Reinventing a historic landmark firehouse in downtown Chicago into an elegant boutique hotel, reborn as the Phoenix Chi Hotel. Taking inspiration from Chi energy of yin-yang and the building’s roots, the design is a balance in opposites: fire and water, smoke and air, darkness and shimmer.
The three-fold project consisted of designing a flagship store, satellite store, and pop-up for a landscape design showroom. The objective was to create a space for designers, clients and contractors to be inspired by different garden environments, as well as a showroom for patio furniture. The design concept circulates around an egg in a nest, the egg form prominent in all three store designs, and the nest represented in the steel facade in an abstract “branch” pattern which envelops each store design. Design elements include a meandering "stream" flowing from the flagship store interior to a pool on the outdoor deck. The goal was to bring a cohesive design to all three stores to create a unique brand identity.
Task was to design a new concept for a luxurious hotel suite. Taking inspiration from the Northern California landscape, rich hues of deep blues & green along with warm wood were used to evoke the striking coast and towering redwood forests.
Project is to design an office building in San Francisco which houses the global headquarters of a Marketing & Advertising Company. Requirements were to provide a reception & lobby waiting area, private offices for Administration, Directors, and Human Resources, work areas for Finance, Marketing, Production, Creative departments, a game room, employee kitchen, and library. The central atrium lets light through the entire building. Curved walls, circular fixtures and bright colored furnishings create a modern and vibrant aesthetic.
The project is to design a retail shop + "third space" (community gathering space) in Uptown Oakland. The concept is a health + wellness boutique with yoga studio accessible from both a separate entrance at the rear of the building and through the main retail space. The overall design is a clean modern space which evokes the tranquility and serenity of the desired products and lifestyle of its patrons. At the center are two semi-circular counters for testing products, which create a "well," a place for nourishment. A dramatic glass globe chandelier hangs above the well to give the sense of water droplets raining from the 18' ceilings. The space is brightened with three circular skylights. The yoga studio is screened off from the retail space by a curved wall of bamboo plants. The sense nature and zen is further accentuated by a stream of river rocks that curve along the base of the cabinetry.
Project is to build a separate studio on a hillside lot adjacent to a principal residence. The purpose is to provide a quiet office space for a writer and a place to enjoy the views. The studio footprint is limited to 15' x 15' and must contain a kitchenette, W/C, and provide sleeping accommodations for two guests. Built into the hillside, the structure features a living roof, which can be viewed from the top of the lot as you descend the stairs to the studio entry. Floor-to-ceiling glazing on the South and West walls put the view at the forefront. Serving the primary function of the space, the desk is placed in the center of the room facing out to the view. A pull-out sofa bed can be used to sleep two guests. A wraparound deck provides additional space to enjoy the view. To complete the space is a wet room W/C & shower that is tiled wall-to-wall with glass mosaic tiles in seagreen and blue hues to echo the bay beyond.
