Boutique Design - March 2019 - 52

UP-AND-COMING DESIGNERS

GRAPPLING WITH: Cannabis retail stores. We

HAL'S BAR & GRILL, LOS ANGELES

recently conceptualized several in the Los Angeles
area. The design perspective is no different in
that we are still creating an experience that sells
a product. The challenge lies in what this kind of
retailer means for the city street, the neighborhood
and how to mitigate the developing regulations on
security, etc. How do we approach the integration
of legal cannabis products into the sociopolitical
fabric of our communities? And how do we design
these retailers to be spurs of economic growth while
providing protected and beautiful storefronts?
DEFINING CAREER MOMENT: In 2010, I was part

SHARPEST TOOL IN HER SHED: My background

in the restaurant industry. I have worked every
role of a restaurant since I was a teenager-from

GINNA CLAIRE NGUYEN
Director of Design
Relativity Architects

cashier to operations to accounting-and that
kind of knowledge has proven invaluable. Not only
does that help me design a truly functional back
of house, but it helps me understand the client's
and operator's needs and processes for success. It
sets the stage for in-depth discussion and decisionmaking as we take a concept, be it an oyster bar or
a timeshare resort, to reality.

Building up
my lighting design skills. Lighting
can have the biggest impact
on a space, and technology
is constantly producing new
systems and controls that are
valuable to keep up with.
ON THE TO-DO LIST:

size had changed due to some plan changes. I told the
client that we made a mistake and offered to pay for
the replacement banquette. The client appreciated
that we took responsibility for the error. Issues are
always going to occur on projects, and I feel it is
always best to be honest, work as a team and move
forward to find the best solutions.
WORST DAY ON THE JOB: A construction site
review where there was no air conditioning.
There was also the electrical location review in an
open construction site during a blizzard and the
hours spent on a hot, buggy, dirty container while
customs opened all of our boxes. Take your pick.

NATALIE SHEEDY

President
Sheedy/DeLaRosa Interiors

LONG BAY VILLAS ANGUILLA

PINCH-ME PROJECT: We received the Long

Bay Villas as well as Malliouhana, an Auberge
Resort, both in Anguilla, British West Indies, at
the same time. These luxury projects gave me the
opportunity to work in the Caribbean for the first
time, which had been on my bucket list.
52

boutiquedesign.com MARCH 2019

A few years ago,
we renovated The Granville Inn in Granville,
Ohio, near Denison University. The university
took on the renovation, and it felt like it was
a love letter to the community. We renovated
the historic inn top to bottom and added an
additional 14 guestrooms into the attic, an
elevator, and a bar and restaurant.

FAVORITE PROJECT THUS FAR:

WORK IN PROGRESS: Inn by the Sea, Cape
Elizabeth, Maine; Hyatt Place, Portsmouth, New
Hampshire; Sheraton, Madison, Wisconsin.
BEST LESSON: Own it. I once checked a shop drawing
of a banquette that matched the specification, but the

R AC H E L J AC O B S O N ( N G U Y E N ) ; G I N N A C L A I R E N G U Y E N ( H A L' S B A R & G R I L L ) ;
S T U D I O 6 . 2 3 ( S H E E DY ) ; P I N K M A KO ( L O N G B AY V I L L A S )

of a design team that won the Sukkah City NYC
Competition. We built a parametrically-designed
pavilion in Union Square out of cedar and copper.
I hosted a traditional Japanese tea ceremony
(which I study) inside our pavilion. Architecture
critic Paul Goldberger, one of the jurors, saw and
commented on how appropriate the ceremony was
for this Sukkah. When I heard that, I knew I was on
the right path. I knew that I had found the vocation
that was true to who I am and to my talents.

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - March 2019

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