ASID: The showcase lakeside condo

Article by: KIM PALMER , Star Tribune
Updated: May 18, 2010 - 5:56 PM

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The condo's master bedroom was designed to maximize its Lake Calhoun view. The designers were Laura Berg, Heidi Dockter and Marie Meko of Gabberts Design Studio.

Photo: Joel Koyama, Star Tribune

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Most ASID Showcase Homes come with an owner/resident who has very specific likes and dislikes. But this year's showcase condo at the Edgewater in Minneapolis was designed for a hypothetical client.

And that gave designers a lot of creative freedom.

"We had carte blanche," said Suzanne Goodwin, who collaborated with Laura Paulson and Karen Soojian on the living and dining rooms.

The condo was just an empty shell when the ASID team began work on it. "We had to decide how many bedrooms, bathrooms, where to put the kitchen," said architect Gabriel Keller, of Peterssen/Keller. "We had total control over the layout."

That's not to say they didn't have some specific design challenges. The back of the condo has a million-dollar view overlooking Lake Calhoun. But the view from the side windows is more urban and less scenic. "Our parameters were to beautify the lake [Calhoun] as a view, and camouflage the buildings on one side," Goodwin said.

To that end, Keller created rooms that lead one through the space and frame the lake view. Even one room without a window, the media room/bedroom, has an open sightline to the lake.

And even though their client was imaginary, designers had a sense of who he/she might be. Probably an empty-nester (80 percent of the Edgewater's current residents are in that demographic group). Probably moving from a single-family home, which is why it was important to consider acoustics, to shield noise, and architectural elements, such as molding and trim and a fireplace. "A lot of condos don't have fireplaces, but this one has all the amenities of a traditional home," Keller said.

The look is sleek and sophisticated, blending modern and traditional elements into a style that designers described as "eclectic" and "transitioal."

And if you're in the market for such a home, it's listed at $1.599 million (unfurnished, although it also can be purchased with all its designer-chosen finery). For more information, contact Bruce Birkeland at Coldwell Banker Burnet, 612-414-3957.