A restaurant has many very specific equipment needs that the requirement for a commercial kitchen consultant is obvious. We wonder if AvroKo also brought on a lighting consultant here to ensure desired lighting levels were achieved when designing Omido pictured above.
We know commercial interior design. We know it well and love the challenge of tackling a new project, learning about the brand and functional requirements and translating these into a unique and thoughtful design that tells your clients and customers who you are as a business. But, when it gets down to the knitty gritty it often makes sense to hire on specialty consultants who are experts in very focused areas such as door hardware, commercial kitchens and lighting.
Why Pay For Yet Another Consultant?
We consider specialty consultants to be outside of the typical consultants you see on most commercial interior design projects, those other than Interior Designers, Architects, and Engineers. For the finer details of ensuring your space functions as you need it to there is a good chance that bringing on an expert will pay off in the end.
As much as we at Hatch Interior Design like to inform ourselves in all aspects of your project we are not experts in all areas. We rely on relationships with those who are experts to help inform the best solutions for our clients. Makes sense, right? Specialty consultants know their products and services inside and out. They act as your insurance to ensure that those important small details are handled in the absolute best way possible.
Door Hardware
One would think that specifying door hardware is a simple, straight forward task, however this is not always the case. For small projects the likelihood of us suggesting our clients hire a hardware consultant is slim to nil. But when projects get a little bigger and have more complicated requirements it often makes sense to bring a hardware consultant in.
The Yandex St. Petersburg office by Za Bor Architects likely had many hardware requirements. A hardware consultant would ensure that the equipment required for the card readers (that you can see in the image above) was properly specified. They would also make recommendations and prepare specifications for the handles, closers and frameless glass connections all evident in this one corridor.
Different locking functions require different components. Card readers that provide access to secure areas require electric strikes. Okay, seems easy enough. Just specify an electric strike wherever a card reader is required and you’re golden. Oh wait, not all door handles are compatible with electric strikes? And not all electric strikes are compatible with all handles that are compatible with electric strikes? Just one small example of the joys of door hardware that we have recently run into. Yes, we did get it figured out for our small project, and were happy to do so. But for medium to large scale projects we highly recommend that a door hardware consultant be brought on to ensure all hardware and security requirements work together as one big happy system.
Commercial Kitchens
The equipment required to allow a restaurant to function without falter is very specific. LOA would have worked closely with a commercial kitchen consultant to design La Tequila South Restaurant.
Putting together the equipment specifications for your commercial kitchen is not our bag. For your restaurant or large staff room with a working kitchen we will always require a specialty consultant as part of the team. Whether it be a small café preparing baked goods and a selection of sandwiches and salads, or a medium to large sized restaurant open for lunch and dinner, a commercial kitchen consultant is a necessity to ensure that all of the equipment you require is provided and that the proper clearances, power and water requirements are met.
Lighting
You have heard us say it before; lighting is incredibly important to the success of your commercial interior. Properly designed lighting is essential to the health and well-being of your staff, highlights products in your retail space, enhances features and focal points, and helps to create mood.
Suggesting this type of specialty consultant is something that we do not typically do for most of our projects. We do know a thing or two about lighting, and work quite closely with our A+D reps when designing lighting for your project. When your project calls for a gambit of lighting scenarios for a space we would be inclined to suggest a specialty consultant. With automation of lighting becoming more popular we turn to the experts to design the proper controls that allow you to shed perfect light on your space.
An entertainment facility, like Charles Stockley Centre for the Performing Arts pictured above, is one project type where a lighting consultant is worth their weight in gold. Tripped on Light designed this project’s lighting and controls.
When the right people work together you are sure to come out with a killer project that exceeds your expectations. Knowing when a specialty consultant should be involved is the trick. Rely on your Interior Designer to guide you and consider their suggestions for additional consultants where they are needed.