Hillstone Restaurants

Rich finish palettes set the stage for a lively overlap between cooking and eating, indoors to out, and a thoughtful modulation of scale and natural light. The results are unique dining environments that are both lively and intimate.

FF&P’s collaboration with Houston’s/Hillstone began in Santa Monica. Located in the heart of the city’s commercial district, this unique dual-level space is a true urban infill project that gets its vibrance from the bustling urban throughways surrounding the site. The restaurant’s open, airy interior blurs the boundary between kitchen and dining room, creating a dynamic connection between food preparation and consumption.
Our design for Hillstone Santa Monica became synonymous with the Houston’s/Hillstone brand identity as a beloved gathering place and community hub. We used natural and authentic materials to establish a sense of domesticity and place, a recurring theme that informed subsequent restaurant designs across the country.
FF&P continued to develop Houston’s architectural brand identity in Phoenix, AZ through materials, signage, and interior design. Taking advantage of the mild local climate, the restaurant’s architecture embraces the integration of indoor/outdoor spaces to create an intimate atmosphere for public dining. The restaurant also plays with the line between public and private by creating multiple layers of transparency, as well as by blurring areas for eating and cooking. The use of materials reminiscent the nearby historic Arizona Biltmore Resort reinforce the restaurant’s sense of local authenticity, and abundant natural light imbues the space with a feeling of domesticity.
A waterfront location on Lake Killarney, near Winter Park, Florida, offers Hillstone Winter Park a special opportunity to establish a strong connection between the building and nature. The building’s design references Winter Park’s heritage as a lakeside community, its winged form engaging the lakeshore in a way that recalls the architecture of historic fishing camp sheds and cabins. A rhythmic structure made of exposed skewed wood beams and columns creates an organic, unified form that connects patrons to the land and water. The building also features a rich palate of materials and finishes sourced from the local region.
Interior layout of the Hillstone in Denver, CO.
As in Santa Monica, FF&P’s design for the Hillstone in Denver, CO locates the restaurant directly adjacent to the street, creating a strong connection between the interior and the surrounding pedestrian circulation. The materials palette and systems reflect Denver’s heritage as a mining town. Exposed masonry walls anchoring the building to the site alternate with double-height glazing, while a perforated copper screen breaks down its scale. This wrapper also helps shade the building’s south-facing main façade, modulating both light and visual connection to the exterior.