The Carved Sneaker Shop specializes in rare and unusual women's sneakers and so it was necessary for their flagship store to be as unique and quirky as the products they design and sell. Inspiration for a design that would reflect their brand was drawn from conducting research into the components that make up a shoe. In order to use the figure/ground relationships revealed by the resulting abstracted shapes, the diagrams were inserted into the space plan to guide the development of a "carved out" floor plan.

The shoes are organized from the front of the shop to back. Shoppers encounter the most common sneakers near the entrance, moving deeper into the space to find the most rare shoes. This concept sends the consumer on a journey of discovery throughout the entire store.

The materials in the space are very simple: wood, for flooring, and felt that is stacked and carved for shoe display and storage, with variations in the thickness of the walls providing seating. Throughout the store, carved-out channels and thoughtfully placed plazas creatively define spaces for display and hidden storage areas. It was important to include storage on the floor so that customers did not have to wait a long time to get their shoes. Ultimately, shoppers are funneled into an event space.

Faculty for the project:Sandra Arndt