CAMBRIA HOTEL SANTA CLARA

We are exciting to start construction in 2021 on our newest Cambria Hotel in Santa Clara, CA. Minutes away from some of the most innovative companies in the world, but also rich with local sports teams, university culture, and outdoor recreation activities, reasons abound for travelers to choose this vibrant new property as their ideal Bay Area accommodation.

The design was inspired by nearby Big Basin’s redwoods in California’s first National Park, dating from 1902. We aimed to capture the sense of awe and reverence of the world’s tallest trees, ambassadors from another time that leave an indelible mark on all who encounter them. While we have been deeply concerned by the impact of the recent California 2020 fires in the area, we are also heartened to learn of the continued resiliency of these redwood giants, many of which are in the process of recovery as another phase in the natural cycle.

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PRODUCTS WE LOVE: KEVIN BARRY FINE ART/FLEA MARKET

We have been deliberate about growing and cultivating our company culture. To stay on purpose, one key for us is to work and collaborate with like-minded people and companies. Our vendors are an important part of our collaborative process and are essential to us in finding innovative methods or materials to enhance the design story of each of our projects. Connecting a property to its surroundings and community is important at Cadiz Collaboration, and no detail is ever too small.

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INTERVIEW: BILL AND CATHERINE OF TERRAPIN BRIGHT GREEN ON BIOPHILIC DESIGN

The work of Bill Browning and Catie Ryan Balagtas of Terrapin Bright Green has long resonated with me. Bill is a founding partner of Terrapin Bright Green, which focuses on sustainable biophilic design solutions, and is a top innovator and strategist in the green building and real estate industry. Catie is the Director of Projects at Terrapin and for over 12 years has been concentrating on environmental and biophilic design, systems integration, strategic planning, and regenerative design.

I recently spoke with Bill and Catie to discuss their exciting new book launching September 2020, Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide, the history of Terrapin, and the evolution of biophilic design, which aims to connect nature to the modern built environment to satisfy our inherent human need for organic connections.

The work of Bill Browning and Catie Ryan Balagtas of Terrapin Bright Green has long resonated with me. Bill is a founding partner of Terrapin Bright Green, which focuses on sustainable biophilic design solutions, and is a top innovator and strategist in the green building and real estate industry. Catie is the Director of Projects at Terrapin and for over 12 years has been concentrating on environmental and biophilic design, systems integration, strategic planning, and regenerative design.

I recently spoke with Bill and Catie to discuss their exciting new book launching September 2020, Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide, the history of Terrapin, and the evolution of biophilic design, which aims to connect nature to the modern built environment to satisfy our inherent human need for organic connections.

Lorraine Francis:  Thank you both so much for speaking with me today. As a bit of background for our readers, how many years has Terrapin Bright Green been in existence?

Bill Browning: Since August 2006. I had left Rocky Mountain Institute in 2004, where I had started a group called Green Development Services, then left to be a real estate developer and the Director of Design for a new project in Virginia. And we had a team that completed the design and got all the approvals in place and had the project financed. We were beginning construction when the two families that owned the project went through spectacular divorces, so I went back into consulting. Two friends of mine, architects Rick Cook and Bob Fox, had formed a new firm Cook+ Fox to design the Bank of America Tower in New York and they were getting a lot of requests to do green building consulting. They didn't really have the bandwidth to do it and decided to reach out to me and see if we could partner and create a new entity to do that consulting. So in August of 2006 we launched Terrapin Bright Green.

LF: We have spoken on quite a few panels on our mutual passion, Biophilic Design, and now you and Catie have just released your new book; “Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide.” What led you two to write a comprehensive book on biophilic design?

Catie Ryan Balagtas:  We had written other publications in the past The Economics of Biophilia and The 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design being the best known of them. And we had been receiving requests over time wondering when we would be writing an actual book. We were fortunate  that RIBA Publishing came to us with this book idea and asked us if we or someone we knew would be interested in writing a book about biophilic design for interiors. So we contemplated it for a while and decided this is something that we wanted to do. We also recognized there was a need for it. There have been a lot of books about theory and practice at a high level and there are case studies out there as well, but nothing that really put it into an applied design perspective. Our emphasis in the book was to bring it down to a really practical level. How can you bring biophilic design into your existing design practice? So we're not introducing a new process, we are adding a biophilic lens to assist with guiding design decisions. It gives designers a newly informed perspective based on health and well being in nature.  

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THE FUTURE OF OUTDOOR PUBLIC GATHERING SPACES

The effects of COVID-19 on our world at large are still being accounted for and may have ramifications and untold ripple effects for years to come. This far-reaching pandemic marks the first time in recent history that all countries and their citizens are experiencing a challenge together on a global scale. Although reactions and policies have varied widely, one shared result has been a renewed focus on the importance of communal green spaces and outdoor activities.

Current innovations and future urban planning seek to address a variety of emerging human needs. Whether a quick fix like taping off selected benches in a public park or advanced solutions engineering new multi-functional civic areas, city planners and landscape architects are hard at work adapting to our changing environment. From the desire to experience culture, the drive to maintain mental and physical health, and the yearning to connect with nature, now is an unprecedented time to devise new ways of connecting safely.

In this five part essay we’ll examine emerging trends in outdoor performance events, pedestrianization initiatives, landscaping trends, civic considerations and permanent vs. temporary changes in our exterior public environments.

EVOLVING OUTDOOR EVENTS

Live performance has been particularly hard-hit by the novel coronavirus. The prospect of large indoor gatherings reconvening will remain uncertain for some time. Theater, dance, cinema, and concerts have been shuttered around the globe and artists and promoters have been working to find safer outdoor alternatives. The LA Times recently reported on Berkshire Theatre Group’s mounting of an outdoor musical replete with safeguards like digital tickets and programs, masked audience members, mobile plexiglass shields, socially distanced seating and touch-less performance between the artists.

Advance ticket sales for the show have been impressive, indicating that audiences are eager to return to live performance provided that the viewing conditions are safe. Actors’ Equity Association approved the production only after BTG could show that the production met both state and Equity guidelines and protocols. As the first live show to be granted permission by the AEA union in the country, this benchmark production may provide a road map for other companies to follow to produce safe live performances well before a vaccine is available.

Looking towards the cinema, a typical night at the movies has taken a turn to a bygone era, as drive-in theatres experience resurgence across the U.S. Wal-Mart announced a partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival where they will screen outdoor movies at 160 of their store locations. The drive-in concept has also extended to music concerts, with many acts adapting stadium shows to fit into existing parking lots nationwide. We may see these existing lots be adapted into more aesthetic spaces with surrounding greenery as time goes on.

The concert industry is finding other ways to adapt and finding ways to hold properly-distanced and safe events outside. In the UK, The Virgin Money Unity Arena bills itself as the world’s first socially distanced outdoor concert venue and recently had their debut performance. Thousands of attendees enjoyed the show from individual pods placed with ample open green space surrounding each enclosure.

It remains to be seen how smaller performance venues will find ways to move outdoors, but the human desire for community and artistic expression is clear. Providing public spaces like parks and civic centers for performance may well become inherent in city planning, which could bolster our flagging performance industries and provide access to segments of the community not previously able to participate. Reinvigorating small amphitheatres and converting unused lots into flexible performance spaces for more modestly sized audiences could also expand opportunities for artistic engagement.

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RHA: HOW OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT EVOLVES

Adaptations and innovations in our physical and cultural work environments have been increasing at an almost exponential rate. Over the last 100 years, we have advanced from the majority of the workforce having singular task based functions to a more diverse multi-tasking platform. Not only has this increased the skillset of today’s worker, it also invigorated the work environment.

Change as a Constant

In this time, even though automation and technology have phased out certain types of jobs, technology has provided new types of jobs to replace those it has displaced. Service-based jobs have increased dramatically while goods-producing jobs have been declining steadily. Living standards, life expectancy, education, healthcare, and incomes have been on the rise for many.

In a symbiotic relationship, businesses have developed their own internal practices and corporate cultures in an attempt to create mutually beneficial partnerships with their employees. There are certainly more changes to come, which run substantially deeper that the recent social distancing restriction of Covid-19. As the pace of technology and globalization continues ever upward, so must healthy workplace practices and philosophies.

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SILENCE IN HOSPITALITY DESIGN LANGUAGE

"Silence is an empty space. Space is the home of the awakened mind." -Buddha

Given our busy and often hectic current lifestyles, our ability to quiet the mind has become increasingly challenged over the years. The digitalization of our communication forms has accelerated our tendency to fill nearly every waking moment with some type of stimulus. From beeping alarms to flashing text alerts, from incoming emails to a deluge of types of entertainment at our fingertips, it can be challenging to find stillness and calm in the center of this modern maelstrom.

Many of us are so unused to true quiet that we even utilize white noise machines in order to lull ourselves to sleep. This kind of constant visual or auditory input can lead to undue stress on our emotional and physical health. It's no surprise that humanity is beginning to examine ways to combat the clutter and chaos of continual sound and digital chatter.

With the advent of COVID-19, we have all been spending more time indoors, and as a result, more time focusing inward. We feel this trend will increase on a macro level and will continue to be extremely influential on the world of design. In this essay, we"ll concentrate on history, health impacts, practices, and materials to utilize in the design field to create and augment the design aesthetic of silence.

History and Health

For as long as humans have cohabitated, there has been a need for personal quiet and seclusion. Whether observing spiritual rituals in the retreat of a separate shelter, retreating to the study at the end of the day, or creating a separate space for meditation and reflection, we have always had an innate need to find ways in which to disconnect from our more social daily practices.

As noise pollution has increased, so have the detrimental effects on all life forms, human beings included. National Geographic reported that in addition to hearing loss, exposure to loud noises can cause “high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.” It can also lead to hypertension, memory and concentration disturbances, anxiety, depression, and dementia. As decibel levels continue to rise globally, our need to retreat rises commensurably.

And silence has evolved beyond just an auditory state in terms of the design world. Visual “noise” can be just as invasive as we navigate a world filled with flashing digital screens, high contrast patterns, loud colors and other forms of optical chaos. Prolonged focus on computer screens with continuous incoming data can contribute to mental overload and fatigue. Studies have suggested that visual noise can even exacerbate migraines. Previous design styles that tended towards maximalist aesthetics like layered colors and busy art collages seem to be falling out of fashion as industries and consumers alike are pursuing simpler and more natural visual landscapes.

Quiet has become a rare commodity as the psychological need to stay connected via email, social media, and other digital platforms creates a fear of missing out on critical information if we “unplug” for even a moment. It follows that a certain segment of people are now actively trying to cultivate silence both internally and externally. Whether through private meditation or yoga practice or in seeking out silent retreats, spas, and other businesses, the desire for stillness has never been stronger. Allowing oneself to “power down” the mind enables them to later emerge refreshed and ready for new input. It allows us to process data and focus on our own thought, and improves memory function and creativity.

As a contrast with the effects of noise on our health, the effects of silence are quite remarkable, leading to reduced stress, better memory, improved sleep, and even the production of more brain cells in the hippocampus and recovery of cognitive ability. Quieting the mind also increases focus, creativity, and productivity. So how do we best achieve auditory and visual silence in the context of hotel design? Much like with any design process, we can begin with a blank canvas and first focus on planning the physical space itself.

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LCI: THE FUTURE OF OUTDOOR DINING SPACES

Going out on the town for a meal has long been a way to socialize, celebrate, and feel a sense of community and connection. More recently, dining out has been somewhat replaced by delivery and take out options, but the human need to be amongst others is helping to drive major industry innovations and adjustments. In many ways, these changes require quite literally “thinking outside of the box” as indoor operations prove particularly challenging.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, restaurateurs, architects, and custom manufacturers have been hard at work developing models for the future of dining. These modifications can be as simple as employing paperless menus or adding special receptacles for temporary mask storage, or as complex as upgrading HVAC systems and increasing natural ventilation.

Pushing Past the Building Envelope

Across the board, devising ways to create six feet of separation between indoor diners while maintaining a feasible profit margin has been tricky at best. As a result, many in the restaurant industry are finding ways to increase their outdoor dining areas. This can be accomplished through permitted expansion into existing parking lots or “streeteries” where city-sanctioned street closures foster dining area expansions and pedestrian-friendly areas.

These types of adjustments are certainly a quicker remedy than costly interior renovations, which create both architectural and HVAC impacts. However, simply moving tables outdoors is not sufficient. In fact, it typically removes the carefully curated design and resulting ambience of the restaurant interior. Some European restaurants have opted to create transparent “greenhouses” to help isolate outdoor diners, but these have a somewhat clinical feel and are cumbersome to clean between guests.

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CADIZ XPLR | FALL 2020

Six months into our “New Normal” with all the uncertainty it brings - I marvel about the innovation, collaboration and pivoting it has created.

I am inspired by how COVID-19 has allowed us a new luxury of SILENCE to make some sense of the unknown and find peace and solace within ourselves to Fall Forward.

In this issue we celebrated the spirit of collaboration with our office building mates - Robinson Hill Architecture and LandCreative Inc. to share a wider perspective of interiors, architecture, and landscape design in the current times.

We hope you enjoy our collaborative content, as much as we loved the process of researching, creating, and thinking.

REIMAGINING RESTAURANTS

Restaurants face some very specific challenges in order to put diners at ease in the COVID-19 landscape. The interim between offering pick up only and opening to reduced capacity has allowed time to implement new sanitation and distancing procedures, but this is an area that Is very much in flux. CDC guidelines are in place, but precise regulations vary according to local and state governments and compliance varies significantly.  An opinion piece in the LA Times suggests that a grading system of COVID-19 safety should be implemented, and such systems may come to pass as restaurant dining returns to popularity.

Sanitation Protocols

Diners should be spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart and restaurant staff are to be masked and gloved, but without adequate ventilation, interior spaces still pose a certain degree of risk and outdoor spaces will be in higher demand.  Single use or continually sanitized menus will be in use, and some restaurants may move into QR-code based ordering systems to avoid physical menus entirely.  Automated service and payment techniques, pre-wrapped utensils, and signage indicating that a table has been recently cleaned are other innovations that may also come into play.

Increasing Mobile Options

An alternative approach to keep food costs down would be conversions of restaurants to ghost kitchens, which allow for delivery or pick up, but with no sit-down dining options. In this way a company can retain employees and promote customer trust while anticipating a conversion to a dining establishment in the future when more feasible. Restaurant owners will likely invest in drive through or pick-up window options within their architectural designs. City permitting may be adjusted to allow for food trucks to service certain outdoor areas to allow for more al-fresco dining experiences.  Regardless of the approach, restaurateurs will likely implement pre-shift temperature scans for their workers, insist on increased employee hand washing, and the removal of self-service buffets to reduce risks. Touchless payment and distanced service will also increase in popularity.

Location And Expansion

The US could do well to examine practices in other countries that have increased available outdoor spaces for restaurants. According to The Guardian, Lithuania has already opened up eighteen of the city’s public spaces, with more slated to come, in order to expand outdoor seating capabilities. Street closures in certain dining districts may be feasible to help restaurants lure diners into a communal, albeit socially distanced environment.

Many vacated restaurants will become available for renovation and adaptation. In these cases, retrofitting for a primarily delivery and curbside based operation could be optimal. However, with the reduction in work-based commuting, certain dining centers may no longer be the best choice for restaurant locations. Some restaurateurs may look to convert or build new sites in more residential areas as zoning permits.

Heightened Appreciation

Having spent months indoors preparing most, if not all, of their own daily meals may also have an unexpected emotional effect on diners. After flexing their own culinary muscles with a wide array of outcomes, restaurant-goers may have an increased appreciation for all that is involved in planning a menu and creating an appetizing and high-quality meal. With minimized server contact with patrons, no-tipping models may be encouraged and a service fee built into menu offerings instead. We may also see an increase in worker unions and protections to ensure those preparing and serving our meals are being taken proper care of.

* work done with previous firm Gensler- as Regional Director of Hospitality Interior

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STAYCATION 2020

Cadiz Collaboration is excited to unveil our latest project - Cambria Hotel Sonoma, one of more than a dozen Cambria hotels being opened in top-tier markets this year. The region is seeing a healthy 69% occupancy rate as local staycation travel becomes increasingly attractive in 2020. Whether visiting from further afield on business in the North Bay or for a local wine-tasting weekend, this sophisticated hotel is sure to offer stimulating yet relaxing accommodations.

With your first step into the lobby, you’ll note the attention to detail that will characterize your stay.  Homage to the majestic oak tree glows in the form of backlit metallic art behind the front desk front desk. At the inviting fireplace focal point, we’ve incorporated natural materials like charred black oak, marble and metal highlight accents- further promoting a biophilic connection with nature. Taking our design inspiration from the local agrarian environment, we’ve incorporated patterns and textures inspired by aerial mapping of the region. A fresh palette of soothing earth tones with gentle accents of navy and gold tones carries though the property, acting as cues to the expansive Northern California sky and the pollination of bees so essential in the region.

Nature-based aesthetics are continued in the outdoor terrace and pool areas, where curvaceous lines and exotic wood furnishings enhance your enjoyment of the fire pits and restorative plunges in the comfortably heated water. Sam & Mary's Restaurant and Bar, the namesake of our clients grandparents, is ready to cater to your appetites with their locally inspired cuisine and specialty cocktails, along with craft beers from Sonoma County brewers. The modern, well- appointed guest rooms feature sumptuous bedding, luxury vinyl wide plank floors, 50” smart TVs, and walk-in showers. These calming quarters provide an equally fitting end for a day spent in meetings or one spent sampling local wines and relaxing outdoors. 

With its outstanding location in one of the nation’s premier wine-country destinations, the property sits poised to offer travelers an experience as full of richness and vitality as its surroundings. Cadiz Collaboration is gratified to be part of an outstanding  collaborative team with our client, brand, management company, contractors, architect, purchasing agent and our talented vendors to open this inspired hotel with a focus on functional form, all while delivering a cost conscious design.

Stay Healthy- Travel Safe!

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ADAPTIVE HOSPITALITY

Many owners have been able to evaluate their business models and practices and initiate new protocols for safety and wellness in this time and to reimage uses for both guestrooms and communal spaces. As we continue with various reopening phases throughout the country and world, hotels are well positioned to be at the forefront of community activities that can provide a level of much-needed variety and interaction.

Over the past 5 years, contactless check-in and checkout has been implemented by many hotel brands, and this is likely to increase in the COVID-19 marketplace. Other recent innovations such as touchless room door entry and room-service apps are likely to flourish. Robotic trials for room service have been conducted and may become a viable alternative as time goes on. Although such measures may seem to diminish traditional notions of hospitality, the level of human consideration behind them may redefine what we consider hospitable in the future.

Clean Design

Many hotel owners have taken advantage of this industry downturn by refurbishing spaces to focus on touchless systems, improved air filtration, healthy and sustainable building materials, and minimalistic design. By integrating these systems and principles, they increase both the perception and reality of safety and cleanliness.

Cleaning Protocols

As important as their own personal health is to guests, they also want to be assured that hotel employee health and safety is also being monitored and cared for. As workers learn and practice new protocols, it is crucial that they have access to proper protective equipment, heath screenings, additional hand washing stations, and designated areas for the donning and doffing of protective gear. Some hotels are even implementing virus-zapping robots in an effort to simultaneously protect guests and hospitality workers.

Reinventing And Reinvesting In The Future

One of the bright spots within this pandemic has been witnessing the hospitality industry devising ways to be of assistance, such as providing rooms for frontline healthcare workers and homeless populations, and providing temporary or overflow healthcare facilities. These initiatives open hoteliers up to envisioning a future where spaces are designed to be more multi-functional and quickly adaptable.

Connection To Nature And The Benefit Of Sleep

A focus on biophilia, the hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature, has been steadily increasing in all areas of architecture and design. If given the opportunity, planning convertible communal spaces that have the ability to be open air for certain seasons can promote well-being profoundly. A simpler approach is to utilize large scale windows to visually open an interior space to landscaped outdoor areas and to incorporate interior plants wherever possible. Creating a visual connection to nature has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and generally improve mental health.

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