KBB - January 2015 - 103

Sanctuary features bathroom products
in a spa-like atmosphere, including 28
different showerheads on display.

An eye-catching feature tub at the entrance to the bathroom
vignettes changes out every so often with a fresh update.

Any slight renovations that need to be done are done after hours, as
the showrooms are open seven days a week. During those, customers will
never see an empty space, and the renovations will never be disruptive
to their experience.

Overcoming Challenges
Because the showrooms require a 25,000- to 35,000-sq.-ft. ﬂoor plan, it
can be a challenge ﬁnding the right space in a luxury center that can
accommodate this amount of space. PIRCH has developed relationships
with major developers in the top MSAs, so they know when a good ﬁt
becomes available.
Once a location is procured, each one can bring its own set of challenges because it is not already built to suit. For example, in Chicago's
second-ﬂoor showroom, there was a small portal to transport customers
into the space. To make this entrance more welcoming and attractive,
the design team created the illusion of space moving upward with an
ideally placed atrium.
Perhaps the most important challenge to overcome is making sure
the showrooms are displaying the newest innovations and being the ﬁrst
to bring those to the market. This can be hard because the design team
may not know what is going on display until later on in the process, which
takes about 13 months.
"In the initial process we have our wish list of products we want to
include in the footprint," said Vazquez. "This always changes as the
process goes on since new products are being introduced to the
market along the way. The design needs to be ﬂexible enough to
accommodate that."

Lessons Learned
"We knew from the beginning that if we built the typical retail store,
we were not going to succeed," said Putka. "The PIRCH showroom is all

about an experience, but we do look for certain things we can tweak in
new locations."
The team examines every square inch of the buildings as they are
built to perfect them and make them even more efﬁcient than the previous location. They learn from every showroom what works and what
doesn't and are always looking at costs. The idea is to design a great
showroom within a set budget but not under deliver or compromise
anything in any way.
"Anyone can design a phenomenal showroom, but no one can replicate our culture," said Putka. "This is about the 360 degrees it takes to
complete a project done ﬂawlessly." n

sources
Design: FITCH; Photography: Darin Fong, Darin Fong Photography

brands represented
Abbaka, AGA, Alchemy, ALTM, Altmans, American Range, Aqua Brass,
Artisan, ASKO, Bain Ultra, Barclay, Beratzzoni, Best Hoods, BLANCO,
Body Glove, Bosch, Caliber, California Faucets, Century Shower,
Cornufe, Cosentino, Coyote, Dacor, DCS, Duravit, Eldorado Outdoor,
Electric Mirror, Electrolux, Eleganza, Everpure, Evo, Fire Magic, Fischer &
Paykel, Fluid, Franke, Frigidaire, Gaggenau, GE, Gessi, GRASS, Hoshizaki,
Huntington Brass, Hydrosystems, Icera, Imperial Hoods, Ironaway,
Jaclo, Jason, Jenn-Air, Julien, Kalamazoo, Kallista, KitchenAid, Kohler,
KWC, La Cornue, Lacava, LG, Linkasink, Lynx, Marvel, Maytag, MGS,
Miele, Modern-Aire, Molteni, Mountain, Mr. Steam, Napoleon, Native
Trails, Neo Metro, Oceanside Glasstile, Perlick, Phylrick, Precision,
Robern, ROHL, Ronbow, Samuel Heath, Siematic, Stone Forest, SubZero/Wolf, Thermador, THG, TOTO, U-Line, Vent-A-Hood, Victoria + Albert,
Vitraform, Water Techniques, Watermark, Waterstone, Waterworks, Wet
Style, Whirlpool, Wood Stone, Zephyr

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