Treat, JFK Terminal 4
Category
INretail
Description
Firm: Account ManagerDesign Well Spent Company
Project Name: Treat, JFK Terminal 4
Project Statement: When the Pandemic hit in 2020, XpresSpa locations were shut down across the country. The company quickly pivoted and leveraged its airport connections, to open a scrappy, new concept called XpresCheck which provides COVID testing at airports. They were able to launch several locations across the country in short order which brought in revenue and piqued the interest of investors. With capital at the ready, and a newfound expertise in medical services, XpresSpa Group looked ahead to what might be next for them in a post-COVID world. This led to their all-new concept.
This concept is a whole-health lifestyle brand, pioneering a new category of travel, health and wellness. This project was the first physical retail location for the new brand. Customers can shop for premium travel retail, schedule health services like travel anxiety care, or book wellness rooms for yoga, fitness, or meditation. This physical retail experience is connected to the client app where members have access to 24/7 medical care, their health passport, travel/health/wellness resources and blogs, and an online retail experience.
For this specific renovation, we were tasked with converting an existing XpresSpa location into the new Treat concept. Our firm was brought in during very early stages of the brand development. We kicked off Concept Design for Treat in January 2021 with a name, a target consumer, and a high-level list of services they wanted to offer. It was our job to work with the business and their cross-functional teams to develop the entire end-to-end customer experience and to design a space that would fully support it. XpresSpa Group had lined up two locations to test the concept in, so we were designing the concept and applying it to two different locations with scalability in mind. Scope of Services included: Concept Development; Custom Fixture, Millwork, and Signage Design; Finish/Material Specifications; Lighting Concept Development; Interior Designer for JFK, Terminal 4 location; Coordination with Vendors and Consultants; Construction Administration; and Close Out.
The key objectives for this concept were: 1) To create an all new, holistic wellness experience – combining retail, wellness treatments, and health treatments. 2) For this experience to reflect a premium brand that would engage all five senses – immersing customers in a calming respite from the airport. 3) Under no circumstances could the space look, smell, or feel like a doctor’s office. 4) To bring customers across the lease line who don’t know the brand or what it has to offer. 5) To overcome airport design restrictions and develop a beautiful, immersive space that might redefine airport retail.
The primary design challenge for developing the new Treat retail concept, was figuring out the best way to combine retail space with health treatment rooms and wellness rooms – all in one very tight space. Our client was still developing their list of services they planned to offer as we began the design process. This meant we had to plan for flexibility to enable them to define that in parallel to completing the design in time for construction. In many ways, the questions we were asking early on, helped drive business decisions as it relates to the customer experience and service offerings. In addition, we were faced with balancing our high bar for a premium experience and aesthetic, with the realities of the airport and restrictions that go with it. For example, we knew we wanted to develop a transportive experience – that when you crossed the lease line into the space, you would feel like you had escaped the chaos of the airport. This proves difficult when you are located in a loud, bustling terminal and are also required to have a wide-open storefront. This drove engagement with acoustic engineers on how we could create a quiet retail space, and an even quieter space beyond, in the health and wellness rooms. This proved to be even more difficult as we balanced the need to specify sound-absorptive materials with durability needs and airport restrictions – not to mention cost and lead time in the midst of a global pandemic.
We determined we needed two types of rooms to support two very different types of service offerings – health and wellness. Health rooms had exam room-type requirements but could not feel like a doctor’s office. We prioritized a hospitality feel and thoughtful design elements such as a spot to tuck away your roller bag, to hang your coat, and to charge your phone during your appointment. Wellness room services were the least defined, so we designed a folding bench that could be lowered for guided meditation or folded up to make room for a yoga or fitness experience. The retail space needed to be small, yet impactful to draw new customers in as they shuffle by to their next flight. The material palette is layered, textured and warm with the use of beautiful tiles, plaster-look wallcoverings, fabrics, and colors like rose beige, brown, and bronze – a beacon of warmth in contrast to surrounding retail. We designed a menu of services panel at the front-and-center of the retail space to let customers know at-a-glance what the store is about and surrounded it with curated retail displays and check-in pods with interactive digital screens. To achieve the transportive experience we were going for, we installed acoustic plaster ceilings throughout, built walls up to the deck, and incorporated sound absorptive finishes wherever possible. We also installed a music system, scent diffuser in the HVAC, and customizable lighting controls for a calming, multi-sensory experience that makes you forget you were ever in an airport.
N/A
Tobi Wray
Owner | Principal
Rachelle Saletto
Senior Interior Designer
Kate McQuade Nolte
Interior Designer
Brand, Marketing, and Communications | XpresSpa Group | Kelsey Hanson | SVP Marketing & Communications
Brand, Marketing, and Communications
XpresSpa Group
Kelsey Hanson
SVP Marketing & Communications
Architect of Record | Mancini:Duffy | John Anthal | Architect
Architect of Record
Mancini:Duffy
John Anthal
Architect
MEP Consultant | Guth DeConzo | Hassan Ammar | MEP Consultant
MEP Consultant
Guth DeConzo
Hassan Ammar
MEP Consultant
Lighting Design | Castelli | Michael Castelli | Owner
Lighting Design
Castelli
Michael Castelli
Owner
Acoustic Engineering | Longman Lindsey | John Longman | Principal
Acoustic Engineering
Longman Lindsey
John Longman
Principal
General Contractor | Holt Construction | James O'Brien | Project Manager
General Contractor
Holt Construction
James O'Brien
Project Manager
Upholstery | Ana Maria Designs | Ana Maria | Owner
Upholstery
Ana Maria Designs
Ana Maria
Owner
Retail Fixtures | CUBIC | Scott Parizek | Owner
Retail Fixtures
CUBIC
Scott Parizek
Owner
Millwork | Showbest Fixture Corp | John Rotola | Project Manager
Millwork
Showbest Fixture Corp
John Rotola
Project Manager
Lit Signage | TubeArt | Steve Lambert | Account Manager
Lit Signage
TubeArt
Steve Lambert
Account Manager