Atlanta magazine- Where to Eat Now, City's 50 Best Restaurants

I read this a few weeks ago, but our copy of Atlanta magazine finally arrived at the studio. We had so many clients recognized, I have to congratulate them!

Top Ten Restaurants:
#2 Restaurant Eugene- Nevermind our friends at Seiber Design created the restaurant; we are proud nonetheless, of Chef Hopkins and Gina Hopkins "No other local restaurant has evolved with as much mind and soul."
#4 Holeman & Finch Public House- With only 60-seats, Greg, Andy, Regan, Gina & Linton have "inspired a generation of food-savvy pubs and broadened the public palate. It's one of the city's most heartening success stories."
#8 Miller Union- Embracing the traditional Southern cuisine, Native Georgian Chef Steven Satterfield and GM Neal McCarthy "The space unites the owner's personalities- It's a little bit posh, a little bit country....(the pantry) is one of my favorite sanctuaries in town"

Rest of the Best:
4th & Swift- Embodying Atlanta's ambition with his food and dual menus, Chef-owner Jay Swift "If visitors want to experience a restaurant that epitomizes the Atlanta aesthetic, take them to 4th & Swift."
Bocado- "Executive Chef Todd Ginsberg's (food)... deserves blind devotion" Brian Lewis and Chef Todd continue to impress with more than just that amazing burger.
The Fifth Group- Our studio is busy working with Peace Design on their 2 new concepts;  We've been fans of Ecco and La Tavola Trattoria for a long time.
Woodfire Grill- Also working on new concept for Nick, Bernard, & Kevin; Chef Kevin Gillespie combines "flavors immediately conjuring up the south... not simply the taste.. but the feeling of eating breakfast in a meat-and-three." We hope he keeps mining the Southern recipe lexicon for offbeat inspiration... "

Food Trucks & Modern Design

 

Most of the studio took a break last week to enjoy The High's temporary summer exhibit, "Modern by Design." On loan from NYC's MOMA, it features 150 works focusing on three design periods: 1934 “Machine Art,” the "Good Design” series between 1950 and 1955, and 1972 “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape.” I found beauty in the simplest objects, thankful I was being forced to recognize a rake, typewriter or vegetable peeler for its good design. It was difficult not to judge each object on whether I considered it timeless?

 

As luck would have it, we chose a day when the Food Trucks were hanging at the Woodruff Arts Center drop-off.  A trip we've all been wanting to make, we tried everything from arepas, BBQ, tacos, veggie wraps, tamales, and then hit the ice cream truck for dessert.

Killer Tomato Festival & Spazmatics

 

July 17- It turned out to be one of the coolest weather weekends we've had in a LONG while and a perfect setting for the 3rd annual Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival at Westside Market. A great benefit for Georgia Organics, Chef Ford Fry and JCT Kitchen & Bar played host to almost 1400 food lovers like us. The best Atlanta Chefs set up on both levels of the courtyard and across the bridge, with table-filled tomato-based dishes prepared with local farmers' ingredients.  Not just snacks, there were mixologists mixing up tomato cocktails as well. 

 

We were introduced to the awesome and diverse talents of the Spazmatics... daydreaming of how we could bring them to a future ai3 party. We will be returning next year with more of ai3 in tow!

ai3 is 7 years old

June 24, 2004

The official day Patrick, Joe, Dan and I toasted to ai3 over drinks at The Four Seasons Hotel.  Ready or not, we headed to our old house in Grant Park (Atlanta) and set up shop in our "painting studio." Four desks, four laptops, a library in the front bedroom, a plotter in the hall, a dining room table for meetings, and of course our dear cat Moses that kept our in-boxes warm.  To celebrate the 7 years, I put together a few of our favorite photographs to share with the 6 newbies we've hired since last September, over a pizza lunch, and a beer/wine toast.

 

What started as a leap of faith between the Maas, Remling, and Johnson families, now resembles the true collaborative we hoped to build. This is an exciting year!

Trip to Chicago for Necon 2011

I think I've been to Neocon almost every year of my career, the only exceptions being the birth of our son and maybe 2 other years I felt like taking a break (or at least giving my feet one).  It was a relief to see elevator lines forming in the Lobby, indicating a return to a busy industry and designers ready to shop for ideas.

ai3 is launching a modular lounge collection with Loewenstein, a contract furniture manufacturer in Indiana. Reva Revis arranged several meetings for ai3 to discuss our latest concept with Interiors & Sources, Interior Design, Contract magazine, and blogger Louise Mulherin. The leftover time we spent snapping pics in as many showrooms as possible

 

Davis was one of the standouts, for the many creative solutions in multiple seating types.  Beautifully detailed.  We saw many duplicates of Steelcase's original Media scapes, C-scapes (was that 3 years ago?).

Some unique approaches to accessories, such as Turnstone's racks for bikes & skateboards, a nod to the more informal office environments we rarely see from manufacturers. More intuitive integration of technology into meeting spaces: Vitra's AirShare, Steelcase Mini Mediascape. Thoughtful product details at Bernhardt and Leland.

My biggest question: Why did everyone attach fabric screens and upholstered appendages to their sofa products? They were EVERYWHERE.  Here we are trying to encourage interaction and everyone's making cocoons????  Very confusing.

 

New faces at ai3

 

Aren't we lucky?!?! The beginning of this month brought 3 new employees to our studio: 
Matt Weaver (Intern Architect), Jillian Paul (MFA candidate at SCAD), & Cas Swope (Intern Interior Designer).

With 7 restaurants, the HI Social Hub & a corporate office under construction, 3 new restaurants in design, the launch of our latest furniture product design, and a new hotel project... we have PLENTY to keep everyone busy.

WELCOME Matt, Jillian, and Cas to the ai3 family!  Let the fun begin!

ai3 to Design Atlanta's Newest Sports Venue

After almost 2 years of working together with the ASC team, this week ai3 celebrates with Atlanta Sports Complex as we all move this amazing project forward.  The complex will be a multi-entertainment, recreational sports facility, accompanied by a corporate services focus that will offer innovative programs for leadership development, employee training, team-building activities, leadership retreast, health wellness, as well as dedicated meeting space for small to large companies.

Co-Founder and CEO Patrick Henderson knows how much ai3 believes in this project.  We look forward to being a part of their vision for Atlanta. We hope to redefine how a sports venue contributes to the overall experience, whether you are an athlete or patron.  The location is almost finalized, and hopes are for a Fall 2012 opening.