The_Lark_Restaurant_Santa-Barbara_Hero@2x

THE LARK

Design Challenge

How can architects set the stage for theatrical dining experiences?

Design Solution

As the main attraction of the Funk Zone, an arts and entertainment destination designed by AB design studio, The Lark is a high-end restaurant with a private banquet room and open kitchen designed to allow guests to observe the chef’s preparations. The architects carefully created a window system around the commercial kitchen to allow the food preparation activities of the chef to be viewed on full display. The well-appointed kitchen environment became a signature feature of the restaurant, further solidifying its place as the main attraction of the Funk Zone. All of the tables in the restaurant, including an impressive 18-foot-long communal table, are made from a single fallen tree from Portland, OR. Most of the other items furnishing the restaurant, such as 100-year-old church confessional, along with custom-designed ceiling lighting fixtures, were made with salvaged materials from California. 

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Project Data

LOT SIZE
30,300 sf
PROJECT SIZE
4,800 sf
CONSTRUCTION COST
$1.5 Million
LOCATION
Santa Barbara, CA
PRINCIPAL
Clay Aurell, AIA
PROJECT MANAGER
Eric Behr
DESIGN TEAM
Josh Blumer, AIA | Aramis Arciga | Eric Behr | Joel Herrera | Jodi Sutton | Justin Killian | Sherry Villanueva | Doug Washington
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Young Construction
Landscape Architect
Keith LeBlanc Landscape Architecture | CommonGround
Electrical Engineer
JMPE
Mechanical Engineer
Zero & Associates
Plumbing Engineer
Zero & Associates
Kitchen Consultant
Jordanos, Inc.
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