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SUTTLE MINDLIN
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By Linda F. Jarrett
Designing a building
that conveys a sense of community takes planning and research,
and Suttle Mindlin has made that task their mantra.
David Suttle and Michael Mindlin have extended their view of
architecture as a way of communicating the “built environment.”
“In the commercial world,” Mindlin says, “that means we are
trying to create a future transaction, and future transactions
are all emotional. In the corporate world, you’re trying to
convey your clients’ values to the market place, to future employees
and to their customers.”
By understanding real estate markets, community lifestyles and
urban design, Suttle Mindlin enjoys a reputation for ferreting
out the true purpose of a project and its role in the surrounding
environment.
When they opened their doors in 1995, Suttle and Mindlin, who
enjoyed an international reputation from their previous association
with HOK, planned to work in the St. Louis region.
THE HOW AND WHEN
“We wanted to stay off planes,” Mindlin laughs. “Moreover, we
wanted to give back to the local community. While David had
designed the St. Louis Galleria, and we had designed the repositioning
of Plaza Frontenac, most of our work was overseas and we were
trying to achieve more balance.”
After a period of time where most of their work was local and
regional, their firm did achieve that balance where they were
involved in both national and international projects.
“Much of what we do is recognizing and sustaining individual
cultures,” Mindlin says. “It could be a business culture. It
could be a market place. It could be a community or city. It
is more about understanding those cultural values and needs
that drive society.”
These business beliefs have propelled the firm to among the
tops in their field, locally, nationally, and internationally.
PARIC CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
In designing the Paric Corporate Headquarters in Winghaven,
Mo., Suttle Mindlin demonstrated Paric’s strategic vision for
the future.
“Paul McKee (president) knows that the future of his business,
in part, is contingent upon his ability to attract and retain
key employees,” Mindlin says. “He would call them ‘knowledge
workers’ and, in business, the second biggest expense is that
same attraction and retention of key employees.”
Suttle Mindlin’s design incorporated McKee’s vision of attracting
employees and clients.
“What we created for Paul was a corporate headquarters with
interiors that resonated with future and current employees,”
Mindlin says. “So that facility, no matter what the cost and
effort, is a partner with you in attracting and retaining key
employees which is 80 percent of the effort in creating successful
business with your clients.”
As a testament to their work, Suttle Mindlin’s design of the
Headquarters building has been included in Office Spaces, a
publication highlighting the best architectural and interior
design from around the world.
BRENTWOOD SQUARE
Located on Brentwood Boulevard south of I-64, Brentwood Square
was the typical strip center of the 1950s. It also played a
key role in the day-to-day business of surrounding residents.
“Doug Huff, (vice-president for development with Pace Properties),
wanted to attract new retailers to this market,” Mindlin says.
“Our goal for that project was to create a new mousetrap allowing
Pace to form new relationships that were central to their business.
How would you get Whole Foods and REI to come to a market where
they had never been before, especially one that some would say
is a tertiary market?”
Suttle Mindlin, with Pace, overcame the commonly-held belief
that progressive national retailers would not come to the area.
Their new concept has brought an “urban feel” to the center
that draws in customers.
“Brentwood Square is a perfect example of high quality design
driven by clear strategic business goals,” Mindlin says. “We
suggested to Pace that we set a selling environment that would
resonate with Whole Food’s and REI’s customer. Their goal was
not to design just another strip center.”
“When you go to the center, you go because it’s a community
experience, it’s your place.”
PLAZA
FRONTENAC
When Chicago firm Heitman Real Estate bought Plaza Frontenac
14 years ago, the customer base of the venerable center was
dying on the vine by not attracting younger customers.
“While still at HOK, David and I were hired to come up with
a new business strategy that would not only retain the existing
older customer, but also increase the range and number of new
customers,” Mindlin says. “We set out to establish a basic understanding
of that expanded customer base. Who were they? What were their
values?”
He called Plaza Frontenac one of their most successful retail
projects. “The ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers)
brings people from all over the world to see it because it started
a revolution in the retail environment.”
At $3 million spread over 500,000 square feet, Mindlin called
Plaza Frontenac “a bargain.” Plaza Frontenac, thanks to Suttle
Mindlin’s design, has become more than a place to shop.
“There is a relaxed sense of hospitality, a residential quality
to the retail environment,” Mindlin says. “If you ask residents
where the town center is, they would say Plaza Frontenac. It’s
where they shop, they eat, and go to movies.”
“Every time you put something larger and progressive in the
St. Louis marketplace, the customer and community have embraced
it,” Mindlin says. “They told us we couldn’t put $15,000 sofas
in a shopping center. People would destroy them.”
They haven’t and now, Plaza Frontenac has distinguished itself
as a unique shopping experience in the St. Louis region and
Suttle Mindlin continues to make updates and improvements to
the facility each year.
THE CEDARS AT THE JCA
From an upscale shopping center to a retirement facility, Suttle
Mindlin approaches each project with passion and conviction.
The Cedars at the JCA has benefited from the firm’s touch by
designing the interior public spaces including interior architecture,
furniture and furnishings.
“Why is it that the average retirement facility is such a terrible
place?” Mindlin asks. “The better designers don’t do them. There’s
no money to be made.
Realizing that they had to adhere to the many rules and regulations
attached to such a facility, the firm turned what could be a
cookie-cutter institution into a place where residents find
stimulation, comfort, and camaraderie.
“This place is authentic with variety, richness and authenticity,”
Mindlin says. “Because we didn’t accept that everything has
to be driven down to its lowest common denominator.”
MESSIAH LUTHERAN SCHOOL
Messiah Lutheran School, St. Charles, Mo., proved to be a ambitious
project in that the design was for a pre-engineered building—a
concept normally used for industrial and warehouse settings.
“The challenge was to take that technology and structure and
turn it into a school,” Mindlin says.
By organizing a series of buildings into a courtyard setting
with green spaces and play areas, Suttle Mindlin turned what
could have been a sterile setting into a place where children
can play and learn in a quiet environment.
Jerry Gilbert, director of finance and facility for Messiah,
says that they were looking for the type of design performed
by Suttle Mindlin. “David Suttle came out and interviewed the
teachers, asked what the kids liked, and the space they designed
was what David referred to as “go to” spaces where teachers
and students could go off in an area, sit on the floor or couches,
and discuss things. These areas could be inside or outside.
He took great pains in making it a fun place for the children
to go to school.”
Suttle Mindlin’s work with Messiah Lutheran School shows yet
another avenue of their belief in the part that community plays
in designing a project.
GO SPA
Jamie and Joey Wilmsen knew what they wanted when they planned
Go Spa. Joey had seen Suttle Mindlin’s portfolio and decided
that was the firm to design their new business.
“David is so creative and Michael is so strategic,” Jamie said.
“It’s a unique combination. We had a vision of what we wanted,
and that is what we got. Good designers make you feel like you
designed the project.”
“This couple came to us and wanted to create an environment
for women that would be perceived as a special place,” Mindlin
says. “It was more about creating a woman’s culture built around
spa activities. You don’t start with designing the look. You
start by understanding the nature of the business model and
the needs of the people you’re trying to serve, whether they’re
customers, employees or people in a community.”
OTHER ENDEAVORS
The firm is deep in other endeavors such as 4545 Lindell, a
12-story luxury high rise condominium with 30 residences in
the Central West End.
“We spent our own time and money and got people to put down
money in condominiums for a modern life style, not a tax credit
life style,” Mindlin says. “We don’t want to be developers,
so we sold the project to another developer. This project helped
break open the CWE condo market. We were the first to get $300
a square foot for condominiums—it proves that this was a market
people were overlooking.”
Among other projects simmering are St. Louis Center and the
Ice House Development.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When they agree to design a project, Suttle Mindlin commit themselves
not just to the exterior trappings, but to the intent and the
personalities of the people involved, whether they be employer,
employee, or client, present and targeted.
When they agree to design a project, Suttle Mindlin commit themselves
not just to the exterior trappings, but to the intent and the
personalities of the people involved, whether they be employer,
employee, or client, present and targeted.
“Everything we do is a communication medium,” Mindlin says.
“Community is culture, so if you approach the built environment
as an expression of culture and people’s value systems and more
than just a building, you’re able to create sustainable environments
and sustainable business.”
The mantra seems to be working.
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DOLCE
VITA PORTO
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In April, Suttle Mindlin won the 2007 ICSC (International
Council of Shopping Centers) European Design Award for its
project, Dolce Vita Porto, a two million square foot urban
destination mixed use project.
Michael Mindlin said the firm was given the charge to design
a mixed-use development that included retail, an exhibition
hall, condominiums and a five-star hotel. “It was designed
to be a destination experience for people in a certain part
of Europe that come here just for the experience.”
Costing approximately $200 million, the center sits on a
hillside and is designed to flow people from the soccer
stadium across the street to resident and retail in the
complex.
That an American firm continues to be an international player
in the world of architecture design speaks well for Suttle
Mindlin.
“We are very good at design and construction budgets,” Mindlin
says. “We’re good at creating an A environment for a B price
and we’re good at value engineering. We know where to spend
money and not to spend.”
In this case, the firm was not given a budget until the
concrete began to be poured and construction was halfway
completed.
Mindlin explained that this is “just the way they do things.
They didn’t establish prices for the major vendors.”
Of course, when it came time to pay the piper, 20 million
euros had to be cut out of the project.
“So, we had to value engineer 20 million euros on the fly
during construction,” he says. “Which we did successfully
without damaging the project’s ability to succeed at its
core mission. They asked us to do a 100 million euro project.
We designed them an 85 million euro project, and somebody
decided down the road to spend 64 million euros.”
And the ICSC Award stands in the Suttle Mindlin office.
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