Priorities
- Create a dining experience that is both down-to-earth and sophisticated
- Highlight local artists and craftspeople
- Use durable, sustainable materials
Solutions
The building that houses this restaurant — a 1912 warehouse that contains offices above and restaurant space below — won a Remodeling Design Awards Grand Award in 2010. The latest remodel is LEED Gold-certified, and the designers have applied for LEED Commercial Interiors Platinum certification as well. Green features include: passive cooling, daylighting, recycled and reclaimed materials, pervious pavers, and on-site agriculture.
To give the long, tall warehouse space a warmer, more intimate feel, the design team created a wooden “hull” of thin strips of reclaimed whisky barrel oak, the texture of which contrasts with the room’s concrete surfaces.
Just as the food at the restaurant is locally sourced, the owner wanted to add custom touches to the project by involving local artists. The architect worked with this expanded design team during the collaborative design/build process. They included the concrete fabricator (Mark Rogero), woodworker (Dan Pelsinger), cabinetmaker (John Fischer), metal artisan (Chris French), and glass sculptor (Nicholas Weinstein). Outside, the original parking lot was made into an outdoor dining courtyard and a garden where the chefs grow their herbs.
Judges’ comments
Praising the lighting and furniture in this project, the judges particularly liked how integral the furniture feels to the design. —Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.
Spec List
Bathroom plumbing fittings: American Standard
Bathroom sink: Concrete Works
Countertops: Concrete Works
Flooring: Concrete Works
Hardware: Schlage; C.R. Laurence; Dorma
HVAC: CaptiveAire; Day & Night
Paints/stains: Benjamin Moore
Siding: VM Zinc
Skylights: Skylight & Sun
Toilets: Toto