6/15/16
Studio St.Germain To Debut Third Commercial Building Renovation In Sewickley

Sewickley-based architecture firm Studio St.Germain announced the debut of its third commercial renovation in a year’s time in the Sewickley business district. The current project is on the site of the former Sewickley Café, a well-known landmark located in the heart of Sewickley’s business district on Beaver Street. The new building will house a fine-dining restaurant with a French-influenced menu.

Following the positive reception of two other highly visible Sewickley landmark renovations – nonprofit business development organization Explore Sewickley and retailer J.McLaughlin – Studio St.Germain adds the restaurant to its growing portfolio of commercial projects.

Building owner Robin Fernandez selected Studio St.Germain based on their other commercial renovations in Sewickley. “I really wanted to work with them because they’re local and I was impressed with their work on local business buildings,” says Fernandez.

For Fernandez’s project, the Studio created an efficient, modern design that incorporates design themes related to the restaurant concept. Principal Aimee St.Germain explains, “We incorporated interior and exterior design touches that nod to the French cultural influence, while creating a vibrant, contemporary dining space that is flexible enough to accommodate dining groups of all sizes.” Because the project is on a main street with high pedestrian traffic, the entrance has been designed with a vestibule featuring dramatic lighting and a living wall (vertical garden) for 24/7 visual interest and street appeal while also improving interior temperature control and diner comfort.

Along with an array of design awards, Studio St.Germain brings a unique level of expertise in high-performance building science to the Pittsburgh area. Founder Nathan St.Germain pioneered the passivhaus standard here as one of the first two professionals in the region to be certified in this international ultra-low energy-use standard. High performance building science is one of several techniques the Studio’s principal architects draw on as they focus on building projects that return value to the community. “There’s a reason our tagline is ‘Building to Give Back’,” says Founder and Principal Nathan St.Germain. “We are passionate about offering both technical expertise and beautiful design in a way that is still accessible to local businesses. We love to breathe new life into spaces where people in a community gather.”

Highlights of the new space include an open state-of-the-art kitchen and connected bar, along with a VIP private chef’s table, natural stone accents, a dramatic Parisian banquette, and the aforementioned living wall that pays homage to the restaurant’s name, De La Terre, which means “of the earth” in French.

The restaurant is scheduled to open in late summer.