The Binion Retreat is a personal retreat from the art world. Now in his seventh decade, McArthur Binion would like to reclaim some of his Detroit history.
Tasked with designing and constructing a home that overlooks the Modern Ancient Brown residency studio on a shared site, Partners’ Design Build proposed a unique home catered to the pattern of living inherent to the client.
The retreat is a 2400 sf private residence with a generous first-floor work studio equipped with a powder room, mudroom, and storage. The first floor is a simple architectural expression that foregrounds the artist’s ideal working conditions - with twelve-foot-high exposed ceilings designed to accommodate his wide-ranging physical scale of active work.
The balcony provides an intimate outdoor space of repose for the artist.
Moving upstairs, the corner is filled with light as it overlooks his private garden. An open second floor plan, reminiscent of McArthur’s New York studios, brings fluidity between the closet, wet room, kitchen, and living/sleeping quarters of the residence.
Notable architectural details developed for the home include a curved art wall nook, a state-of-the-art kitchen, custom millwork throughout, and a moveable dining table that retracts from the kitchen island for hosting occasional dinner parties.
