior wall and create a wide open living room space that serves as both sitting and meditation/office area.  It was Marlene who walked into Moderne Gallery in Center City and was immediately drawn to several wood pieces that would be its key furnishings: A George Nakashima original coffee table and a desk designed by his daughter, Mira.  The dining room table is also the work of the senior Nakashima.

A proponent of the healing power of macrobiotics, Marlene felt connected to the pieces through their organic materials.  “The macrobiotics lifestyle is really reflected in the apartment,” she notes. “All of the materials I chose are natural and many are recycled.” Cotton fabric covering on furniture and window treatments is actually duck cloth originally used on a boat.  Wood floors are soft yellow pine, from Powell Flooring in North Carolina, a company that that sells recycled pine retrieved from old ships and barns.  “I specifically chose soft pine because it’s quieter, softer and more inviting,” says Marlene, adding, “all the protective coatings on the floors, whether on bathroom tile or the wood floors, are non toxic, from a place called SafeCoat.” The same, she says is true for the paints and wood treatments throughout the apartment.

The cool and minimalist décor is offset by creatively crafted wall niches. These eye-catching but unobtrusive architectural details add warmth, not clutter. The scattered pockets of recessed shelving are filled with Asian art and artifacts, subtly transforming wall space into a backdrop of understated elegance. “I love to do a lot with niches,” says Traub. “No wall is left blank. Every inch of wall space has a purpose in the overall scene.  There are special surprises everywhere you look.”  And many of them – including design elements like the Asian inspired powder room vanity and the space-saving half moon table perched on the conical base – are also Traub’s own creations.  

If architect I.M. Pei – whose global accomplishments the Louvre’s glass pyramid Paris to Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – walked into this refuge, he would see no trace of the studio and adjacent one-bedroom unit that were in his original blueprints. However, Marlene says she feels the presence of his genius every day.      “When you look at the east and south corners of the apartment, you can see the setting sun in the west reflected in the glass,” she enthuses.  When Pei attended the Society Hill Towers’ 40th anniversary celebration, Marlene had the privilege of personally thanking him for his artistry. “It was one of highlights of my life,” she beams.  “I thanked him for his spectacular design and told him I bought the place because his energy was so strong.  It was really, really special.”   

Though friends and family are always welcome, Marlene spends most of her time here alone in quiet contemplation, nourishing her spirit, relishing the skillfully executed tranquility of her surroundings.  “This is such a wonderful place to wake up, like memories of childhood on a beautiful sunny day,” she smiles and adds, “Being here is so relaxing. I feel like I can really exhale.”

 Susan Pevaroff Berschler lives in Bryn Mawr, PA.