Refreshed – A Coffee Bar
Refreshed, a coffee bar on the top floor of a mid-rise office building, is a whimsical oasis that serves hundreds of employees by providing a place for relaxation, socialization, and caffeine.
Agency
Media-Objectives / Valerio Dewalt Train
Practice Area
Client
Confidential
Industry
The Challenge
Many companies are thinking about the future of work and what it takes to provide a welcoming workplace environment. With this in mind, our team was tasked with creating an enticing space filled with inspiration that could be used as a flexible workspace or offer a moment to decompress. Implementing this concept into our client’s Refreshed coffee bar, the top floor of their mid-rise building was transformed into a whimsical oasis that serves the needs and curiosity of hundreds of tech employees.
Project Vision
On the 5th floor of the office building sits the coffee bar, Refreshed. The name comes from the need to refill oneself with nourishment, this ease of replenishing oneself and feeling reinvigorated inspired the space.
Feature overhead installation made from paper creates a whimsical installation, surrounded by hundreds of real books.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Built-in seating provides a more intimate moment for readers to relax and take in a book.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Design + Execution
As the name suggests, Refreshed offers tech employees with mental and physical nourishment, and makes a seemingly mundane morning coffee a part of a larger journey. The tech company envisioned a space that fulfilled this concept, while also embodying collective, encyclopedic knowledge that is central to the company’s brand. In response, the design team created a library and cafe space, where hundreds of books and card catalogs serve as a metaphor for the company’s objectives and purpose. The warm interiors work together with the soft, rounded furniture to create a special moment in the office space.
Looking towards the coffee bar, featuring bottles in the client’s brand. Framed poem which introduces the mystery challenge to the left.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Detail shot of poem, where the journey begins.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Discovery moments hidden with the hundreds of (real) books.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Some of the clues hidden within the card catalog system.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
The final hidden vault. What’s inside? You’ll never know unless you take the challenge.
Marco Zecchin, Valerio Dewalt Train
Project Details
I want to work here! Can’t believe this is a coffee bar. I just want to dwell. The discoverability to explore and unearth easter eggs brings an unexpected interactive experience in an otherwise elegant space.
The exploration of a whimsical journey within a retail coffee retail space. The full walls of the book shelf are inviting and pull you to linger.
Design Team
Valerio Dewalt Train:
William Turner (principal in charge)
Priya Bhat (project lead)
Miles Stemper (designer)
Media-Objectives:
Amanda Jurmu (project director)
Rafael Barontini (designer)
Collaborators
Valerio Dewalt Train (artichect)
CBRE (project manager)
NOVO Construction (general contractor)
Degenkolb (structural engineer)
Sprig (design-build electrical engineer)
Yellow Goat CNN Design
Eunoia Modern, Image Options, One Hat One Hand (fabrication)
Photo Credits
Marco Zecchin
Valerio Dewalt Train
Open Date
April 2021