PAF Architecture, LLC

John Reed Forsman Photography Studio

Designed with ALTUS Architecture + Design
Located in St. Louis Park, MN, this project was a build-out of an existing warehouse space for a photography studio. The client, John Forsman Photography, specializes in product photography for advertising, and considered natural light in the space the top priority for the design.  The program called for a large studio area filled with natural light, a commercial cooking kitchen, remodeled bath spaces, client work space, a large conference room, workstations, a resource library and prop storage. Openings were cut for a new entry and large windows in the studio area. 3/4” butt-glazed glass was specified to let the opening to be free of interruption. This allowed the studio to use full, natural light thoughout the year; a difficulty in Minnesota, where winters prevent exterior sets for several months.  For the rest of the space, the client was very interested in industrial, modern finishes and spaces. The architecture needed to be functional and sophisticated, leaning heavily on translucency and transparency to keep the space open. It also needed to be fairly simple to construct, since they planned on doing some of the building themselves.
Photography courtesy of John Reed Forsman Photography.