The Project
The practice’s very first retail client, from 2001, was the organic cosmetic company AVEDA, who commissioned an architectural design concept for their stores and department store concessions worldwide.
A primary characteristic these projects was the re-habitation of existing urban spaces with a minimal amount of new construction. The necessary additional elements, such as retail units and cash desk, were made in solid materials with a physical presence strong enough to create the identity of the store without extraneous features.
Retail units were conceived as heavy timber tables, topped with open steel boxes containing the products.
Larger site-specific elements were constructed in in-situ concrete, exploring the inherent qualities of the material: plasticity and the ability to cantilever.
The emphasis on solidity and consistency re-enforces the customer’s perception of AVEDA products as reliable and composed of pure ingredients.