Location Houston
Client ROK Bros Holdings
Architect A Parallel Architecture
Design Team Eric Barth, AIA; Ryan Burke, AIA; Diane Hong; Jack Wingerath; Keune Shawn Peter
Contractor The Lusk Group
Civil Engineer Momentum Engineering & Surveying
MEP Engineer KO Design
Structural Engineer Way Consulting Engineers
Rooted in the ancient aquaponic traditions of Southeast Asian rice paddies, the building is conceived as a framework for vertical farming, food preparation, and nitrogen cycling. A deep-soil roof terrace allows for up to 1,500 sf of edible garden, accessed by indoor and outdoor vaulted dining rooms where patrons can observe the chef harvest produce, carry it downstairs, and prepare it in full view. The site is largely dictated by stringent parking requirements, and the restaurant’s efficient floor plan reinforces the distributive organization. The plan is conceived as two stacked 16-square grids, which have been horizontally and vertically manipulated to offer a series of adjacencies not typically found in a restaurant. The building’s coarse stone walls afford an understated privacy for the restaurant’s more intimate spaces, while its central heart is expressed as a transparent beacon, inviting passersby.