While developers Adam DeVito, Rami Hakim, and Blakely Page were researching for their fast-casual concept they happened upon Flurt, a New York frozen yogurt chain with a very cool look, courtesy of local firm Scalar Architecture. They gave principal Julio Salcedo a call, and so Recess, a sculptural space fabricated with rapidly renewable and recycled materials, was born.

“Though the issues at Recess were different [than Flurt], we were happy with a new challenge,” says Salcedo. “The design inspiration was all about the embodiment of Recess as a concept-a nuanced sensorial and adaptive environment to recharge and relax.”

The space is divided horizontally. The lower half is a patterned surface of Plyboo that constructs a figurative landscape of lean-to-walls, tables, counters and benches. The surfaces are meant to engage customers by ergonomically adapting to the activities of ordering and consuming, enabling customers to both lean and sit. The upper half-built out of fabric and recycled metal-configures a field that sets a mutable backdrop for different activities. Recess also engages the senses through interplay of light and reflection to create different moods responding to music, seasons, and times of the day.

“The first Recess store is a prototype that is helping the client group develop and solidify their concept and foundations including a focus on local sustainable products,” says Salcedo. “There are more locations in the near future that will evolve from these explorations.”