Dining Room & Servery Renovation

This project completely reimagines the arrival, servery, and dining experience by transforming a once-congested, inward-facing cafeteria into an open and intuitive hospitality environment. The existing servery was closed off from the dining room and disconnected from both natural light and the adjacent riverside setting, creating bottlenecks and limiting the overall guest experience.

The new design establishes a clear visual and physical connection between food service and the surrounding landscape, opening the servery to expansive glazing and views of the river. Circulation has been reorganized to create a more natural progression through the space, allowing guests to move fluidly between food stations, reach-in beverage coolers, and an enlarged salad bar without the congestion of the previous layout.

Anchoring the entry sequence, a new Starbucks café introduces an activated threshold to the dining space, enhancing the sense of arrival while strategically encouraging additional purchases as patrons exit the servery. The result is a light-filled, experience-driven environment that improves workflow for food service operations while creating a more engaging, comfortable, and memorable dining experience for users.

Completed

2018

Size

15,000 SF

Our team provided the complete design for the dining room, servery, and food service line, seamlessly integrating these new public-facing spaces with the existing back-of-house kitchen operations. The design balances operational efficiency with an enhanced guest experience, creating a cohesive environment that supports both food service staff and daily building occupants.

The dining environment draws inspiration from the adjacent river, translating the movement and character of water into a cohesive biophilic design expression. Suspended acoustic ceiling blades undulate across the space, creating a sweeping overhead form that evokes the rhythm of waves while establishing a strong visual identity for the dining hall. Beyond their sculptural presence, the ceiling elements provide critical sound absorption, improving acoustic comfort within the active dining environment.

This connection to nature continues underfoot, where the carpet pattern recalls the textures and flow of a riverbed. Together, the ceiling and flooring create a continuous, flowing gesture that guides occupants through the space while reinforcing the project’s relationship to its riverside setting. The integration of natural forms, daylight, and high-performance materials fosters a dining experience that is both calming and dynamic, demonstrating how biophilic design can enhance aesthetics, functionality, and occupant well-being.

Our design team curated and selected all furnishings throughout the dining environment, creating a flexible, hospitality-inspired setting that accommodates a variety of dining preferences and user needs. A mix of high- and low-height seating supports everything from individual meals and casual collaboration to larger group gatherings, offering choice while encouraging a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere.

Functionality was a key driver in the furniture selection. Tables were specified with flip-top mechanisms and locking casters, allowing them to be easily reconfigured, nested for storage, and moved by staff of varying physical abilities. This emphasis on adaptability enables the dining space to efficiently support daily operations as well as special events, while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic that complements the overall architectural vision.