Boutique Design - November 2019 - 96

THE TIMES SQUARE EDITION

DESIGN DIRECTOR, YABU PUSHELBERG

HOW DID YOU LAND A JOB AT YABU
PUSHELBERG (YP)?

The design college I attended required that students
intern with a local firm for one day a week during
their last semester. I wasn't incredibly well versed in
the industry at that time, so I looked through the
Yellow Pages of the phone book for design firms. I
randomly selected three. My dean then recommended that I interview at Yabu Pushelberg. A few
months later they hired me on full time.
WHY HAVE YOU STAYED FOR 22 YEARS?

As soon as I got here, I remember thinking that I
love it. I recognized early on that YP never stands
still, never falls back on previous design iterations.
We are in a constant state of evolution. This may
sound like a nightmare to someone who loves repetition, but everyone who gravitates to YP likes a
challenge. Twenty-two years is a long time to stay
at one firm and, over that time, I've lived every iteration of a design role here, from intern to design
director. Staying at a firm this long may sound
crazy, but the crazier thing is that I am not the only
one here who has reached this kind of milestone.
We've celebrated a number of 20-year anniversaries
already and have three more in the coming year.
That says something about this place, doesn't it?
WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE, HOW DO YOU DEFINE
GOOD DESIGN?

Ultimately, we design to impact people on an
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emotional level, to create immersive environments.
The biggest reward is when a space you've created
leaves a lasting impression on those who experience it. Before we even touch design, we think
about the overarching purpose of the project; who
is it for and how do we create a sense of place that
responds to the location, the way people live today
and into tomorrow? It's impossible to please
everyone, and it would be folly to approach the
design of a hotel trying to tick off a laundry list of
wants. But we can look at people and culture to
think about how we design the most suitable
project for the clients' wants and needs. Good
design considers all components of an experience.
From the overall mood of a space to the furniture
you sit on, to the wine glass you sip from, to the
Instagram account that lured you there in the first
place. No detail is too small. Quite frankly, the
details are where the magic happens.
WHICH AREAS OF HOTELS WILL CHANGE MOST
DRAMATICALLY?

All areas of a hotel are up for grabs in one way or
another. But business centers really need to go! I
can't tell you how many brands still think this
model is relevant. But, who works at a desk in a
cubby anymore? There are other obvious shifts to
be made based on the duality of use: a lobby acting
as a cocktail lounge plus breakfast space. A private
dining room may double as a tasting room or a
chef 's table in a kitchen. Beyond function, the
brands are stretching themselves to allow for
curated experiences; creating a new, unconventional framework that can stand out from the
crowd. Young brands like Moxy are exciting to work

with because they are actively looking to break the
molds of the standard hospitality brief.
WHAT WAS YOUR PINCH-ME MOMENT?

The James Beard Association calling to tell me that
the firm had won the 1998 Outstanding Restaurant
Design award for Monsoon in Toronto. It was the
firm's first James Beard Award and the first project
on which I was lead designer at YP.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT CLIENT.

The best clients are those who are open to pushing
the boundaries. When we think outside the box, we
push ourselves to think deeper and creatively
problem solve. A few years ago, we were approached
to design a resort property in Las Vegas. What made
this project exciting was that the developer was
looking for the antithesis of a Las Vegas hotel. No
glitz, no glamour, no in your face. It was exciting to
reconceptualize the new level of luxury and experience we could cultivate for Las Vegas.
NOW GIVE US A PROFILE OF THE WORST.

My least favorable experience is with a client who
comes to us to reproduce existing work. Occasionally,
a client treats our former projects as a catalogue and
wants to cherry pick details from here and a design
solution from there. Our challenge primarily then is
about educating the client on the value of our ability
to think through and produce design solutions
tailored specifically to their particular project. That is
really what we think we're best at: creating unique
solutions for unique experiences-no matter the
outlook of a client. YP is always ready and eager to
design the world we, and our clients, want to live in.

C O U R T E S Y O F YA B U P U S H E L B E R G ( M AC D O N A L D ) ; N I KO L A S KO E N I G ( E D I T I O N )

MARCIA MACDONALD

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - November 2019

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