Enjoy this video of a recently designed indoor pool house and recreational area for a private homeowner in upstate New York.
commercial architect
Coming Soon to a Restaurant Near You
Remember when you used to spend your weekends trying new cuisine at your favorite spot in town? Or the avant-garde dining experience that you made reservations for 12 months in advance? Oh, the good old days! Well, before you know it that will be the “new normal” once again. However, not everything was bad in the name of dining during the pandemic. Restaurants found clever techniques to keep you interested, and the good thing is some of those techniques are here to stay.
Changes in the Post Pandemic Restaurant Experience:
- The modern restaurant should balance convenience and socialization. Pre-pandemic, the largest growth model for the industry was off-premise consumption. Due to the pandemic, off-premise growth continued exponentially. When the restaurant experience can neutralize again on-premise dining is sure to see a significant percentage return, but experts feel it may not reach pre-pandemic numbers.
- COVID-19 pivots are here to stay. Many restaurants were forced to pivot. This involved things such as social distancing barriers, smaller menus to turn larger profit margins, digital ordering, and 3rd party delivery/curbside opportunities. Most operators feel reduced menus and 3rd party delivery/curbside opportunities will remain for the foreseeable future.
- To-go drinks are a millennial must! As restaurants searched for creative ways to turn a profit during the pandemic, one tried and true opportunity was booze-to-go. Statistics have verified millennials love ordering to-go beverages in their small town or big city, including using their various delivery options. It was stated by millennials that they would be more apt to order from a restaurant that provided this opportunity. Only time will tell us if the local ordinances will continue to allow this service post pandemic.
- Comfort is king. With so many healthy opportunities for boxed food kits delivered to your doorstep, how are restaurants to compete? Offer comfort. Those who are health conscious often dive into cooking, so they are aware of the nutritional value and calories that are going into their meal. But even the best cooks need some down time. Restaurants have seen success offering the comfort food that we crave during our laying low winter weekends or staying in and watching a movie night.
In summary, dining is continually evolving and changing. Change after change, it will remain a reoccurring experience we crave. The staff at JL Architects love this experience just as much as anyone, so much so that we have a designated project team for designing such establishments. The next time you get the opportunity to try that new place or dine where you are known on a first name basis, keep us in mind. We would love to help those that serve you.
PS………When the pandemic comes to an end there is probably going to be an explosion of indoor and outdoor dining. I’d suggest making your reservations now!
Environmentally Friendly Multi-Family Fights Suburban Sprawl
In today’s environment, multifamily is one of the most active construction sectors. Moving out of urban centers to find space and affordable housing has become even more desirable during the current age of COVID, yet it is also often associated with the negative connotations of suburban sprawl. Our JL video above shares a recent case study of the developing ideas and approvals for a suburban multifamily site. With JL Architects’ help, what was thought to be a potential 60 apartment property turned into over 220 units. Located outside of Philadelphia, it is suburban without negatively impacting the environment and social fabric of the area.
We are proud of our teams vision, commitment and skill that will lead to a new, attractive, centrally located apartment development with great amenities and connectivity that will also be certified by a nationally recognized sustainability protocol, Green Globes or LEED.
New Household Products Respond in the Age of COVID
Our local Delta rep from Rich Tompkins Company recently introduced our JL team to new technologies that are becoming quite popular with homeowners and multi-family developers as we continue to navigate a new, cautious way of life during a global pandemic.
Delta® offers an array of solutions for multi-family, residential, and light commercial needs. Their Touch2O® Technology faucets are a convenient, innovative way to curb the spread of germs while washing your hands. Touch2O® Technology starts water flowing at the temperature your faucet is set to, with a simple tap anywhere on the spout or handle. You can even use the back of your hand or your elbow to start the water flow, thus eliminating the spread of germs from your fingers. The faucet features an LED display which provides a digital readout of the water temperature accompanied by a blue, magenta, or red background, so you know when it’s safe to reach your hands under the water flow.
Touch2O.xt ™ Technology is another smart solution for keeping the spread of germs at bay. Simply touch it on or go hands free. Touch20.xt ™ starts the water flow when hands get within four inches of the fixture and stops the water when hands are removed. The high-tech sensing capabilities of Touch2O.xt™ faucets allow the flow of water to be activated anywhere around the device, unlike traditional hands-free infrared sensors which require your hands be in a particular place and are sensitive to lighting conditions and clothing and skin color. Delta® also offers electronic soap dispensers with Touch2O.xt ™ Technology. This completely touchless solution is the perfect response to our current COVID climate.
In addition to the Touch2O® Technology, Voice IQ ™ pairs with your connected home device to give you exactly the amount of water you need with features like metered dispensing and custom container commands. It allows you to turn your faucet on and off using the voice commands “Ask Delta® to turn on” and “Ask Delta® to turn off”, thus eliminating the need to touch the faucet with dirty hands.
Good hygiene is more important than ever before and with new products and technologies, we can begin to adapt our everyday environments to make them safer and healthier. JL Architects can help design your multi-family space, while incorporating products like these to meet your needs.
Retail: What does the Post-Pandemic Future Hold?
In the beginning of 2020, physical retail had a challenging, yet somewhat promising outlook country wide. Consumer spending was at an all-time high. Then the pandemic struck and essentially crippled the industry.
As we slowly begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, landlords, tenants, lenders, community organizations, non-profits, and consumers are all working together to reopen American retailers and restaurants. While the pandemic was catastrophic, with long-lasting and permanent changes to our lives and habits, there have been some positive retail trends that we have seen emerge, shaping the future of tenant operations and shopping center designs:
- Better omnichanneling options while deploying enhanced digital and mobile platforms
- From giant retailers to smaller direct-to-consumer brands, the importance of offline experiences that leverage the technology and convenience of ecommerce will continue to be paramount.
- The companies that get it right will make sure every touchpoint is frictionless as digital consumers tend to be more demanding and impatient.
- Better store layouts with visual brand representation and a great brick-and-mortar store experience
- Successful stores have begun to offer MOPIS (mobile order pickup shelves) or BOPIS (buy online pick up in-store) counters just off the entrance.
- Additionally, offering curbside pickup and virtual payment options continue to cater to the digital consumer and increase in-person safety measures.
- Continuing to evolve to reopen American retailers and restaurants across the country and make the industry even stronger than it was before
- Touchless technology such as contactless payments, V/R fitting rooms, A/R cosmetic testing, etc. will provide a more interactive, personalized, and safe experience.
Other advancements to watch across the industry:
- Malls will be reimagined from multi-level boxes anchored by department stores to more enticing, smaller environments with a sense of community.
- The addition of outdoor dining, relaxing seating, inviting landscape design, and wayfinding improvements provide a welcoming destination for visitors to enjoy in addition to their shopping needs.
- Landlords and retailers are encouraged to reverse-engineer how they navigate their own online journey as well as their physical space to bring the ease and accessibility of ecommerce to brick-and-mortar.
- Conversion of empty commercial spaces into mini-fulfillment and logistics centers for supply chain management may require properties to be rezoned from commercial to industrial uses.
While COVID-19 has undoubtedly slowed the openings of new brick-and-mortar stores, offline experiences from previously online-only brands will continue to expand in 2021. Ultimately, consumers’ values, how they align with brands, and how they do or do not spend their money has changed. It is our job to meet those needs in order to bounce back and be successful post-pandemic.
2021: Predicting Trends in Restaurant Design
Do you miss having a meal at your favorite restaurant? I sure do! When we can confidently walk through the doors of our favorite dining spot, what changes will we see?
For restaurants to survive during the pandemic owners were forced to pivot, and designers were looked upon for quick solutions. Expect some of the quick solutions mentioned below to evolve into spectacular restaurant design trends in the new year.
Here is What to Expect:
- Customers will experience less contact. Dine-in locations during the pandemic are depending upon digital platforms to share the menu, offer specials, and provide contactless payment. These changes are expected to stay, allowing for cost savings (saved printing expense for menus & specials), allowing expedited payment, tracking of customer favorites, and greater access to a rewards program for reoccurring customers.
- Fast-casual restaurants will be smaller and more convenient. Typically, every 10 years food chains renovate their current design. They may be changes to interior finishes and lay-out, digitally enhanced experiences, or even a remodeled exterior. As a result of current pandemic conditions, some enhancements are being expedited, and some locations are even considering eliminating indoor seating all together, hoping to lead to a more efficient and cost-effective model.
- Platform based food hall design is expected to thrive while still evolving. The pandemic made it impossible for individuals to utilize dine in food halls. The successful food halls pivoted to a digital platform for take-out and delivery. Now, we can digitally order an egg roll as an appetizer, a pizza for dinner, and a cannoli for dessert. Watch for this design to expand post COVID, while continuing to evolve with our new purchasing and experience habits.
- Generation Z will be followed and targeted by corporate establishments. Corporate has noticed the massive popularity of TikTok. Dunkin Donuts has built an entire marketing campaign around one of the most followed TikTok accounts, with reportedly 84.8 million followers. Wow; that is lot of Dunkin and TikTok togetherness!
In summary the good news is dining out (and in!) is here to stay. The even better news is that next time you check out that new local restaurant or go where you are known on a first name basis, changes of comfort and convenience will be integrated into your experience.
If you are ready to start the design process of your dream restaurant (that you have finally decided to act on), contact us here at JL Architects. Our 30+ years of expertise in restaurant design can help your dream become a success.