Turnkey & Bespoke

- Design Liaison (with RUFProject)
- Liasion with Macy's Design Team
- Internal Coordination with Samsung Construction / Ops Teams
- FF&E Specifications

This 1300 sq ft Samsung branded shop in shop, at Macy's Herald Square, is the first of its kind in North America.  The shop, which features a brand-new fixture package and the newest line of Samsung's flagship products, sits at the store's 7th Avenue and 34th St. entrance.

With only two months spent between design development and opening, Macy's noted that this shop held the fastest end-to-end development timeline in the store, at large.

The space, which is split into experience zones, encourages users to ride 4D virtual reality chairs, test out Samsung's newest handsets and watches, try the XBox One X on a 75" QLED TV, and have their devices troubleshot.

Production Credits:  Samsung Operations (Jordan Hawley, Matt Cox, Robert Frank, Thomas Stempfley, David Malinowski), IDX, Reiken Construction

- Co-designer (with Mick McConnell)
- Design Liaison (with KarlssonWilker)
- FF&E Specifications
- Bidding and Project Negotiation
- Budget Management
- Shop Drawing Review
- Site Supervision

Samsung sought to redefine the experience of device repair - departing from the typically frustrating hourlong, wait-times.  In partnership with shared office space giant, WeWork, the brand established three pop-up 'Care Centers' in Williamsburg, Detroit and Miami.

These centers serve as brick and mortar hubs for device troubleshooting, housed in spaces which actually improve your day, rather than disrupt it.  Each of the three locations is equipped with 3 to 5 pods; each an amplified version of a prototypical WeWork space - kitted out with Samsung technology.  While a device is being repaired, Samsung (or WeWork) users can enjoy video-conferencing, fully immersive gaming, private conferences, or web browsing - all on Samsung's newest suite of products.  

Production Credits: ICON, PMK

- Design Liaison between RUFProject and Samsung
- Construction Project Management
- Bidding and Project Negotiation
- Shop Drawing Review
- Site Supervision

With the launch of Samsung's iconic device, the Galaxy S8, the Retail Design Team was charged with developing an immersive retail takeover in the ground floor of the brand's New York City home, 837 Washington.

Leveraging the brand messaging of 'Unbox Your Phone,' the space was transformed by a series of infinity mirror podiums, full height infinity mirror displays - and a series of rear-projected scrims, featuring the whale + diver animations synonymous with the release.

Production Credits: Satis&fy

- Design Liaison between SuperMoreBetter and Samsung
- Construction Project Management
- Bidding and Project Negotiation
- Shop Drawing Review
- Site Supervision
- Installation

With the announcement of the Galaxy S8, Samsung's New York City home, 837 Washington, required a window design which highlighted the device's groundbreaking Infinity Screen.

SuperMoreBetter developed a scheme which delicately balanced digital and handmade, marrying a series of infinity mirror vitrines with large format, origami-filled windows.  Both elements spoke to the brand's 'Unbox Your Phone' campaign through differentiated visual metaphors.  

The use of hand-folded origami fish, butterflies and birds (hundreds!) served as a departure from the brand's window displays, which are customarily digitally manufactured.

Production Credits: Julie Henderson, SET Creative, R/GA

- Graphic Design / Mockup
- Project Management
- Bidding and Project Negotiation
- Site Supervision

Sprint's tenancy at the iconic Flatiron Building afforded Samsung the opportunity to make a grand statement announcing the launch of the Galaxy S8.  In less than a month, a visual takeover of the building's storefront was drawn up, produced and installed.

Production Credits: R/GA, The Bernard Group

- Co-Founder
- Brand and Identity Development with DIA
- Site Scouting
- Lease Review and Negotiation
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- FF&E Specifications
- International Sourcing + Logistics
- Millwork Development
- Permitting Assistance
- Landmarks Application Packages
- Construction Project Management
- Installations
- Site Supervision
- Grant Applications / TI Fund Coordination
- Project Closeouts
- Sales Outreach

Primary is a wellness-integrated shared office space set in Manhattan's Financial District.  The 25,000 square foot space features 65 turnkey offices, airy co-working accommodations, a six-hundred square foot fitness studio flanked by spa-like shower facilities, and a full-service espresso cafe.

* Photo credits Alex Walsh

- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- International Sourcing + Logistics
- Millwork Development
- Permitting (Alt I + Alt II)
- Landmarks Application Packages
- Construction Project Management
- Installations
- Site Supervision

This five-storey high, Madison Avenue townhouse serves as Kate Spade's first Flagship store.  The space is intended to act as an immersive shopping experience - showcasing the finest products the brand has to offer while acting as a lifestyle apartment for the ideal Kate Spade consumer.

The building was transformed from the inside out - with new infrastructural systems (HVAC, electrical, fire alarm, sprinkler) and a highly-detailed fit-out.  Customers are greeted by book-ended, 15' tall custom walnut screens, bespoke sputnik chandeliers and a new marble-clad grand staircase.  Each floor accommodates a different product category, culminating in the top-floor VIP and fitting room.

- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- FF&E Specifications
- International Sourcing + Logistics
- Millwork Development
- Permitting Assistance
- Construction Project Management
- Art Installation Coordination
- Landscaping Coordination
- Site Supervision
- Project Closeouts

Kate Spade chose Highland Village in Houston, Texas for their second Flagship location.  The 6,000 square foot store includes a new 65'-long storefront, suspended neon sculpture, a living green wall, bespoke retro-themed facade panels and a 20' wide circular chevron inlayed floor.  

This project was practically built from scratch, with the initial demolition having preserved only a portion of the roof and rear wall.  The grand scale of the newly-constructed, inflected storefront sits in contrast to the intimate spatial feel of the store's retail zones.  Colorfully lacquered millwork and brass art installations evoke a sense refinement and whimsy which are signature to the brand.

- Site Scouting
- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Liaison With Head Office
- Contract Bidding
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Construction Project Management

Aesop's Queen St. West collaboration with Toronto-based firm Superkul served as their first Canadian location.  
'The shop design was inspired by the historic juxtaposition of residential and manufacturing uses along the street, and the natural landscape of the former Garrison Creek ravine in adjacent Trinity Bellwoods Park.  The interior was stripped back to the original brick, forming a substrate for an installation comprised of layers of industrial felt and blackened steel. Crafted by artist Kathryn Walter, the felt alludes to Canada’s 17th-century commercial origins in the fur trade and the history of local textile manufacturing. Soft, warm and domestic, it provides a buffer against noise—and in its organic imperfection, an evocation of the greater Canadian landscape. In complement, the blackened steel elements reference local industrial history and the embedded streetcar tracks of the roadway just outside the door.'

* Narrative text by Superkul

- Site Scouting
- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Liaison With Head Office
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Construction Project Management
- Installation Assistance

Designed by San Francisco-based architect John Randolph, Aesop's second Portland location was an exciting, three-week design-build style project.  'Set between the Willamette River and a sylvan belt on its eastern edge, the space references both Portland’s natural surrounds and the history of Burnside Street as a crucial thoroughfare, particularly in the 19th century – for lumber heading to port, and for lumbermen heading to and from the town’s rowdy saloons. This legacy inspired extensive use of locally sourced timber in the store’s design.  The interior is clad entirely in Douglas Fir that has been charred using the traditional Japanese technique of ‘Shou-sugi-ban’, which not only confers a conspicuous silver-black patina but also fortifies against age, pests and elements. The product display wall references both the natural axis of Burnside and the sawtooth pitch of the logger’s steel saw blade.' 

* Narrative text by Aesop

- Architect Selection
- Site Scouting
- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Liaison With Head Office

Through extensive research, I was thrilled to discover the sophisticated work of Montreal-based architect Alain Carle.  Alain ultimately authored Aesop's first Quebec store in the Westmount neighborhood of Montreal. 

'[In the cultural identity of Montreal] the presence of water, always nearby, has been the main source of inspiration for designers. Upon entering the shop, visitors face a painted wall which evokes the presence of water - black and reflecting on an adjacent wall at specific times of day. A video installation, designed by Pascal Grandmaison, discreetly illuminates this simulated aquatic world. The wood floor recalls the trunks of trees floating on a dark river while the trunks of three birch trees remind the Quebec forest. A long brass sink also seems suspended in weightlessness. Above the cash counter, the Tripod of Serge Mouille lamp looks like an insect just emerged from a swamp.'

* Narrative text by Alain Carle

- Site Scouting
- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Liaison With Head Office
- Contract Bidding
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Construction Project Management
- Installation Assistance

Architect John Randolph's first Portland location 'conjures the hybrid spirit of traditional apothecary and general store. Portland’s historic shipping and logging industries are recognised through the textural repetition of hemp fibers – a material once used to fashion tents that housed Oregonian loggers and fishermen.

The restrained palette continues with a grid of taught ropes that form a delicate ceiling, implying an intimate scale to a tall volume of space. A thick layer of recycled and mulched newspaper applied to the ceiling absorbs sound to effect quietude, while a ring of kerosene-like LED lighting defines the sales area, conferring warmth to the monochromatic interior.'  The space proudly features reclaimed surgical lamps and a repurposed demonstration sink from the Oregon State Mental Institution - the film set for One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest.  

*Narrative text by Aesop

- Design Liaison With Head Office
- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Construction Project Management
- Installation Assistance

Designed by Brooks + Scarpa, '[This location] takes cues from the neighborhood culture and the empty bolts of fabric strewn about costume shops and fashion houses.  The environment consists of 6-inch round cardboard tubes to create walls and furniture. This natural palette is warm and inviting, projecting a soft glow to the store’s interior and onto the street and sidewalk. Countertops are made of recycled paper, complimenting the cardboard tube wall finish.' 

* Narrative text by Brooks + Scarpa
* Photo credits Art Gray

- Construction Lease Review
- Design Liaison With Head Office
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Permitting Assistance
- Landmarks Application Packages
- Construction Project Management
- Installations
- Site Supervision
- Project Closeouts

Designed by New York-based Architecture Outfit, Aesop's second Boston location was a delicate act of preservation.  During the course of construction, the patinaed and slightly blemished exterior walls of the former Colonial Drugstore were intentionally left untouched.  Wall ad ceiling surfaces about the nine-foot datum were smooth-plastered and a large skylight was installed, ultimately creating a pristine 'luminous crown' over an otherwise aged space. Millwork included delicately welded blackened steel armatures by Digifabshop and custom copper faucets.

- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Sourcing + Logistics
- Millwork Development
- Permitting Assistance
- Landmarks Application Packages
- Construction Project Management
- Installations
- Site Supervision
- Project Closeouts

WeWork Meatpacking spans three addresses in one of New York's most well-preserved historic neighborhoods.  The building's furnishings and finishes reference the industrial history and use of the building - clocks made from recycled gears, glazed brick and salvaged wood slats, exposed concrete, etc.  

During construction great efforts were taken in returning each building to their original lustre - including hand grinding and stripping away decades of old paint and rust from the brick perimeter walls.

- Construction Lease Review
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Permitting Assistance
- Construction Project Management
- Site Supervision


Having completed three New York locations and one in Los Angeles, WeWork set their sights further afield to San Francisco.  As the first in this market, 156 2nd Street was a full-building renovation.  The former bank featured a lofted, dual-story atrium space and plentiful exposed brick.

The designer, Devin Vermeulen, set to take advantage of interstitial spaces such as mezzanines and alcoves behind stairwells.  This location acts as a benchmark in the brand's design evolution - incorporating thoughtfully planned electrical conduit runs and a host of new, intimate, social spaces.

- Detailing
- Millwork Development
- Permitting Assistance
- Construction Project Management
- Site Supervision

'Living and working in under 500 square feet, the client had been pushing the limits of what his apartment, in its current configuration, would accommodate. Between his office needs, his many toys and quirky art pieces, the apartment was [crowded] and nothing had a place. [We were tasked with mitigating the existing clutter, while [defining] and [organizing] the functional spaces for cooking, cleaning, dressing and sleeping - lending some visual clarity to the environment.

A restrained minimal palette would help make the small home an inviting retreat from the city below. The solution was ultimately about exploiting every opportunity for storage, and then combining those spaces and the kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping loft into an intricately sculpted wood-paneled central service core. The space outside of the core area would remain as flexible as possible, and all surfaces and cabinetry would be finished in a high-gloss white to emphasize their adaptability. Millwork was installed over the entire east wall and concealed with no visible hardware. A walk-in closet was created by meticulous detailing of the sleeping loft to create the necessary clearance for [the client's]  6’-2” head-height. The end result is a highly efficient, flexible living space that reorganizes the modest floor plan to accommodate the space demands of both the client’s professional work and personal lifestyle. The finished apartment feels airy, open and personal.'

* Narrative text by JPDA

Architectural Design Credits: JPDA

- Site Scouting
- Design Development
- Construction Documentation
- Engineering Coordination
- Detailing
- Millwork Development

Located in the Docklands neighborhood of Dublin, the O2 (now known as the 3Arena) is a 14,500 seat capacity amphitheatre.  'The Point Depot, as the venue was originally known, was built by the Great Southern and Western Railway and started life as a Victorian warehouse and railway depot. The building was of great importance at the time due to its location at the meeting point of the North and East Walls (hence its name).'

Architecture firm JPDA was hired to create three unique branded experiences which embodied O2's (the venue's corporate sponsor) technological savvy and glitz.  Two of those elements - the concierge desk (canopied by a programmable LED mesh), and suspended wet bar with fiber optic chandeliers, are shown here.

* Narrative text by Joanne Armstrong

Architectural Design Credits: JPDA