Constellation Art Studios

The Constellation Studio Expansion added new studio, gallery, and teaching space to an existing printmaking facility in Lincoln, delivered as a tightly constrained infill build on a site adjacent to a working studio that stayed in use throughout construction.

The general contractor managed a project where the architecture left little margin for error in the field. Lot-line conditions eliminated openings on the side walls, so all natural light entered through a saw-tooth roof engineered to pull consistent north light deep into the studios. Exposed wood framing carried the geometry of that roofline through the interior, which made framing accuracy finish-level work rather than concealed structure and demanded precise layout and trade coordination from the framing crews forward. A perforated metal screen along the primary facade formed the building’s public face and required close sequencing between the structural, cladding, and finish trades.

Site logistics drove the schedule. The contractor staged materials and managed access on a confined lot with an occupied building next door, coordinating deliveries and work areas to keep the existing studio operational. A central courtyard carved between the existing and new volumes tied the two buildings together and set the sequence for site access throughout the build.