TZL 1282

BUSINESS NEWS ARCHITECTURE DESIGN COLLABORATIVE COMPLETES THREE UNIQUE RESTAURANTS International award-winning Architecture Design Collaborative designs three unique restaurants in The Gallery Food Hall, the Promenade’s Premier Dining Collective. The projects conceived new spaces celebrating both fare and culture of these eateries in this newly revitalized, neighborhood-serving food hall. Paperboy Pizza was designed to create an atmosphere that transports guests to a divey eatery off an urban street. The facade of the restaurant is a system of cold-rolled steel panels complemented with a rendition of the classic pizza restaurant red surrounding the entrance. Rustic concrete countertops and a warm live edge wood accent wall imitate the materials that one would see walking down a city block. Venetian plaster and rock band-

style graphics on the walls are used to mimic graffiti art-filled alleys. Adding to the retro vibe, bright pink tiles that spell out the restaurant’s name draw diners in. Iron Chef disciple Jeffrey Lunak’s Sumo Dog, known for bold Asian flavors and modern take on American classics, moved from Koreatown to 3rd Street Promenade and received an upgraded style in the process. The new restaurant showcases materials such as bamboo paneling, concrete countertops and a wood accent wall that replicates a traditional charred wood finish of the Shou-Sugi-Ban Japanese method. Graphic canvas banners add a cultural element to the façade that completes the minimal and elegant design. Inspired by K2 Restaurants’ mission to “bring together the whimsical, the curious and the obsessive,” Azulé Taqueria was envisaged as

a beachy taco shack on the coast of Mexico. Antiqued white Spanish tile, aged wood planks and an overhead thatch line the façade of this quaint eatery. The open kitchen floods the space with the scent of the fresh ingredients, helping diners work up an appetite for Azulé’s organic cuisine while snapping social pictures on a macramé swing against an immersive beach backdrop. Architecture Design Collaborative is a Top 25 architecture design firm. Architecture Design Collaborative’s philosophy of diverse design and collaborative nature has led to national and international recognition. Servicing clients nationwide offering multi-disciplinary architectural, planning and interior design services, Architecture Design Collaborative specializes in mixed-use, residential, retail, and commercial projects.

that the culture of distraction fostered by our tablets and smartphones undermines our real connection with people and events. Even the lowest standard of etiquette is violated by con- stantly checking our cell phone when we are having a con- versation. What we are communicating is that whatever may be happening on that little screen is more important than another living, breathing, speaking human being’s presence. Response-ability replaces a culture of distraction with a cul- ture of intention. ❚ ❚ Response-ability is ultimately an expression of our au- tonomy. One constantly recurring theme in the comments we hear from clients in our seminars, roundtables, and workshops is the feeling of being victims of circumstance. It’s understandable given the macro environment – economics, demographics, climate, and politics, to name just a few of the forces that are clearly beyond our control. But response-abil- ity means choosing how we handle these challenges and op- portunities. Choice is arguably the greatest of all the gifts of our existence. We can choose to help others for the sheer joy of helping, and choose to grow rather than stagnate; we can choose to be open rather than defensive and judgmental. It’s remarkable how in time we become creators of circumstance rather than its victims. The AEC firms that survive and thrive are those that exercise their response-ability in the deepest and most profound sense of the words. How will you choose to respond today and tomorrow? MELISSA SWANN is Zweig Group’s events manager. She can be reached at mswann@zweiggroup.com. “The AEC firms that survive and thrive are those that exercise their response-ability in the deepest and most profound sense of the words. How will you choose to respond today and tomorrow?”

MELISSA SWANN, from page 9

celebrates the stories of heroism in solving the unforeseen problem, going above and beyond in their efforts to delight their clients. However, it is also important to bear in mind that response- ability is not purely reactive. It embraces and demands pro- activity. Taking the initiative, anticipating issues, and staying ahead of the situation requires a predisposition for action. ❚ ❚ Response-ability is enhanced by mutual relationships. The old saw about the client saying “jump” and you asking “how high?” is not only demeaning but also harms the qual- ity of the relationship. Buyer/seller, dominant/submissive, master/servant, boss/subordinate, and other one-sided rela- tionship models destroy value because they undermine trust, the foundation upon which every successful project depends. Responsibility implies a mere obligation, but response-ability emphasizes deeper human connections. Relationships built on mutual respect allow a great AEC firm to balance pleasing clients and producing for clients, and there can be a subtle but important distinction between the two outcomes. We can’t neglect to acknowledge how our ability to respond has been impacted by those marvelous little digital devices – and because we carry them around with us all the time, re- sponsiveness is now not only instantaneous but also a 24/7 proposition. Is technology strengthening the quality of hu- man relationships on which our notion of response-ability is based? It’s debatable, and there is a growing body of evidence “We live and work in a world where our ability to respond effectively – responding to our clients, to our colleagues, to our family and friends, and even to our own deeper needs and aspirations – is being tested, threatened and blocked at every turn.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 4, 2019, ISSUE 1282

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