Like a reimagined 80s shopping mall atrium, Alfred Encino is a pastel hued, plant filled wonderland. A bright, open-air hang-out space is carved out of the building front, crowned with a round bubble skylight and appointed with a low, wide, lavender tile clad island that extends through a glass wall to the shop’s interior. The cafe comes in two parts; the street facing half, once interior space, is now outdoors by elimination of windows. The building is bisected by a large expanse of glass and linked by the seating island. Embedded with two massive cube planters filled with tropical greenery, the island is a social mixer providing communal laid back seating opportunities. Custom tables featuring Alfred licensed patterns by Venturi Scott Brown, and black and white chairs from US manufacturer Grand Rapids Chair Company, provide a sharp accent and echo the checkerboard base tiles inside. Under a lofty, skylit, timber beam roof, the interior space provides a warm rugged shell for the steel and tile sculptural ground-scape. The classic Alfred elements are all here with hempwood shelving and tables, matte tile wall finishes, vivid blue glass, and frosty wall sconce accents. Tiles are from the Isabella line from Design and Direct Source.