Skin and Bones Bistro     Portland, Oregon     2011

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Located along East Burnside Street in Portland, this existing one-story concrete masonry building is home to a new neighborhood bistro that gains inspiration and influence from the Slow Food movement.

Within the limits of the existing 750-square-foot floor area, the layout of both the kitchen and seating arrangements were critical to the overall sense and function of the place. One goal of the project was to use simple, minimal fixtures and furniture that could be arranged to allow for small or large groups in a casual and communal atmosphere.

The walls and roof structure of the existing building were reinforced to meet required seismic code criteria. The existing building is located close to two adjacent property lines; careful navigation and negotiation was needed with city regulatory requirements and resulting improvements addressing neighborhood quality.