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As part of Architecture Month, join DAC for a special “Building of the Day” tour of a remarkable O Street artist’s studio—an intimate architectural gem designed by local firm Gronning Architects.

Tucked quietly within the Blagden Alley–Naylor Court Historic District, this project is easy to miss and impossible to forget. Inserted into a layered and tightly scaled urban fabric, the studio unfolds as a carefully composed sequence of light, texture, and proportion. What appears modest from the alley reveals itself as a meticulously crafted retreat for making and reflection.

Designed as both workspace and sanctuary, the studio demonstrates how contemporary architecture can sit confidently within a historic context through restraint, precision, and material clarity. Every move is deliberate: openings are strategically placed, details are finely resolved, and natural light is shaped to support the rhythms of artistic production.

This tour offers a rare opportunity to step inside a space that typically remains private—an exploration of how small-scale architecture can achieve powerful impact. Join us to experience this jewel box firsthand and hear about the design decisions, constraints, and creative ambitions that brought it to life.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the design strategies employed in the adaptive reuse of the existing structure to balance historic preservation, building performance, and contemporary architectural expression, including improvements to structural integrity, energy performance, and occupant safety.
• Assess strategies for embedding a contemporary “jewel box” intervention sensitively within an existing urban context, with attention to zoning constraints, life safety requirements, fire separation, and compatibility with surrounding historic fabric.
• Evaluate the role of natural light, apertures, and framed views in reinforcing spatial hierarchy and atmosphere, and analyze how daylighting strategies contribute to occupant health, visual comfort, and energy efficiency.
• Analyze how a restrained material palette and minimal detailing can shape spatial clarity and user experience within a compact studio environment, while supporting durability, indoor environmental quality, and long-term occupant welfare.

Presented by:

Eric Gronning, AIA
Founding Principal
Gronning Architects 

Maggie Dunlap, Assoc. AIA, LEED
Project Manager
Gronning Architects

Russell Katz
Owner