Hospitality Design - March/April 2018 - 108

special feature designing duos

Andrew Cohen
and Jeremy Levitt
Cofounders
Parts and Labor Design, New York
How did you come to start your own firm?
Jeremy Levitt: We met while working together at AvroKO. We became

fast friends and were assigned to develop a few very cool projects together
within the first week of my working there. We had an instant flow. Most
importantly, we had a ton of fun designing together and, once we started
seeing our ideas come to fruition, it was incredibly fulfilling. Plus, we share
the same interests, drive, and work ethic, which contribute to the success of
our business.

The stylish Walnut Street Café in Philadelphia,
complete with brass and blue accents

Biggest obstacle of owning your own firm?
Andrew Cohen: When we first started [in 2011], we faced various points

of adversity from clients who attempted to push us around, recognizing the
youth of our firm. We learned that if we work hard and keep up our end of
the bargain, our results would prove that we should not be taken for granted.

started as a six-week flip turned into a six-month project where the client
essentially said, 'You're the designer, don't screw this up,' and left us to do
our thing. The autonomy was both a stressful and exciting challenge, as we
were clear about the level of attention [chef Matthew Lightner] would be
getting and, in turn, the restaurant's interior design. We put our blinders on
and just worked our asses off to create what we felt was right for the space,
for the chef and his culinary approach, and for us as designers.

Tell us about your design process.
JL: Andrew has a master's in architecture and has had experience working

in retail and hospitality-focused wood shops and leather studios, whereas
I studied industrial design and crafts and was trained mainly in furniture
and lighting design, with a minor in interiors and some abstract training
in architecture as well. The core of how we developed our company and
process was based around us designing together-splitting off for a bit while
he focuses more on the technical, architectural side of the process and I
focus on FF&E development. However, we try to work back to back on all of
it to maintain a distinctive aesthetic, shared vision, and holistic approach to
our designs.

A favorite project in your portfolio?
JL: It's hard to say which single project best showcases us. That said, if we

were forced to choose, the Grey [in Savannah] will always hold a special
place in our hearts. Yet, projects like Scampi [in New York] or the Thompson
Nashville express a clear direction that we've currently honed in on.

How do you overcome challenging projects?
JL: Scampi in New York had a few challenges. However, more interesting
was a construction conundrum we faced with the building's existing

108

March/April 2018 hospitalitydesign.com

Photos by ANDREA BEHRENDS and JONATHAN PILKINGTON and courtesy of PARTS AND LABOR DESIGN

Big break?
JL: Atera was definitely the project that put us on the map. What initially
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