Hadley Farms Meeting House

TDA had worked with the owners of Hadley Farms Meeting House on previous hospitality projects, including a hotel adjacent to the location for the new event space.  Located in a community with a long history as an agricultural community, the new structure evolved as a renovated barn with an elegantly detailed roof, replete with metal eyebrow dormers and a cupola. 

The interior space planning included a large banquet hall that fit up to 300 diners and can be converted into three separate conference rooms.  A large lobby and separate bar area create the perfect space for weddings, conferences and other gatherings.  (Interior finishes by others.)

The Alvah Stone

Occupying the lower level of a 19th century wooden mill overlooking the Saw Mill River, the Alvah Stone approached TDA to convert the space into a comfortable and modern restaurant that highlighted the building’s history and location, and established the restaurant’s aesthetic and style. 

TDA designed a new bar as a welcoming centerpiece for customers and seating that took advantage of the large mill windows’ light and views.  Subtle lighting interventions accentuate the mill’s timber construction and the warmth of the wood, worn iron machine parts and the glowing bottles above the backbar.  

20 Railroad

When the owners of Great Barrington’s Public House decided on a complete makeover of the restaurant, they turned to TDA, with whom they had worked on several Berkshire County restaurants.  It was determined early on that only the 100 year old bar, originally from the Commodore Hotel in Manhattan, would remain as a centerpiece but that everything else would be in play. 

TDA worked with the owners to modernize the restaurant, improve its facilities and create a new wood fired pizza business in a former storage area.  Existing natural brick, natural wood and exposed ductwork were strategically used to create a comfortable and welcoming space.  Indirect lighting was used to highlight the existing old building’s walls and the polished wood bar.  The new pizza restaurant is connected to the original space and has a careful selection of the same finishes, but with its own take-out entrance and brighter lighting, its aesthetic is distinctly more energetic.

Brava

A modest sized tapas & wine bar located in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains, TDA was engaged to help the owners create a warm, festive and celebratory dining experience for its patrons.  A new glowing mahogany bar, cool paving stones and rich fabric banquettes balance the interior palette, while carefully selected mirrors, Moroccan tiles and thoughtful lighting give the illusion of a larger space. 

Bueno Y Sano

TDA has designed restaurants for Bueno y Sano since 2003.  When a new restaurant was planned for West Springfield,Massachusetts, TDA began with the brand themes it had originally helped to develop. 

Blending concrete counters and floors with corrugated metal and walnut tabletops, the restaurants present a crisp modern look with an engaging texture.  Hard edges and solid surfaces reflect the pace at which people come and go at these busy eateries.

Firefly

TDA has working on Firefly on three occasions over 15 years, designing the original concept and then expanding on it as the restaurant grew. 

The challenge with this project was to synthesize the energy and excitement of a New York chef with the character of a small rural town – in the winter, the sleepy town finds a cozy, warm and welcoming bar & grill while in the summer the visitors and tourists flock to a stylish gastronomy-focused restaurant. 

TDA’s most recent intervention took the previously designed feature bar and doubled its size, reorganizing a dining room to accommodate both the bar and a collection of intimate dining nooks. 

River Valley Coop

The River Valley Coop, a local cooperative market in the Pioneer Valley, first engaged Thomas Douglas Architects to help with renovations to their first store, in Northampton.  The renovation was so well received that TDA was later asked to design their new, larger second store in Easthampton. 

TDA worked with the River Valley Coop to evaluate several sites before deciding on the eventual location, the site of a former car dealership.  Once it was determined that the existing building could not meet the needs of the market, the design process involved deciding on the structural type for the new building, how to locate the new building on the site, and the materials to be used on the exterior of the building. 

This complicated project was done in conjunction with consults with expertise in grocery store layout, refrigeration, and mechanical systems – the latter became even more critical as the project was in construction when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we view public spaces. 

The finished market opened in 2021 to great fanfare and support from the Pioneer Valley community.

Zen Restaurant

On Main Street in historic downtown Northampton, Zen Restaurant celebrates innovative Pan-Asian cuisine.

Long striped paper lampshades, tall vertical decorative wood screens, and a small stand of bamboo accentuate the height of the space and make it feel larger than its small footprint. Pink, red, and soft green colors were chosen to reinforce the Asian theme. An existing natural brick wall was exposed to give texture, scale and more color to the space. Douglas fir and birch plywood were used extensively to allude to a natural Asian feel.

The work that we completed on Zen is very symbolic of all our work in that it encompasses both architectural form and artistic interior design.  Primarily, the structure of the space must support the diner, the chefs, and the servers.  To that end, we designed functional work and dining spaces and selected fixtures, furnishings, colors and details that define this innovative space. 

The Garden House, Look Park

Located in one of New England's finest parks, the Garden House stands on the site of the former Look Park pool building, a 4,500 square foot nostalgic Northampton landmark built in 1930. The restoration of the building keeps faith with the Mission style architecture of the earlier period.

The interior is a simple but richly detailed design, featuring massive wood trusses, a new large stone fireplace and mahogany paneled walls decorated with handcrafted botanical stencils. The enclosed sun porch offers a panoramic view of some of the park's many attractions, and is accented with wrought iron accessories, mission style wall sconces, and awnings reminiscent of earlier days at the pool building.

Toasted Owl

This neighborhood watering hole features exposed brick, comfortable seating, and the classic atmosphere of your favorite pub. Sitting at the foot of Main Street, we created oversized arched windows that look out on the activity of the town’s active street life. Over-scaled wood pilasters and a coffered decorative ceiling hold the warmth of the custom lighting and traditional oversized mirrors enlarge this classic village pub.

Spoleto, East Longmeadow

Spoleto restaurant in East Longmeadow Massachusetts is the sixth restaurant for the Northampton restaurateur Claudio Guerra. Thomas Douglas architects has designed three of those eateries and the Longmeadow location is the newest and largest of the group. It is a 4,000 square foot space segmented into four distinct yet open seating areas. It is a large light-filled space with cozy seating areas for lunch and diner.

We designed this restaurant with an open floor plan, central island bar, booths and tables set against decorative tiles, pendant lighting, and decorative painting.

Silk Road Cafe

This Thomas Douglas Architects design is upbeat and modern, to compliment chic Asian fusion cuisine, while still creating a warm cozy ambiance for relaxed dining. This was an unusually long and narrow century-old space and the new design created a division of the space along its length, with two different levels and two distinct seating arrangements. With such a composition, it was possible to give the impression of two separate rooms within a relatively constrained area. By accentuating the length of the space with such design elements as lighting, fabric, mirrors, and graphic panels, we further accentuated the sensation of capaciousness with tight confines. Rich hanging fabric and playful “dumpling” lights dramatize the tall ceilings, and a moveable glass façade allows the vibrant downtown sidewalk activity to energize the space.

Deerfield Academy Dining Hall

This dining hall project was a fast track, design-build venture for Deerfield Academy with Daniel O’Connell’s Sons Construction. There was a fire in the 18,000 square foot dining hall at Deerfield Academy which caused extensive damage to a large section of their dining hall. Deerfield chose to demolish the damaged part of the dining hall and rebuild a larger 2,000 square foot addition that would add seats and extended functionality to one of their most prominent buildings on campus.

Besides the architectural design of the brick façade, the scope of work also included custom historic lighting, rich floor finishes, sophisticated window treatments, casual seating designs and landscaped exterior terraces for the entire dining hall. The project cost was 2.5 million. Thomas Douglas Architects provided architectural, interior design and landscape design services for the interior and exterior of the building.

Mama Iguana

Fantasy, wild colors, oversized sculptures, day of the dead inspired art, and massive light fixtures characterize this Mexican inspired restaurant. In the location of a former upscale fusion restaurant at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, this renovation turned formality into fun and quiet into exuberance. It is an big cousin to the Mama Iguana’s in Northampton designed by Thomas Douglas Architects.

This is another Thomas Douglas Architects designed space by Claudio Guerra for his Spoleto family of restaurants. 

HuKeLau

The HuKeLau has been a destination in Chicopee since the 1960’s. It was originally built as a Polynesian style restaurant, bar, and performance space. The restaurant underwent numerous changes before the owners hired Thomas Douglas Architects to recreate the original Tiki décor with a modern twist. Materials such as bamboo plywood, thatch roofs and bamboo poles were used to create this themed atmosphere which is warm, playful and exuberant.

Smith College Conference Center

TDA was retained to reimagine the former faculty club as a conference center serving the campus and larger communities.  Overlooking Paradise Pond, the low brick structure presented a forbidding façade toward the campus way that ran in front of it, punctuated only by a single door and a line of high, small windows.

TDA removed the original entry and replaced the front and rear walls with a glazing and a canopy, protecting the entry and providing views through the building to a rebuilt deck high above the pond.  A pergola was added in front of the long wall with the small windows, creating new visual interest and warmth in an otherwise uninviting façade.  The entry was made more attractive and modern with new stairs, a ramp, and plantings.  Thoughtful lighting interventions were made both inside and out to create a welcoming, warm destination for visitors.  

Smith College Gillette House

The Gillette House dining room and servery were terribly outdated. Thomas Douglas Architects worked closely with Dining Services and the students of Gillette House to design a fresh classic color scheme and to create a variety of seating options: large round tops, rectangular two-tops, and banquet seating. The serveries were also updated for this complete renovation of feeling, look, and function.

The new energy efficient light fixtures are decorative and cozy, and also define the room’s identity. Fabrics and flooring materials were chosen for their beauty and longevity in a high traffic environment. Thomas Douglas Architects has created an esthetic that is functional, esthetic and long lasting.

Johnnys Tap Room

We completely transformed this former basement space to a warm, cozy tavern.  An old-world atmosphere created with the use of wood beadboard, a stone fireplace, and warm lighting reflected with stratigically placed mirrors. The large center bar can be accessed on all sides for a sense of openness and to promote social encounters.  The barrel-vaulted ceiling creates visual interest and openness to the basement establishment.  The space can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate the specific needs of its clientele with a series of folding partitions and doors. Johnny’s Tap Room is functional and inviting.  The perfect place for a pint or a party.

Smith College Cushing House

The Cushing House dining room and servery were terribly outdated. The décor was faux colonial and had the tired look of “grandma’s living room”. Thomas Douglas Architects worked closely with Dining Services and the students of the Cushing House. They opted for a fresh classic blue and cream color scheme, which we matched with cherry furniture and upholstered banquet seats. We provided a variety of seating options: large round tops, rectangular two-tops, and banquet seating. The serveries were also updated for this complete renovation of feeling, look, and function.

The new energy efficient light fixtures are decorative and cozy, and also define the room’s identity. Fabrics and flooring materials were chosen for their beauty and longevity in a high traffic environment. Thomas Douglas Architects has created an esthetic that is functional, esthetic and long lasting. 

Spoleto, Northampton

Claudio Guerra’s Spoleto restaurant defined fine dining in Northampton. The renovation of this upscale restaurant in downtown Northampton encompassed an existing former bar and the addition of a new kitchen wing. The open style kitchen with its custom tiled walls and copper finishes infuses the art of creating fine cuisine with the dining experience.

The dining room design elegantly shines with mirrors and the use of metal and tile, but is contained within the enveloping subtlety of chenille fabrics, golden custom lighting, and dark cherry wood. The linear edges of the structural design play easily against the deep curves of the room’s furnishings and details.