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Flourist

Ste. Marie

SAVE SUBMISSION
Bronze
Photography by Conrad Brown, Styling by Kate Richard
Photography by Conrad Brown, Styling by Kate Richard
Photography by Conrad Brown, Styling by Kate Richard
Photography by Conrad Brown, Styling by Kate Richard

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Restaurant
6.42
7.42
7.08
6.67
6.9
William Barrington-Binns
William Barrington-Binns Director of Photography at WBB & Co.
7
7
8
7
7.25
Corien Pompe
Corien Pompe Chairman and Founder at Donna e Mobile
nice and cosy - tastefull...
6
6
7
6
6.25
Anastasia Karandinou
Anastasia Karandinou Architect, Senior Lecturer at University of East London
I love the lighting; it creates a w...
6
9
7
6
7
Jasper Blüm
Jasper Blüm Senior Designer at Colliers
7
7
7
7
7
Bret Recor
Bret Recor Founder & Creative Director at Box Clever
7
6
7
7
6.75
Chen Xiaohu
Chen Xiaohu Cofounder and Brand Director at BloomDesign
7
7
8
8
7.5
Li Baolong
Li Baolong Cofounder and Creative Director at BloomDesign
7
6
7
7
6.75
Jason Traves
Jason Traves Chief Creative Officer at Lucky Fox
6
7
6
5
6
Joanna van der Linden
Joanna van der Linden Global Retail Identity & Design Manager at Nestlé Nespresso
6
7
7
5
6.25
Richard Parr
Richard Parr Founder at Richard Parr Associates
6
8
4
2
5
Stefano Giussani
Stefano Giussani CEO at Lissoni New York
6
7
7
6
6.5
Johnny Chiu
Johnny Chiu Founder at J.C. Architecture
7
7
6
6
6.5
Designer
Client
Flourist
Floor area
260 ㎡
Completion
2019

Dedicated to all who love bread, Flourist is a thoughtful, responsive space that was designed to naturally inherit deeper meaning over time, much like a collection of memories within a Prairie farmhouse. Not simply a Bakery or Cafe, Flourist is a community-based artisan flour mill encouraging customers to bake at home as much as indulge in-store, all while ensuring farming remains a family business in Canada. Built on the principle of Canadian-based farming, close-knit communities & transparency, Flourist offers local artisanal provisions that are 100% traceable - grains, beans and freshly milled flours - with the pillar of “fresh is best”. In an industry dominated by opaque supply chains and mysterious origins, Flourist endeavours to re-connect people with the sources of their food. This notion of transparency is attentively carried into the design process. We began by turning to the guiding principles of 18th-Century Shaker communities: simplicity, utility and honesty. An isolated, egalitarian sect, the Shaker communities in North America were largely self-sufficient. Members grew their own food, constructed their own buildings, and manufactured their own tools and furnishings in pursuit of creating their own heaven-on-earth. Building off of the Shaker principles and pastiche, the interior of the Mill + Bakery highlights abundance and warmth with a straightforward approach. A palette of malty tones taken from Flourist’s grains and pulses lay a foundation for the built space. Strategically lit to highlight these golden tones, the space has a buttery glow that evokes the feeling of standing in a wheat field on a perfect sunny day - a counterpoint to the frequently grey skies of Vancouver. The emotional seed of the interior is bread and sunshine, but it was imperative that the space somehow reflect the two who started Flourist: fun and bright, but also clever, focused, thoughtful and delightful in unexpected ways. Upon entering the bakery, a sculptural community table of mixed natural stones and blonde timber complete with small sink fosters community connection by offering space for bread-making workshops. Dowelled shelves at the retail space extend in front of the window, allowing the bounty to creep into the public realm and beckoning curious onlookers to come inside. Backing the space and fronted by glass, the functional flour mill is a clear articulation of the transparency that informs Flourist – uninterested in the delineations between design and function. Designed to foster community connection, the natural stone table piques the interest of curious onlookers, while the room that houses the functional flour mill synthesizes the intention of informed, clever and focused design with the building block of Flourist: transparency.