THE INTERLOCK

2022 Winner of AIA Georgia Award of Excellence for Interior Architecture
2022 Winner of AIA Aspire Design Award of Merit
Located on Atlanta’s ever-changing Westside, The Interlock is a large mixed-use development with office, retail space, apartments, and a hotel.  Our work began with the study of the main level public plaza at the corner of Howell Mill and 14th Street, and our role continued for three years as design architects alongside a larger team including Wakefield Beasley and Site Solutions. Our initial exploration uncovered opportunities to connect the plaza throughout the site to form a visitor experience that’s approachable and hospitable for both people and cars. Within this pedestrian throughfare, we created a series of free-standing ‘pods’ in the outdoor interstitial spaces to further enhance the retail offerings while maximizing leasable area.
On the interior, we designed the public circulation hubs including the main two-story lobby at the crossroads of the hotel and multiple retail and office tenants. We envisioned the volume as a monolithic charred wood block, sculpted to reveal an underlying layer of rich, warm wood that signifies an active gathering space. On both levels, we created a series of seating areas with generous upholstered pieces and built-in banquettes to allow for informal gatherings of all kinds. Thin concrete bridges branch off to connect to other areas, making this lobby the very heart of the development. We carried this language of sculpted space to other public areas for clarity and connection throughout the site.
Photography by Garey Gomez