https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2916 en-us Working in both practice and academia, two Boston-based sisters delight in the unexpected.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14093 Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14093-design-vanguard-2019-french-2d Outlier Lofts French 2D transformed a building in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood into a “strange cartoon icon,” says Jenny, by reorienting the entrance and adding an upper story. Viewed from one side, the three-unit building has a traditional form; from another, a sawtooth roof (shown) presents as a series of off-kilter gables, reflected in the ceiling of the top story. Photo © John Horner Outlier Lofts French 2D transformed a building in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood into a “strange cartoon icon,” says Jenny, by reorienting the entrance and adding an upper story. Viewed from one side, the three-unit building has a traditional form; from another, a sawtooth roof presents as a series of off-kilter gables, reflected in the ceiling of the top story (shown). Photo © John Horner Kendall Square Garage Screens French 2D created a 26,000-square-foot drawing for the facade of a garage in Cambridge, MA, that plays with depth and shadow. They made dresses using the same design, at the same scale, to become “big-scale-figure cartoons” in the photographs. Photo © John Horner Place/Setting Part public installation, part intimate dinner party, the sisters created a “warm but weird” pavilion for a series of gatherings on Boston City Hall Plaza, aiming to spur dialogue between scholars, community organizers, and others working in related spheres. Photo courtesy French 2D Bay State Commons For several years, Jenny and Anda have worked with a group of some 30 households to design a 50,000-square-foot cohousing complex, or “condo commune,” in Boston. A drawing of the project, rendered in their distinctive style, depicts a collection of connected gabled structures. Photo courtesy French 2D