Tacos & Tequilas: Lawrenceville, the first new-build location for the brand, successfully blends an authentic Latin vernacular with crisp modern simplicity. The owners, Latin American natives who immigrated to Atlanta to start their business, took this opportunity to create their dream restaurant not beholden to any of the limitations that come with inheriting a second-generation space. Office of Design started with an empty lot and created this contemporary, lush destination with flexible indoor/outdoor spaces, natural material warmth, ample plant-life, and an iconic, floating terracotta breezeblock façade.

Coatly Bath & Groom is a dog grooming shop is intended to be the first of many for this brand. With plans to expand to more locations in the next few years, the clients needed to create an affordable, easily replicable, and memorable space for their first location. We were tasked with transforming an old and narrow 1,300 SF existing retail space into a budget-friendly architype location.

The design concept is tied to the brand goals for the grooming business. The business is seeking to build awareness for the brand, differentiate itself from other groomers and to motivate customers to return. Building upon these components, we sought to create a space that felt punchy, bright, clean, and boutique.

To create a memorable space, we first focused on accentuating the vivid colors of the brand. Using navy and white for much of the space allowed us to lean into the more impactful oranges and greens to highlight areas of importance like merchandise displays and signage.

We wanted to make the space feel more boutique and high-end despite the limited budget. To do this, we leaned into the use of luxurious curved forms throughout. The merchandising display is quite minimal and simple in design but is surrounded by curved punches of colorful paint. The desk, the arched entry to the back of house components, the penny tile accents, and the lighting fixtures all lean into the curved motif.

Large windows flank the public side of the grooming room, allowing customers to observe their pets and the handiwork of the groomers and making the small lobby feel more spacious. The messier parts of the program are tucked away at the back entrance, allowing employees their own direct access to the space and hiding the less visually appealing parts of grooming from the clients.

“Elliott's Restaurant celebrates the traditional flavors of Southern food while providing modern twists on classic dishes that will make any meal an unforgettable experience.” - Elliott’s

When tasked with designing their restaurant and market, Office of Design wanted to create a space that felt timeless and rooted in Southern motifs while also adding modern twists that reflect the goals of the restaurant’s cuisine.

The result is an airy, warm, yet elegant space perfect for a cozy, and comfortable dining experience.

2023 AIA Atlanta Residential & Hospitality Design Merit Award winner in the Restaurant - Renovation/Tenant Build-out category

Office of Design worked with the Thrive Coworking team to develop the interior finishes and FF&E for this project. Located in Greenville, SC, this office space needed to embrace the fun and funky branding and feeling of the typical Thrive office space while also highlighting regional themes associated with Greenville. Furniture was designed with Collective DRG.

Gusto! is an established fast-casual restaurant brand constantly growing and expanding. Their Decatur location needed to incorporate the Gusto! brand identity while also embracing the vibrancy for which the city is known. The result is an airy space full of personality and splashes of color. Emphasis was placed on providing a variety of seating options despite the somewhat limited square footage available. The space is designed to easily accommodate single diners or large groups. Special attention was paid to the patio space, which can be joined with the interior dining space by opening a large glass overhead door.

Webb Bridge Crossing is an apartment community located in Alpharetta, GA. Their clubhouse space had not been updated in over a decade prior to enlisting Office of Design to assist with their renovation. The design team came up with a solution that gutted the existing space to create a clean, timeless, updated, and a more open club house for apartment residents. The space is designed to perform multiple functions. It is used as an office for the apartment staff, for events, and in conjunction with the adjacent pool. Residents can use the lounge area or large, custom designed community table to work remotely or to gather with friends.

In addition to redesigning the space, Office of Design selected, ordered and coordinated the installation of all the furniture and fixtures.

This historic hotel property from 1925 was purchased by the City of Elberton with hopes of developing a viable downtown mixed use project to benefit the City. The project includes 25 newly created hotel rooms as well as ground level restaurant space with banquet hall. The original historic details of this hotel will be preserved as part of the history of the City’s heritage.

2018 AIA Georgia Merit Award winner

2019 IIDA Best of the Best winner in the Play: Best of Hospitality category

PROJECT SIZE:
Chapel – 7,200 SF
Offices – 15,450 SF

PROJECT TYPE: Adaptive reuse

The Sycamore Chapel is a church and schoolhouse structure built in the 1890’s in downtown, Decatur, Georgia. Once it started facing some major repairs, it was sold to its neighbors and real estate law firm, Williams Teusink. The main goal of the renovation was to revitalize the existing Chapel for use as a future event venue and to convert the existing, former schoolhouse building, attached by a covered walkway, into offices. Williams Teusink would occupy the top floor of offices and the other 2 floors would be rentable office tenant spaces.

We were tasked with making every floor of the future offices accessible via a new elevator tower. In doing so, the Office of Design was able to create an addition to the building that feels natural and respectful to the existing structure while also standing apart as a new, modern addition.

It was also important that we maintained the historical integrity of the building. To meet historic renovation requirements designated by the city of Decatur, we had to keep the existing infrastructure intact as much as possible. This included keeping the double loaded corridor in the future office building as well as maintaining the existing windows, doors, and lighting. We also had to select materials and finishes that would be reminiscent of the era in which the building was constructed. To recall the existing checkered flooring and classic mosaic tiles original to the schoolhouse building we found modern materials evocative of these while also feeling fresh and new.

The Sparrow, owned by Atlanta local Mahjong Inc, is Midtown Atlanta’s modern Asian tavern serving up big flavors and unique drinks in a casual, contemporary setting. Drawing on influences from across Asia—and with a particular emphasis on Szechuan cooking techniques, ingredients, and presentation—the Sparrow combines traditional Eastern culinary elements with a lively and good-time atmosphere.

Sparrow is a term used to describe the playing of Mahjong. Office of Design wanted to incorporate Mahjong tiles into the space in a subtle, tasteful way as a nod to the name and to the Szechuan cuisine. We also wanted the space to be modern and efficient while also including nods to Chinese motifs. These motifs can be seen in the apothecary inspired host stand and in the red accents. The use of red is a nod to the color's association with good luck, happiness, and prosperity in Chinese culture.

Located in the Avondale Estates neighborhood of metro-Atlanta, Vietvana Phổ Noodle House is a restaurant dedicated to commemorating Sài Gòn and the culture of traditional Vietnamese meals.  Husband and wife owners, Dinh Tran and Khanh Dang, were already seasoned restaurant owners looking to expand their restaurant concept to multiple locations throughout the Atlanta metro area. In partnership with Vigor Branding, the design of the Avondale location is the first to incorporate rebranding strategies to modernize the restaurant and create standards for many more locations to follow.

This dining experience is all about the food and its integral relationship with Vietnamese culture and tradition. For this reason, the restaurant layout assigns the kitchen as the main focal point, allowing diners to observe the art of making phổ noodles and assembling bánh mì. A full-service bar serves as a continuation of the kitchen, boasting materials to recall the textures, colors, and materials of Sài Gòn architecture. These materials, in conjunction with curated environmental graphics, are repeated throughout the restaurant to invoke influences of Sài Gòn.

Mutation Brewing is located in Sandy Springs just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Office of Design helped them convert the site of 2 former restaurants into a full service brewery, tasting room, restaurant and speakeasy.

The lighting fixtures change to display the colors of the company’s logo as well as more neutral lighting. The fractal quality of the paint represents the chaotic act of transformation characterized by the brewery’s name and by the act of brewing itself. A speakeasy is accessible through a secret door designed to look like merchandise shelving.

Located in Atlanta’s historic Kirkwood neighborhood, this adaptive re-use, live/work Butcher and Bakery project gives new life to an existing 1920’s building in the heart of the neighborhood. The space nurtures the building’s history to create a unique and modern ode to the past. Vacant for years, this two-story brick building is now home to an interesting mix of retail and residential typologies. The clients, a husband and wife enterprise, wanted to feature her baked goods and his fresh butchered cuts of meat on the first floor, and have a second-floor space serve as their home.

Katz Law Office is located just outside of downtown Decatur, Georgia. Situated in an existing warehouse space, Katz Law wanted to create a new home office that was both welcoming, modern, and indicative of the existing building.

The warehouse came with existing, exposed brick walls and structure but was lacking in windows and access to daylight. By adding skylights, using a bright color palette, and retaining high, airy ceilings, Office of Design was able to embrace the existing building’s character while creating a more hospitable, bright environment.

Mutation Brewing is a new brewery concept located in Sandy Springs, Georgia. They came to Office of Design to convert an existing restaurant space into a new, fully outfitted brewery.

Mutation is defined as “the changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant…” similarly, the client was looking to create an environment that was as malleable and interactive as their brew creations.

By using color changing lighting fixtures and dynamic shapes, we designed a space that can easily go from day to night. We also created a hidden door that leads into a speak easy space.

This repeat client came to us wanting to expand their Vietnamese restaurant chain to a food hall environment. They wanted their space to have an authentic street stall aesthetic and to maximize every square inch to accommodate their complex menu.

This restaurant chain focuses heavily on bringing the streets of Sai Gon to America. We worked closely with the clients and a branding company to ensure the feel of the stall was authentic and had a unique street-food feel. The yellow-hued venetian plaster partitions and hand formed tile recall the heavy French Colonial influence seen in many of the streets of Vietnam. Conversely, we designed a modern custom wood-framed storefront system with integrated powder coated metal shelving to double as storage and as display for pho bowls. The base of the storefront system evokes a more traditional Vietnamese vernacular with the use of bamboo paneling and concrete-look counter-tops. Wood awnings cover each countertop area to invoke the feeling of being outdoors. The implementation of neon signage and wheat-paste applied custom designed travel posters were inspired directly by food stalls in Sai Gon and to help customers with wayfinding.

We wanted to ensure customers had a place to enjoy their food without leaving the stall. Though space is fairly limited in the food hall corridor, we designed two countertop areas that sit underneath wood awnings with warm, rope-light pendant fixtures. This creates an intimate space to eat while watching food being prepared, all in the midst of a bustling food hall.

Biggerstaff Brewing Company is an innovative concept that combines small plates, modern cuisine, coffee, and beer into one cohesively designed location.

Located in an old automotive shop, much of the existing shell has been preserved in honor of the building’s history and the roots of the surrounding neighborhood.

Biggerstaff is named after family who once owned a farm. To recall this history, curated pieces rooted to southern farmhouses is included throughout.

Biggerstaff is conveniently located just a hop, skip, and jump off of Atlanta’s renowned Beltline in the Edgewood, Atlanta neighborhood.

2023 AIA Atlanta Residential & Hospitality Design Merit Award winner in the Restaurant - Renovation/Tenant Build-out category

After assessing the condition of the existing 1950’s high school and extensive programming efforts, the facility was stripped to its concrete frame and designed to perfectly fit the needs of City Schools staff. The 25,000 sf office includes a training room, school board meeting spaces and an open volume created between first and second floor for greater communication between staff. Natural light is used as much as possible, with metal perforated screens on the southern exposure to protect the interior of the building.

Gusto! is an established fast-casual restaurant brand that is constantly growing and expanding. Their Chastain location needed to incorporate the Gusto! brand identity while also embracing the culture of the Chastain area. The result is a bright space that introduces new brand components such as brick and additional colors. The patio space can be joined with the interior dining space by opening a large glass overhead door, creating an almost outdoor experience while inside of the dining room.

A steadily increasing workload brought about the opportunity to grow the firm - and the office.

Office of Design headquarters was in need of renovation. Many hours of careful thought and discussion were given to determining program. Requirements included the immediate need for more workstations, space for a dedicated material library, a private conference room, and a formalized entry space to better receive unexpected visitors. Heavy priority was also placed on embracing the office’s affinity for raw building materials, custom fixtures, and a restrained color palette. Following an exhaustive series of collaborative design charrettes, the resultant scheme presents a bright, airy, and open plan for the design studio. Generously sized surfaces are configured to create spacious individual workstations, set apart from the private conference room by a centralized, steel-clad entry vestibule. The vestibule is conceived as a thickened threshold space, articulated by the tectonic assemblage of oversized sliding steel partitions and fixed perforated panels, challenging expected notions of scale. The space is anchored by over scaled, custom milled, backlit steel signage centered on the axis of entry.

The renovation process was hands-on from start to finish. The vast majority of demolition, framing, and finishing was performed collectively by staff. Each member of the firm was then tasked with the design and construction of his or her own desk to meet personal requirements. Custom steel and perforated panels, as well as the steel angle and tube light fixture above the conference room table, were built by studio principal Danny England.

This farm-to-table pub and brewery wanted to bring a rustic, yet refined look to their future space. With this in mind, the material palette includes raw steel, exposed concrete block, and salvaged wood. Creating a division between brewery visitors and restaurant goers was an important element in the space planning, and is accomplished by a long, tufted banquette that also serves as a focal point for the design.

Gusto! Ponce is a fast casual restaurant located just blocks from Ponce City Market. Working with an established brand, we created a light filled space that is open and flexible. Transforming the existing restaurant’s exterior to a clean and modern facade allowed for a backdrop for a custom mural seen from the street.

This adaptive re-use renovation project converted a tire facility operating inside an existing gas station into a modern wheel and tire showroom. In addition to 12 expanded bays for service, a light filled showroom featuring concrete, steel and wood accents greet customers on the main level. A second level mezzanine office provides a private area to work, with service desks open to the main customer entrance. Through changing materials and signage scales the building façade addresses both State Highway 155 at the front well as Interstate 75 on the side.

This aggressive adaptive re-use and renovation project converts the historic headquarters of HJ Russell & Company into the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE), an in town business incubator located in historic Castleberry Hill. This 40,000 square foot facility was programmed and designed to be home to 200 members looking to establish themselves in the professional world. Intended to be a collaborative co-working space, RCIE was designed to comply with the latest LEED standards, and with ultimate spatial flexibility in mind. Meant to embrace the legacy of the H.J. Russell family, the palette is composed of exposed building materials and custom plaster elements, recalling Herman Russell’s humble beginning as a plasterer.

Looking to build upon the success of their first location, Stone Summit wanted to create the ultimate indoor climbing experience with larger and taller climbing walls. With a program to create a 60 foot climbing wall, bouldering area, kids climbing area, yoga / party rooms and a full service fitness room the existing abandoned Circuit City was skillfully and surgically repurposed. The design approach sculpted the existing structure allowing targeted diffused light to penetrate as much of the climbing arena as possible, layered and separated interior spaces using solid and translucent barriers, and developed a refined industrial aesthetic taking cue from climbing equipment using a mixture of steel, wood, glass, and shipping containers. Through this process Office of Design was able to deliver the ultimate destination for indoor rock climbers.

Ten townhomes make up this inviting haven right in the heart of the city. Distinctive exteriors in a crisp white painted brick are detailed in rich bronze and set off by the green of the community’s outdoor courtyard spaces for modern appeal that is at once fresh and timeless. Inside, masterfully designed and meticulously detailed home designs offer luxury in open plan layouts, impeccably appointed kitchens, private elevators and rooftop decks.