Contract Magazine - October 2019 - 61

Location New York

Founded 2017

Typologies

Goodrich Studio focuses
primarily on hospitality
projects. Shown here are
renderings for the reception
area (opposite page: top) and
hotel room (this page) for the
Standard International,
Maldives. The studio also
designs custom product and
furniture designs such as this
wall sconce and banquette for
Kimpton (opposite page:
below).
All photos courtesy Goodrich
Studio.

Since founding Goodrich Studio in 2017, Matthew Goodrich has quickly grown
a multidisciplinary team. His staff of 14 includes interior designers, architects,
graphic designers, and an industrial designer who develop custom furniture
and lighting for their projects. The firm currently focuses primarily on hospitality
projects but seeks out clients who are expanding the boundaries of the category.
They have been designing hotels with Kimpton and West Elm, two restaurant
projects for Danny Meyer and the Union Square Hospitality Group, resorts for
The Surf Lodge and Standard International, brand work for Marriott, a national
prototype for Cava, and premium spaces for a large arena project in New York.
For their own workspace, Goodrich and his team created a studio
that brings two scales of design under one roof. Drawing on their rich experience
creating highly creative, hand-made restaurants and hotels for entrepreneurs
, but also on their extensive experience working with some of the biggest global
brands (Goodrich, for example, was previously Chief Creative Officer at AvroKO,
and before that, a designer at the Rockwell Group). The firm aims to make great
design accessible, and they are currently working on a mix of boutique singlelocation projects alongside projects that will scale nationally or globally. "This
allows us to bring high-quality, creative design to projects that scale, and to share
our strategic understanding of trends and evolving behavior with our smaller
clients," says Matthew Goodrich.
The studio's design process is grounded in empathy and fueled
by curiosity, and the firm creates enduring spaces that nurture people and foster
human connection. "We research the meta context of each project carefully

to uncover hidden histories and cultural resonance, building a design language
from this material," explains Goodrich. "We listen closely to our clients, transforming
their aspirations and business goals into interiors that function seamlessly
and provide great guest experiences. Above all, we hope to infuse meaning into
the spaces we create." They also approach the design process with an open mind,
thinking of each project as a puzzle to solve. "We synthesize our client's goals
with the inspiration from the project's context to arrive at the design, rather than
imposing our own aesthetic point of view," he says. The end result is that each
space they design should have a unique design language that embodies the client's
aspiration and responds to the community that surrounds it. "We would love to
look back at ten years of work and see enormous variety in what we have designed."
According to Goodrich, New York is a fantastic place to establish a design
practice, especially being surrounded by other great design firms, restauranteurs,
creators, and visionaries who inspire him and his team every day. But it's also the
support they get from other firms in the design community. "We've gotten great
advice and support from other firms, especially our great colleagues at Dutch East
Design, Parts & Labor, Home Studios, Curioso, and Patrick Thompson Design,"
Goodrich says. "At the outset, our intention was to work only with people we
admired on projects that would have a big impact on their communities, and we've
exceeded even our wildest expectations." Support also comes from working with
great clients, too: "They've felt our passion and trusted us with big projects,
which has allowed us to grow steadily."

contract

Contract Magazine - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - October 2019