Restaurant Renovation

Now is the best time to renovate. There are many vacant buildings to buy with less; the market's at the bottom of it getting ready to rise. People are still drawn to "nice" things if there is a choice.

A free-standing restaurant has so much potential. Of course there is a budget, and we will have to carefully plan strategies. What would be the most cost effective way to attract customers and provide a unique spatial experience. How would that compliment the culinary experience? What would be the motif and how should we convey it?

SungGoo Yang

One of big reasons why we keep this company blog site is to keep stimulating and challenging ourselves intellectually.

The 2009 recipients of New York Young Architects Award was announced in March. One of them is a young Korean architect in Boston. He seems to be a very creative and active designer, more like an artist than an engineer to me.

It's awesome to discover this gem, though. Just like any other field in the world, there is just a handful of designers and designing companies that lead the innovative edge, and the majority that are following. In other words, the entire architectural community is like endlessly communicating with each other. Some call for a new way to create a space; others respond to it with their design. Some of the new perspectives, ideas, motifs are incorporated, rejected, welcomed, and criticized. I am excited to see all this.

Colorful Colors

In the end, it's all about colors and lighting.

Just like a car, the life of a building depends on the health of its structure. The heart and the lung and the vein of a building is its HVAC system. Everybody knows it. And just like any living mechanism, regular checkups and maintenance are the key to its longevity.

Yet, when you actually experience the building, it's all about lighting and colors. They are not cosmetics of the building, since they are often integral part of the structure. How much natural light is available? What kind of artificial light is used. What color is the facade, interior walls, and the floor?

What color is your wall behind your computer?

Safety in Design

The first and foremost principle in designing buildings is to assure the safety.

Our lunch seminar -- eat and learn-- takes place in a free discussion format. Yesterday's topic is "how to eliminate the potential safety hazard factors when designing" a structure or a space.

Key to a successful AND safe construction project? Communication. Surprised?

Beauty of Design within Budget

Where does the beauty of design lie? What makes certain designs stand out?

It's probably subjective to each individual's taste and experience, but one thing in reality is budget. It won't be as hard to design something with limitless budget, but that's not possible. In the real world, we all have to work with a budget and a schedule. When there is a set of limitations, it's all about making decisions. You've got to pick and choose.

Last week, I was lucky enough to watch how our creative team came up with a design that's out-of-box and still within a budget. Gosh, that's the moment I really admire the capability of human creativity.

WOW

When I see an amazing building, I can't help myself but wonder. Who designed it? What inspired him or her? How many people contributed to its schematic design? Who did the construction design? Was it easy or hard? How many white nights were spent contemplating one line, one angle, or one side of that building? Who was the builder? How long did it take? How was the process? Were the workers proud or just busy getting the job done?

People say it takes a village to raise child. I say it takes a village to build a building. (But then, the child designs a new village.)

April Fool

On the first day of April, I am back to my office, trying to visualize the impossible, perfect scenario of a wonderful project. Meaning, a imaginative client with no financial restrictions asking us to build a picture perfect, eco-friendly office building. Of course, the reality is the opposite, more often than not. The client is always under a lot of financial stress, and the site has all sorts of challenges.

One thing that can narrow the gap between the ideal world and the real world is who your GC is. Because, more often than not, experienced veteran GC's foresee what lies ahead in the construction process and try to help the client go through that with less stress.

If you know a GC with that kind of calibar and that kind of heart, you are this close to a perfect, wonderful project, whatever that is.