Luis Othon Villegas-Solis & Patricio Ramal: SEDUCING THE MIND THROUGH DESIGN: ARCHITECTURE AND THE GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE

NewSchool is pleased to announce a lecture by Luis Othon Villegas-Solis & Patricio Ramal. This event is free and open to all NewSchool students, faculty, alumni, staff, and the general public.

The variety in the culinary offer combined with the eat-out culture is creating a global phenomenon. Coupled with a growing foodie culture, a demand for new culinary experiences is pushing the evolution of the restaurant industry. The combination of architectural design and gastronomy foreshadows the need to analyze consumer habits and recasts the essence of the space as the creator of evocative, unique and memorable experiences.

A restaurant connects the social and gastronomic, wherein the relationship between space and food is immersed in provoking our senses. The restaurant is a meeting point, not only for eating but to see and be seen. The sensory experience then becomes an escape that revolves around food, people and the environment.

In this talk, we will analyze the challenges, social factors and architectural strategies that are transforming the industry, from the origins of the traditional and themed restaurant to the model of fast and comfort food. A dialogue, where the design process paves the way for a methodology that experiments with architecture and its effects on the behavior of individuals in gastronomic environments and their sensory experience.

About the Lecturers:

LUIS OTHON VILLEGAS-SOLIS is the founder of LVS Architecture, a firm exploring the connections between architecture and neuroscience. His work on gastronomy projects challenge traditional eating experiences, business models, community value, and the art of seducing the mind through design. He is expanding this work with “Design, Belly and Brain” a consulting firm that explores the intersection between food, design, and neuroscience.

Luis Othon has worked for Paola Antonelli, curator of the MoMANY and collaborated at MoMA’s exhibition: Design and The Elastic Mind, as well as Safe: Design Takes on Risk. He worked for the Rockwellgroup and Enrique Norten Architects in New York and collaborated with artist Lawrence Weiner at the Snow Show in Finland. Luis Othon is the former Director of the School of Architecture and Interior Architecture at CEDIM Monterrey Mexico. He has made written contributions to various publications, websites, and magazines like The Architects Newspaper in New York, Mexico Design, and BLINK.

Luis Othon Villegas-Solis received a Master’s Degree in Design Studies from Harvard University in 2003 and a degree in Architecture from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in 1997.

PATRICIO RAMAL’s background, although eclectic, shares a common thread: the continuous exploration of the human condition. From designing consumer research to understanding the biological underpinnings that drive human action and motivation, Patricio has developed his human behavior expertise through a +20 year career in Marketing, Advertising, Consulting, Teaching, and Selling. His most recent endeavor, however, lies at the intersection of food, culture and human behavior. For the past three years, he has been exploring the rituals surrounding food preparation and its effect on the individuals and societies at large. By contrasting rich and traditional food cultures, like the Mexican, with more modern approaches to food, Patricio is looking to discover what the potential benefits and perils of this transformation are.

Patricio graduated from GQB School of Culinary Arts as Professional Chef in 2015. He has a Certificate in the Foundations of Neuroleadership, an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain, and a Bachelor in Industrial Engineer from Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico.