Ingenium Design Group
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story by Lori Sichtermann
“We create the unexpected,” says Andrea Raimondi, president of Calgary-based Ingenium Design Group. “Everything we do has an element of surprise to it. We push the envelope.”
One of the finer examples of envelope-pushing for Ingenium Design Group—which provides custom interiors for multi-unit homes, hospitality, retail, private and commercial spaces—is an Amsterdam-based client’s Calgary penthouse.
“The penthouse project was really complex due to the level of detailing it required,” Raimondi says. “It was perfect for us, in that we like our designs to be as unique and diverse as our clientele.”
For the Calgary penthouse project, the diversity of the project included a 7,000-square-foot floor plan and a minimalist design approach. “Because the design of the entire penthouse is stark and austere, every design element—from the furniture, to the draperies to the wall treatments—had to be purposeful,” Raimondi explains. “If one piece was too busy, or did not harmonize well with the overall concept of the home, it would really stand out and alter the fluidity of the space.”
To maximize elegance with a minimalist approach, Raimondi and the Ingenium design team utilized coil drapery to add colour and texture, European glass inserts for chic highlights and stainless steel detailing for a modernist, almost industrial, flair. “We also used strong colours to add vibrancy in crucial areas of the home,” Raimondi says.
As she explains, the penthouse kitchen features bright orange highlights amid more tempered finishes of glass and stainless steel. Yellow and blue accents were used in a similar way throughout the home, in the form of custom-made, European tile mosaics, lush floor coverings or original pieces of artwork. These carefully selected highlights provide the perfect balance between colour infusion and stark minimalism.
Innovative technology within the penthouse makes the home a model of luxury high-rise living. According to Raimondi, large sections of windows allow for abundant natural light and endless views of surrounding Calgary. However, when the homeowner prefers to leave the city lights outside, motorized window treatments can be used throughout the penthouse. What’s more, the unit has the chameleon-esque ability to manipulate the lighting controls so that accent colours can evolve to any colour the owner desires. “All of the columns, base and wall panels have this ability,” Raimondi says.
With regard to lighting, the Ingenium team crafted a unique design that is elegantly implemented. “LED lighting is used at baseboard level throughout the home,” Raimondi says. “The lighting adds dual functionality as a design element and a necessary element for navigation throughout the home.”
While the technology in the penthouse design may be awe-inspiring, it was a bit tricky to implement from a design perspective. “Because of its location on the top floor, the mechanical systems needed to be behind a very flat ceiling,” Raimondi says. “We couldn’t have bulkheads weighing down the look of the room. Therefore, we had to be creative in how we discreetly placed the mechanicals.”
Yet there are many elements of the penthouse that are not tucked away. For example, a luxurious grand piano draws attention in the modern living room. The piano is placed in front of a calming water feature that separates the master suite and the living room area.
From stark white opulence to colour highlights that change on demand, the interior of Ingenium’s Calgary penthouse is a masterpiece in ingenuity, creativity and sophisticated simplicity. “Our avant garde take on projects and our creative nature makes us a successful design firm,” Raimondi says. “Having started in 2000, we’re a relatively young company. However, we have quite a bit of experience working on large-scale and complex projects. The complexity of our experience, and our drive toward creativity, put an interesting twist on project design. A lot of people come to us because our work is very different.”
