Month: September 2020

Location: Escazú, Costa Rica
Year: 2019
Area:  38m2
Photographer: Andrés Garcia Lachner

Sencha Tea Bar is a shop in Avenida Escazú, one of San José’s busiest shopping/corporate centers. The wide variety of dining and retail options make it a popular destination among visitors and locals alike. The strategy is a brand redesign for Sencha Tea, rejuvenating and bringing it closer to the final user, not just in the architectural style which is more colorful and modern but also in their value proposition, expanding the line of products to offer prepared beverages. 

The shop is located on the ground floor of the shopping center and faces an open plaza. It sits next to the lobby area for corporate offices on one side and has a passageway to the parking lot on the other. Although most of the clientele is usually pedestrian, the shop can easily be seen from the project’s main road. 

The store is made up of a Tea Bar in the front and a product display area in the back. In this way clients can order their favorite tea drinks as well as purchase the products with which the drinks are made. It also has an outdoor seating area and a neon-lit selfie station. 

The material palette is based on the existing scheme used in previous Sencha Tea shops. It combines white metal, wood, concrete and steel mesh. Emphasis is given to areas of interest such as the bar and selfie station using led and neon lights to give it a playful and colorful touch.

Location: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Project Year: 2019
Area:  77m2
Photographer: Andrés Garcia Lachner

CHIMPA is a boutique furniture and decoration store located in Lindora, Costa Rica. It’s designs focus on re-using and re-imagining materials and objects to create unique pieces, whilst maintaining a low carbon footprint.
It is located on the north-east corner of the Plaza Futura commercial center and is accessed through an internal green plaza, offering exterior views on all two of its facades.
Because CHIMPA is a furniture, lighting fixtures and decoration store, it is important to create an atmosphere where different set pieces can be exhibited whilst maintaining a sense of harmony. A metallic grid is installed in the ceiling as a structural element from which lamps and hanging pots can be hung. Furniture and decorations are positioned to create small ambiances and allow clients to navigate the store freely.  
The material palette consists of polished concrete tiles, glass, white painted metal and white-painted, lacquered wood for the counter area. It also combines several furniture pieces with different fabric tones and macramé.

Location: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Project Year: 2019
Area:  253m2
Photographer: Andrés Garcia Lachner

BULALI is a restaurant and bakery located in Lindora, Costa Rica. The area is known for its sprawling residential developments, corporate centers and a diverse gastronomic scene. 

It is located on the north-west corner of the Plaza Futura commercial center. The front and lateral facades face a main road and a pedestrian walkway respectively. The posterior facade faces an internal green plaza, giving the project exterior views from all sides. 

BULALI’s brand concept unites dining, bakery and co-working. As such, the project consists of 3 separate areas that complement each other: restaurant/bakery, product display and shopping, and dining/working. The kitchen/bakery area is situated in the northern sector of the locale, with the bar and ordering desk facing towards the product display zone. Tables and seating are laid out in the terrace and in the interior facing towards a large window pane that gives clients a peek as to how the bakery operates. The south-east corner of the locale is used as a co-working area or a meeting room. 

The material palette borrows from an existing BULALI and adds new features. It mixes exposed concrete, colored tiles and wood with metal, glass and tan bricks. Brand identity is also strengthened through murals, decoration and lighting, giving BULALI it’s unique feel.