MEET: BUNNYFISH STUDIO:

Firms helps guide Las Vegas with adaptive architecture

Craig Sean Palacios and Tina Wichmann, owners of local architecture and interior design firm Bunnyfish Studios, Monday Sept. 8, 2014.

Bunnyfish Studio

Address: 520 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101

Phone: 702-241-9751

Email: [email protected]

Website: studiobunnyfish.com

Owned/operated by: Craig Sean Palacios and Tina Wichmann

In business since: 2011

Describe your business.

Bunnyfish is a comprehensive architecture and interior design firm. Regardless of the scale of the project, Bunnyfish works from inception of idea through opening day to assure integrity of the design project. Our favorite times are moving furniture in place, aiming lighting and enjoying the moment with our clients in the hours before opening.

Why start Bunnyfish, and how did you come up with the name?

Bunnyfish was started with the intention of providing a high level of design to a small number of projects. The term Bunnyfish is an amalgamation, like blending black and white into gray. The combination is holistic and complete, and no longer exists as one without the other.

Our projects are a collision of two or more strong ideas (one comes from the context, such as community, neighborhood, or adaptive reuse of an existing structure) and the other a new and unexpected layering that makes the project not a bunny or a fish but a Bunnyfish.

Who are your customers?

Bunnyfish focuses on clients who want to create a project that is unique, preferably the first of its kind. Within this arena, we have worked for a range of client groups, from MGM Resorts International to Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project to individual entrepreneurs who are aspiring to open another endeavor in an interesting location.

What makes your business unique?

As an architectural practice, one of the most unique aspects of Bunnyfish is our experience with adaptive reuse projects: turning existing buildings with Las Vegas heritage into something new. Adaptive reuse is common in other downtown environments such as Brooklyn or Chicago but is new to Las Vegas. Through these experiences, our studio has become somewhat of a resident expert in this area.

What is your business philosophy?

Do a few good projects that make a big impact.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your business?

All we set out to do is design cool stuff with people we like, and what we learned is that you really can do what you want to if you don’t lose sight.

What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?

Historically, Las Vegas has been such a wrecking-ball place. Now, we are downtown adaptively reusing buildings. It’s new to everyone. Sometimes we are in meetings with engineers, city officials and owners and an issue will come up about adaptive reuse, and we all just stare at each other blankly with no answers. The fun part is we are all figuring it out together.

What is the best part about doing business here?

Las Vegas has always been a small town on the global radar, which allows us to work with friends on local projects but have the opportunity to be recognized at a global level.

What obstacles has your business overcome?

With the economy slowly recovering in Las Vegas and so much sudden growth, it was important that we made sure we stayed true to our original intent. We needed to make sure we didn’t take on projects or clients we didn’t believe in and the results have been great.

How can Nevada improve its business climate?

We know that Nevada is working constantly to encourage companies like Zappos, Solar City and Moveline, but keep on bringing industry!

Do you have plans to expand outside of Las Vegas?

We are occasionally asked to do projects outside of Las Vegas. We both did projects outside of Las Vegas before Bunnyfish. It’s something we are comfortable with and look forward to.

Where do you see the business in five years?

In five years, we would imagine the business with a similar small handful of cool clients and some new ones. Personally we would both like to get back to community involvement in academia where we can use our experiences to help the growth of future architects, as well as through design and think competitions. More of this from our firm and others will help to position Las Vegas as a global architectural force.

Tags: The Sunday
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