Hospitality and Retail Design Update

Some of the latest trends appeal to owners, architects, users, and budgets alike
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Sponsored by Amerlux, Doug Mockett & Company, Inc., Hawa Group Americas Inc., Inpro, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, NanaWall Systems, Pella EFCO Commercial Solutions, and Planters Unlimited
Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
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Using Plantings for Enhanced Design

In natural settings, plants and trees are often recognized as outdoor landmarks as a means to help define an outdoor space, such as a yard or clearing, or to draw attention to a particular landscape feature. In urban environments, particularly in hospitality and retail settings, the introduction of plants and trees can do the same things to enhance and amplify an architectural design through the use of standard or custom-designed planters. Manufacturers of such planters can be used as a design resource to produce virtually any size or shape planter that can help with wayfinding, form places to gather, or highlight a feature that a designer wants attention drawn to. There is a large library of available styles, colors, materials, and finishes to select a standard product from. Custom fabrications are also possible to help create exciting, eye-catching elements with integrated lighting, designer materials, or even corporate logos. Many planter products are made to order with associated lead times to suit specified design requirements. This can be particularly important when incorporating branding customizable to suit the specifications and criteria of client corporations. There is also an array of standard and custom colors, textures, and styles that can be selected to suit a variety of natural and built environments.

A popular planter choice is one made of fiberglass that lends itself to a contemporary style with rectilinear angles, seamless lines, and clean trim. They are available in any shape or size, making them suitable as a great stand-alone focal point feature. Multiple units can be laid out as a clustered group in modular arrangements to assist with wayfinding, enhance privacy, or define places to congregate. Any of these design uses can be further enhanced by adding lighting to the planters for ambience or safety, toe-kicks or castors for maintenance ease, or even false bottoms to create different visual appearances.

Another option can be found in a more traditional planter with the appearance of stone. Commonly made with glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC), these planters are modern in function with a subtle, texturized concrete aesthetic. Their steady and durable presence makes them suitable for high pedestrian and even vehicular traffic areas. Manufacturers of this planter type offer an array of unique shapes and sizes with textures suitable for any hospitality or retail setting.

Regardless of material or other design features, the intent of the planter is to provide something that actually grows and stays alive. Toward that end, planter manufacturers may also offer soil amendments and other planting products to help assure success. For standard rectangular, square, or round planters, it is also possible to specify self-watering reservoirs as an integrated solution to regular watering of the plants. This concealed reservoir sits inside the planter as a flexible, effective, and proven approach to plant irrigation. It is also a sensible, easy-to-maintain alternative to external tank-based self-watering systems, where the tank can become problematic due to dirt and mud migration. Not only do self-watering reservoirs reduce the times that a planter needs to be watered, they also improve plant growth and reduce water usage.

Manufactured planters can enhance the outdoor spaces of hospitality and retail buildings, particularly in urban environments. Contemporary, clean solutions in a range of colors, shapes, and sizes are available along with more traditional stone-looking planters, including custom units that can incorporate corporate logos.

Images courtesy of Planters Unlimited

Manufactured planters can enhance the outdoor spaces of hospitality and retail buildings, particularly in urban environments. Contemporary, clean solutions in a range of colors, shapes, and sizes are available along with more traditional stone-looking planters, including custom units that can incorporate corporate logos.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in June 2016

Notice

Academies
Hospitality and Retail Design Update
Buyer's Guide
Standard Plus: The Best Alternative to Made-to-Measure
Amerlux® Standard Plus field-customizable systems are changing the way the industry approaches linear run lengths. Standard Plus works with Amerlux Grüv® 1½-inch to 6-inch installations and snaps right into place, without adding expense or lead time. Walls and ceilings have no gaps or inconsistencies—they are just smooth and beautifully lit.
Amerlux®
www.amerlux.com
Levity Task Light – PCS55
The Levity combines flexible, directed lighting with power and USB charging, plus the ability to be stowed away. Simply pull up on the lid, and it rises automatically to 5 inches to activate two LED lights. Lift up to a maximum height of 21 inches or anywhere in between, and rotate in any direction.
Doug Mockett & Company, Inc.
www.mockett.com/levity
For Lightweight, Stackable Sliding Glass or Wood Walls
The HAWA-Aperto for wood or glass is specially designed for lightweight partition walls that stack doors into the smallest of space, parked parallel or perpendicular.
Hawa Group Americas Inc.
www.hawa.com
PC® Heavy-Duty Wall Protection
Back-of-house areas, like loading docks, warehouses, kitchens, and storage areas, take a lot of high-impact abuse from forklifts, carts, dollies, and other wheeled traffic. IPC® Door + Wall Protection materials are specifically designed to absorb and deflect heavy impact from anything that gets thrown at them.
CITY MULTI® L-Generation VRF Systems
Save money, space, and energy with Mitsubishi Electric’s latest CITY MULTI VRF system. Reduce energy usage and save money on utility bills with an up to a 54 percent increase in system efficiency. The smaller system footprint and reduced refrigerant charge requirements provide more design and installation flexibility.
Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating
MitsubishiPro.com/ready/innovation
NanaWall Opening Glass Walls
NanaWall Systems provides a wide range of opening glass walls for commercial environments that stand up to the daily commercial grind, as well as the challenges of wind, water, extreme temperatures, forced entry, impact, and structural load.
Pella® Architect Series® Monumental Hung Windows
The performance ratings (CW30 to CW50), sizes (up to 6 feet wide by 12 feet high), Class 5 balances, and triple-pane insulated glass options you need are available in historically correct wood windows.
Pella EFCO Commercial Solutions
www.pellacommercial.com/monumental-windows
Marek Custom Fiberglass Planters
The Marek planter modernizes any environment with its geometric appearance. They are customizable, available with illuminated toe-kicks and castors in more than two dozen colors. They are lightweight, durable, and impervious to insects and made to withstand all seasonal elements. These stylish planters are perfect for any restaurant, backyard, hotel, or office.