Community Spotlight: Hospitality

Now that many have been working from home, cooking at home, and entertaining themselves at home for 7 months, we are asking ourselves what can we do to get out of our home?
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This edition of the Community Spotlight is about the market that gets us out of our homes: Hospitality. Melissa Miller with TK Architects International knows all the ins and outs of the hospitality industry, and she has shared some of her wisdom with us. 

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"We are working very hard to accommodate the "new normal" and bring the movie industry back. ...our challenge is how to make semi-natural barriers that allow customers to enjoy their visit without feeling uncomfortable or crowded." 

-Melissa Miller, Architectural Designer/ Job Captain, TK Architects International

Q. What new material trends do you see in the theater/ hospitality segment? 

​A:  Before the virus we were seeing more experiential design and using the materials to define the spaces; i.e. arcades, bars, restaurants.  The actual materials became more woods, stones, and other textures.  Due to the pandemic, we will start to see the change of social distancing in public. How do we use materials as semi-natural barriers to create that separation of space?

Q. Do you have a personal favorite new trend? If so, what? 

​​Love that color is making a comeback. 

​The theatre industry took a turn for hospitality design awhile back and everything became very neutral. Now we are starting to see the pops of color come back in our designs. It’s more fun, and it feels more designed.

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Q. What new color trends are you seeing? 

A. Greens of every color, and pops of pastel pink.  Last year’s deep blue is still very prominent as well.  

Q. Are any types of materials now being avoided?  If so, why?

A. Durability will always be key, but now we must consider cleanability and anti-microbial due to Covid-19.

Q. What impact is COVID-19 having on your projects? What about how you engage clients? 

A. I don’t believe we have been in this “new normal” long enough to see an impact on materials yet.  However, our clients have started getting creative in how they operate. One client started hanging screens on their building exterior to turn their parking lot into a drive-in. 

​Likewise, contactless delivery is changing how to food has handled.  More and more apps for ordering are being used instead of a traditional concessions counter.  Within our office, we are doing a lot more Zoom/MS Team calls, while still continuing to use our phone to communicate with our clients.  

What is the most difficult thing about designing for theaters today? 

A.  We are fighting the battle of how do we get families out of their homes and back into the theatres. With so many on demand services, theatres are having to try and reinvent the movie going experience. And maybe it’s not for movies. It might now be E-gaming events, concerts, or TV series finales instead. There are many opportunities for expansion when it comes to big screen theatres. 

​Q. What impacts have you seen on material selections? 

A. We are going to see a turn towards anti-microbial. The materials still have to be aesthetically pleasing, but also very cleanable in order to make the customer more comfortable. 

Q. Anything else you would like to add or want people to know? 

A. The biggest thing is that a lot of theaters are starting to turn into family entertainment centers, to make them an experience, instead of a two hour event.  We are also working very hard to accommodate the “new normal” and bring the movie industry back.  Theaters are not spaces where people think of social distancing.

Therefore, our challenge is how to make semi-natural barriers that allow customers to enjoy their visit without feeling uncomfortable or crowded.