Element Eatery

Project Statement

Attracting, developing, retaining and advancing talent is a key tenet for Medpace, a scientifically driven clinical research organization (CRO). The Element Eatery Food Hall serves as the social heart of a development that is in the process of transitioning from a suburban office campus into an active mixed-use development. The benefit of this food-centered project extends beyond the Medpace employees to the community of Madisonville. Local chefs and brewmasters that call Element Eatery home are artisans at the center of connecting people within healthy communities.

The Element Eatery Food Hall offers a welcoming sense of openness, where life and activity of interior and exterior environments are intertwined. The design responds to external influences from the existing conditions in the form of entrance placement and incorporation of outdoor communal gathering terraces and patios. More intimate dining environments reside within the eastern masonry volume. The western volume, a taller permeable space defined by exposed steel structure, supports more lively functions such as the taproom and beer garden. Food stalls are dispersed throughout both volumes to create a unified experience within the contrasting spaces.

Guests plug into an environment rich with an array of opportunities that span from dawn to dusk (and beyond). Private areas of focus, leisurely lounge spaces, and beer garden style communal dining are paired with craft-brewed drinks, boutique shopping and live performances to serve a diverse range of needs. The functional arrangement responds to the site configuration in a manner that allows all nine food stalls to be visible from any entrance point. Operable garage doors allow the Bar and Taproom to be physically linked to outdoor spaces that enhance the relationship with the adjacent streetscape and event plaza.

Within the interior, discoverable design details are paralleled with the discovery of new flavors. Natural light, sustainable woods, concrete, ribbed glass and steel define space to reflect the pursuit of culinary craftsmanship and honesty. Refined, yet industrial lighting fixtures compliment the aesthetic environment and control light levels matching the time of day and desired mood within the space. Biophilic elements are infused throughout to enhance the visual relationship between interior and exterior spaces.

At its core, Element Eatery is all about people. The project is intended to be a fun and approachable place that connects colleagues and members of the community across all ages around local food and beverages. The architecture is the backdrop, the people are the story.

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

**Design For Integration**
 
Client Impact Statement
This project was created from Medpace/RBM Development recognition that their campus could go beyond serving their employees and become an asset to the community of Madisonville. Through a masterplanning exercise, our firm led the team to understand that densifying the site, introducing a mix of uses, and favoring pedestrian connections could transform the experience on their campus. The Element Eatery Food Hall currently serves as the most publicly visible representation of that campus transformation and evolution. It has been an attraction that has broken the previous boundary of a private corporate campus in favor of welcoming people from surrounding neighborhoods. It solidifies Medpace as a leader and good steward within the community that understands their ability to positively shape a place within the community.
 
Statement of Design Excellence
The Element Eatery project has been squarely focused on improving the daily human experience on this corporate campus. The design process embraced local vendors to understand what was needing in establishing a platform for local small businesses to thrive within the Food Hall environment and how they could be successful in connecting culinary talents with citizens. Seeing the diverse range of users show up and regularly fill this project to its capacity nearly a year after its opening highlights that the design is an inclusive and approachable space within Madisonville.

Community Engagement
Local businesses and vendors informed the design process to ensure that the space provided the framework and backbone for their businesses to thrive.