We spoke with Dwayne MacEwen, principal/creative director, DMAC Architecture, to hear about what’s new for the firm and what he’s forecasting for hotel design this year. For MacEwen, it’s about hard work and attention to detail, creating an emotional connection through design. “You never apply architecture or interior design to a project, you have to earn it,” he said.
MacEwen said he doesn’t believe the firm ever really slowed down during the pandemic. In fact, as countries start to open up again, it seems to him like there’s a lot of new projects at the threshold of starting and in the works already. “Over the last three-six months, we’ve added additional staff, moving me into the multi-family sector and doing more ground-up work,” he said.
Some hot markets for hospitality include Miami and other areas of South Florida as well as Austin, he said. A lot of smaller, harder-hit markets like Indianapolis for example, are also showing promise.
“Because there was such a pent-up demand for people to get out of their houses and do things, I think first of all in the hospitality sector, the ones that have survived have gotten a little leaner in how they run their business and I think there are lessons learned from that,” MacEwen said. “Delivering top-quality products, the trifecta of operations, service, design—they all need to come together. People are realizing that it’s even more important. It still has to be competitive in all sectors. There seems to be an almost arm’s race of being best in market.”
DMAC has projects across industries including in F&B, airport, fitness and hospitality. “It’s a testament to good operators that know how to pivot and excel in tough markets,” he said.
MacEwen predicts that hospitality will see more flexible spaces, allowing for different uses and opportunities.
“There’s an elevated attitude to what those spaces could be used for, more events, open houses and not just a row of tables and stacking chairs,” he said. These spaces have the potential to go beyond a banquet or meeting room but become a good room that helps to activate the hotel and guest experience, he added.
For the rest of the year, DMAC is focused on growing its team with the right talent (for MacEwen, he can’t see the firm ever reaching 50 or 60 employees, he believes its sweet spot is in the 30-35 range) and continuing to move into the ground-up space.
“We do take a holistic approach in terms of design,” he said, adding that he plans to take the lessons learned as a firm that really includes everything, to its new work on ground-up projects.
What will always stay the same with the firm, however, is its passion for design and focus on its clients.
“We’re immersed in the culture of the project before we start,” MacEwen said. “That seems new to [the client], it tells me that they want to have fun during the process as well. It’s something we love to do in the office. It seems like if you could bring the client in and make them part of that process, it’s more engaging and more rewarding and they become stakeholders not just in time and budget but time, budget and experience and what does that space really become, that’s why I think design is more important than ever.”
