Hill City is an online men’s apparel brand that’s designed for high performance and everyday use. The team reached out to help them create a physical presence. We achieved this by first designing a mobile pop-up truck and carried the design language to later create an exhibit at the Gear Patrol Stocked Product Conference in New York and quickly turned around a pop-up shop in Hayes Valley San Francisco, CA.
The goal was create a mobile retail space that allowed the Hill City team to show-up at events to help create brand awareness. We needed to encapsulate their ethos: Simple, Sustainable, and Bold in the design of the truck. The end product is a 18ft Ford F59 Step Van that was fully customized and powered by solar panels.
We started ideation of mobile pop-up spaces late May 2019 and explored different avenues from shipping containers, beverage trucks, moving vans, Winnebagos to fully decked out stage trailers. We landed on a step-up van in June and had it built and delivered by end of September.
We created an intimate space that was clean and highly functional. The walls and ceiling are lined with plywood to create a warm and inviting feeling. A single hang rail spanning 15 feet allows a curated display of products to shine. Along the base we added storage to keep the walls minimal. We also included a beverage station at the end for customers to enjoy free drinks. On the opposite wall we added a fitting room with ceiling mounted track and a custom curtain with the Hill City logo along with a recessed mirror. Adjacent is a custom peg wall to display hats and bags. We also added in a bench and recessed a TV above. Outside we added a removable hang bar to allow for customer’s to shop both inside and out. The overall design really encapsulated HC’s ethos of simplicity and sustainability.
Photo Credit: https://proofs.cmhoward.com/tomroche/
Photo Credit: https://proofs.cmhoward.com/tomroche/
Hill City was the titled sponsor for Gear Patrol’s Stocked Conference in Manhattan, NY at the Classic Car Club. They asked us to design and build an exhibit for the event that would allow them to standout amongst their peers and create brand awareness. With the truck almost wrapped up and budget wearing thin we needed to get creative in our approach. We were able to execute a cost effective, highly-functional and aesthetically pleasing exhibit without compromising Hill City’s ethos.
We initially leveraged our container idea and thought blue sky to create a truly captivating exhbit. We quickly had to reel back due to cost, time, and shipping logistics to get it to the event. We needed to simplify and take the essence of what we liked about the container ideas. The team loved the idea of using plywood to transcend you into warm space.
We had a 22’x8’ foot print and designed the exhibit to be KD so that we can assemble and disassemble onsite. Since Hill City is a B-Corp Company we wanted to go the sustainable route and chose a FSC Radiata Pine for the floors and walls. We utilize a single 9 foot long hang rail on the left wall and peg display for hats and bags on the opposite side. The angle of the walls were very particular to the location of the exhibit. The exhibit sat in a corner, which created an assymetrical look. This worked in our favor to create a fitting room on the right side and a large storage space on the left. The team wanted to have a very minimal display so the large storage room was critical for the two day event. A small Hill City logo over the hang rail and the large HC Flash on the right side tied the design together to create a warm and unique experience.
In the midst of the truck being completed and the Gear Patrol Event taking place, a lease for a retail space opened up in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. The lease was for one year and the budget was very limited to create a unique Hill City experience. The store was design and deveoped in month and built in a week, on time to open on their one year anniversary.
We needed to look at the space in order to get an understanding of what we had to work with. The owner of Seldom Seen was gracious enouhg to let us survey and take measurements of the space. The total square footage was was about 472 square feet including the back-of-house and bathroom. We needed to limit cost by reducing any permitting by not needing to rewire or tear down walls. We needed to get creative in how we were going to make this space feel open, inviting and highly functional.
The biggest challenge was to ensure that we wouldnt trigger a building permit in our design. We cleaned up the space by repainting the walls and ceiling white and cladded the existing wall build-out with FSC Radiata Pine. We added in a 12 foot hang rail to both sides to continue the design language we used on the truck and the exhibit. There isn’t much of a back-of-house so we added a two-sided storage unit in the middle of the store that acts as a table top for display. We added the same peg wall to display bags and hats and updated the fitting room. We kept the drop ceiling lights and added a new linear pendant light to modernize the space. At the front window we added a table for customers and employees to work. We dedicated a wall to photography to give life and tie the space together.
The core of this project was to create a hub for local communities in the retail environment. Customers can shop on the interactive display as well as find information on events from yoga classes to festivals and retreats in the area.
“Wherever we are in the world, we’re connecting and letting the good times roll with our local communities.” -lululemon
We were tasked to design hardware to match Lululemons sleek and modern aesthetics. The challenge was to incorporate touchscreen technology to create an interactive retail space. Understanding tolerances between the various components and substrates was the key to executing a successful product. These 7ft tall touchscreen mirrors were installed in several flagship stores including Melrose, California and Regent St., London.
Shroud
Mirror
We designed and developed this project into a complete drawing package with bill of materials, packaging and installation instructions. We worked with vendors to develop, refine and document high quality, cost effective manufacturing methods. A DFM was created to scale this project for low or high volume production.
The Sophie project began as three individuals with a focus on community, fitness, and wearable technology. After the creation of our individual project proposals, it was determined that our three project directions had the potential to work together as an effective product-service system. So begun Project Sophie, a product-service system that’s compromised of a flexible space for people to socialize and workout. It’s also a wearable device that works in conjunction with an app to improve the workout experience through gamification. It’s also a wearable device that works in conjunction with an app to improve the workout experience through gamification.
James Wiles I Tommy Duong I Brian Au
To better understand the dynamics of social space we conducted exploratory research by visiting urban spaces in San Francisco. Immersing ourselves into successful urban public spaces allowed us to identify and observe the elements that helped to create a sense of place and involvement in public amongst strangers.
Our field exploration consisted of visiting:
Caltrain Station
SightGlass Coffee
Porthsmouth Square Park
New Deal Fitness Court
Fort Mason Gamefields
Fort Mason park
Fort Mason Community Gardens
Kesar Stadium
Golden Gate Park
Dolores Park
Mission Pool & Playground
New Deal Fitness Court
Fort Mason
Community Garden
Chinatown
Fort Mason Park
Fort Mason Gamefields
Golden Gate Park
Dolores Park
Mission Pool and Playground
Soft Filtered Light
Direct Application of Infographics & Instructions
Ledges and Passaways
Places to Store
Belongings
Double Duty Surfaces
Barrier : Leaning Posts
Pre-Existing Familiar Structures
Accessible Street View
Recessed & Sheltered Social Areas
Areas & Opportunities for People Watching
The collection of equipment in Park Sophie is designed for flexible urban spaces. The form language is fitted with a touch of color to create shelter and refuge that feels both active and uplifting in contrast to the busy urban city. The placement of equipment allows people to easily gravitate towards surfaces like steps, ledges, poles, counters and tables to allows users to become comfortably situated in public.
The simple equipment facilitate calisthenic workouts. The traditional design is given a modern touch with OLED lights and low energy Bluetooth (BLE) that connect with the active watch to measure your time spent.
The central hub faciliates socilazing by providing partial shade, lighting, multiple seating and lockers.
Lock
1.enter 4 digit code
2.close locker
3.turn knob to the left to lock.
Unlock
1.enter 4 digit code
2.turn knob to the right to unlock
3.leave knob in unlock position and scramble combination for next user.
The active watch interacts with the workout equipments through low energy bluetooth (BLE). Time spent at each workout is recorded and is added to progression level.
The equipment locker allows app user to check-out additional equipment to add variety to their workout.
The system allows user to check up on their daily progress through radar graphs. It focuses on strengths and weaknesses compared to other app users. It also allows them to connect with other users and see what type of workouts they’re doing to gamify the workout experience.
Park Sophie is derived from the greek word sophrosyne (so-fro-su-na). A noun defined as a healthy state of mind characterize by self-control, moderation, and deep awareness of one’s true self resulting in true happiness.
Kiba is short for “kiba-dachi,” which is a Japanese term for a martial arts posture commonly used to strengthen the back and leg muscles. It’s synonymous to the overall feeling and understanding of “feeling grounded.”
Physical design should promote an active awareness of posture and good use rather than a passive belief that imperfect posture and pain are a part of life.” -Galen Cranz
The form guides the user to sit at a perching position, which is the least harmful to the lower back when seated. It also rocks to keep the user active while sitting. The angle seat does not cut into the thighs providing better blood circulations. The planar seat activates the sit bone to support the upward drive of the spine. A benefit to sitting in this position is that weight can be sense through the feet allowing for higher body awareness.
The goal was to create a chair using minimal parts. The steel frame was used as support to add strength and durability. Wood was choosen for its inherent emotional connection to being balanced. The microperforated leather mimics the luxury sport feel in modern cars. The combination of the materials, texture and simplistic shape creates a contemporary design.
1/8” Adhesive Felt
HREW Mild Steel Tube 1x0x6.5” Powder Coated Frame
Micro perforated Leather wrapped aro und 1/2” Neoprene
3/8” Bent Plywood Cherry Veneer
The wood center was bent using 1/8” Italian poplar and layered up to 3/8”. A huge jig made of layered MDF was created to bend the 2x4’ sheet of veneer. Secondary operations were used to trim and sand the veneer. The 1” HREW steel tubes were bent using two different methods. The larger radius was bent using a tube roller and the tighter radius was bent using a hydraulic tube bender. A total of two patterns consisting of four bent tube pieces were welded together to create the frame. Additional supports were added above and below to provide strength and a place for the wood center to mount. The spot welds were sanded and the frame was powder coated. Microperforated leather was used to wrap 1/2” neoprene to create the seat. The chair is easily assembled using 4 nuts and bolts. Minimal parts were used for ease of manufacturing.
The Phoenix concept was about refreshing Banana Republic’s look and feel to cater to a more modern lifestyle. The team wanted the store to transport the shopper into an aspirational home with an indoor/outdoor feel. The design had to be modular, but not lose the eclectic essence that is Banana Replublic. This mood board was created to guide us and through design
A critical element that came up over and over were sitelines. We wanted to be able to see the back of the store from the front while still maintaining some obscurity to pique the shopper’s curiosity to explore. We achieved this through fixtures of varying heights, an open ceiling and warm wood soffits to draw the customer’s eyes back
The fixture package had to be modular and flexible. We wanted to be able to move into an empty space and set-up with minimal GC work. Every fixture has a 20” depth so when adjacent to eachother would line up seamlessly. The use of antique brass, a custom BR walnut and glass were used to elevate the fixtures to meet brand standards. We paired the system with eclectic furniture to help create a more organic, but organized feel.
Vertical Tube
Recessed C-Channel
Tie-Back Hardware
Thumb Screws
Walnut Shelf
Shelf Bracket
Hangbar
Upper Wall Track
The Atrium is the center piece that helps ties the store together with the black thread that can be seen in the store front and all the way back to the fitting room area. The custom tile was used to differentiate the space from the rest of the sales floor to create an indoor/outdoor feel. The space was intended for stores to showcase new release and unique collaborations.
