AvroKO Imagines the Future of Residential Amenities

Features include an in-house alt-protein butcher, beverage vendor, culinary lending library, and communal indoor herb garden.

Courtesy Jack Dylan

Sometimes there’s no better way to gauge what’s happening in an industry than to go straight to the source. So in conceiving a special series on hospitality, we turned to AvroKO, a global full-service design bureau founded in 2001. Currently working in 25 cities in 14 countries, the studio has delivered crowd favorites—from hotels like the Hoxton in Chicago and the Eaton in Hong Kong to eateries like The Zodiac Room and Saxon + Parole in New York. Stepping in as guest editors, AvroKO shows the extensive reach of hospitality across design typologies, from health care to retail and living.


As told to Leilah Stone

What if everything you needed to live a hospitable life were at the tip of your fingers or steps from your door? What if food and wine lovers shared a space that allowed them to cook, dine, and entertain—all while lowering costs and eliminating waste?

In this speculative project, we envision an urban residence designed to serve the needs of the culinarily inclined. As more people seek out high-end, professional-grade cooking experiences in their own homes, there’s a growing need to rethink conventional apartment amenities. Taking cues from the same luxuries that restaurants possess—carefully considered kitchens and dining spaces, bulk ingredient sourcing, technology for growing herbs and spices indoors—this residence is the first of its kind and offers much-needed perspective on how hospitality can inform urban living. Though the building concept may be near-future, the ideas that define hospitable living—graciousness, welcome, and comfort—transcend place and time. Step inside the Culinarium.

You may also enjoy “Can Psychology Help Combat Anxiety in Crafting Welcoming Hospitality Spaces?

Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: [email protected]

Recent Viewpoints