February 15, 2006

Snapshot -- Cho Suzumura

Suzumura

Title: Principal, retail environments group

Firm: MulvannyG2 Architecture

Current project: Schematic design of a 40-acre mixed-use development including retail and residential north of Sacramento, Calif.

Q: What drew you to architecture?

A: I wanted to be a painter, but my mother said no because she thought you couldn't make a living. I just wanted to draw. In first grade, my father was building his own house and he asked me to look at the blueprints. It was a glimpse of my future as an architect.

Q: As a designer of retail, do you prefer buildings that stand out?

A: I'm not the type of retail designer to create an icon. My buildings blend with the surrounding area while creating a place for people to be comfortable and happy while shopping. Our business is like creating a theater setting. Merchandise is the actor and that's what we have to sell.

Q: Is your goal to make the "theater" disappear so the merchandise is the star?

A: My goal is to create a setting that will make the merchandiser shine and ultimately attract the customers.

Q: What do you think of iconic architecture in Seattle?

A: The EMP and Central Library are great architecture. I love it. But I would rather work or live in a place that creates a sense of place and provides a feeling of comfort.

Q: Do your projects blend in with local design styles?

A: When you do projects all over the U.S. and the world, you have to understand regionalism and different architectural styles. With every project, we take the surrounding area and people into consideration.

Q: Your group at MulvannyG2 focuses on lifestyle centers. How would you define them?

A: A lifestyle center is a retail environment built around the shopper's experience and integrated into the community. It's about creating the perfect place for people to shop, eat and socialize. Easy access, convenient parking, flexible architecture, a well-defined merchandise mix, and an inviting atmosphere are some of the features.

Q: Why do lifestyle centers such as University Village succeed?

A: When you look at the history of the U.S. between the 1970s and the 1990s, a lot of people moved from rural areas to the suburbs and then to the city. My goal is to bring them back to the hometown feeling. The University Village has a feeling of Little Town USA and people enjoy it.

Q: What are some of your favorite places to shop?

A: I love SoHo in New York. I would love to create an atmosphere like that.

Q: What is the favorite building you have designed?

A: The Santa Barbara Nordstrom.

Q: Why do you like that design?

A: The building is timeless. It blended in so well with the existing retail area many never realized the building was new construction.

Q: What do you love most about your job?

A: I really appreciate the people who have mentored me in the past, and I love being able to return that to the young people here at MulvannyG2. We have lots of talented, young people here.

Q: What would you do if you weren't an architect?

A: I would be in the restaurant business. My father owned a restaurant. It's a very honest business of providing good food that people like and come back for. The restaurant business is like the architecture business. We have to make the customer satisfied with what they have received.

Previous columns:

• Snapshot: Janetta M. McCoy, 11-02-2005
• Snapshot: Bruce Powers, 09-14-2005
• Snapshot: Ron Mitchell, 08-24-2005
• Snapshot: Kathryn Craft, 03-30-2005
• Snapshot: Jim Merritt, 03-16-2005
• Snapshot: Joseph Greif, 10-06-2004
• Snapshot: Aaron Kang-Crosby, 09-15-2004
• Snapshot: Jack Wiggins, 07-07-2004