Van Leeuwen – Flavor Lab R&D

Van Leeuwen - Flavor Lab R&D

2024-25

Serge Drouin; Anna Bolok, Dana Lieber-Gal

Status: In Construction
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Client: Van Leeuwen
Program: Flavor Lab R&D Kitchen + ice cream shop!
Team: Meyers+ (MEPF) 
Contractor: Coyle Contracting Corp
Area: 1,150 SF

Flavor Lab – Designing Flexibility in a Compact Retail Space

The Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Flavor Lab project is an exploration of how spatial design can reflect a brand’s identity. Playing with the idea of the “lab”, we established a minimal and almost clinical palette: white finishes throughout serve as a neutral canvas, while color is introduced only through signage, displayed products, and programmable lighting.

Programmatically, the store accommodates three distinct functions within a relatively modest footprint:

  • Retail Storefront – a customer-facing zone at the entrance.
  • Flex Space – a multi-use area at the center, supporting events, presentations, or informal gatherings.
  • R&D Kitchen – a fully functional back-of-house space for experimentation and product development.

Given the compactness of each program, flexibility was critical. We introduced foldable glass partitions between the zones, enabling separation when privacy is required or integration when openness is preferred. For instance, when the R&D Kitchen is in operation, the Flex Space is screened from the public and instead supports the kitchen as either a meeting area or an additional workspace.

The result is a space that is minimal yet dynamic, where the physical environment adapts to evolving functions while maintaining a strong conceptual identity tied to the “lab” theme.

Flavor Lab – Designing Flexibility in a Compact Retail Space

The Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Flavor Lab project is an exploration of how spatial design can reflect a brand’s identity. Playing with the idea of the “lab”, we established a minimal and almost clinical palette: white finishes throughout serve as a neutral canvas, while color is introduced only through signage, displayed products, and programmable lighting.

Programmatically, the store accommodates three distinct functions within a relatively modest footprint:

  • Retail Storefront – a customer-facing zone at the entrance.
  • Flex Space – a multi-use area at the center, supporting events, presentations, or informal gatherings.
  • R&D Kitchen – a fully functional back-of-house space for experimentation and product development.

Given the compactness of each program, flexibility was critical. We introduced foldable glass partitions between the zones, enabling separation when privacy is required or integration when openness is preferred. For instance, when the R&D Kitchen is in operation, the Flex Space is screened from the public and instead supports the kitchen as either a meeting area or an additional workspace.

The result is a space that is minimal yet dynamic, where the physical environment adapts to evolving functions while maintaining a strong conceptual identity tied to the “lab” theme.