US architecture firm GoCstudio has inserted a dark plywood box into an apartment in Seattle that doubles as a studio space for an amateur photographer.

Western Studio is a home and studio designed for a client who enjoys photography and hosting guests. The 1,000-square-foot (92.9-square-metre) open-plan unit is located inside a commercial building in Seattle's Belltown neighbourhood.

The remodel centred around designing a volume that could house the condo's main living spaces, including a bedroom nook and updated bathroom.

"The goal for the project was to reimagine the kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area in a compact multifunctional box which allows the rest of the space to be open plan and adaptable," GoCstudio said.

A row of cabinets, grey kitchen appliances and a sliding wood door front the monolithic box that is clad with stained plywood. The structure faces the unit's open-plan living area that was partially converted into a photography studio during the renovation.

To transform the space into a studio, the client proposed building an adjustable system to hold chainmail curtains that could be easily swapped out for photographic backdrops during a shoot.

Vertical metal panels attach to a track on the ceiling, which also features exposed pipes that nod to the apartment building's industrial past.

A compact bedroom with felt-covered walls is nestled into one corner of the box. Inside the unit, the bed is stacked on top of wood storage cabinets and a skylight is situated above to light and ventilate the narrow space.

Dark, venetian plastering in the bathroom matches the hue of the stained plywood used on the box's exterior. Fixtures in the confined room include a custom carved Jatoba sink and vanity and a rain shower head equipped with colour changing lights.

To add storage and utility space the studio designed a "loft" level above the box structure that can be accessed from a side door or the row of cabinets on top of the kitchen.

Other custom-designed elements in the unit include the Jatoba wood dining table that is paired with Hanko Chairs from Chadhaus and a pendant light fixture from Studio David Pompa.

GoCstudio is a Seattle architecture and design firm founded in 2012 by Jon Gentry and Aimée O'Carroll. It has completed a number of projects in the Seattle area, such as a winery designed to blend with natural surroundings and a remodelled office building.

Photography is by Aaron Leitz.

Project Credits:

Project team: Jon Gentry, Aimée O'Carroll, Ben Kruse, Yuchen Qiu
Structural engineering: J Welch Engineering
Builder: Sparrow Woodworks