Chada

3420 Bienville Street

Rendering of front dining room in Thai themed restaurant with a dark blue and wood color scheme.

Client: Chef Tom Intavichai & Glenn Mahiya
Role: Architecture, Interior Design, Furnishing Specification, Procurement, Purchasing, Installation
Scope: Renovation
Status: Complete 2026
Size: 2,166 sq. ft.
Budget: $1,000,000
Collaborators: Synergy Consulting Engineers, Marais Consultants, Arch Builders

Where architecture gives form to cultural exchange and culinary expression

This historic New Orleans house has been redefined to accommodate the emergence of a uniquely cultural dining experience—a competitive addition to the city’s iconic and vibrant food and dining scene. Inspired by visionary restaurateur Chef Tom Intavichai, the revitalization of this classic New Orleans architecture is now home to the marriage of cultural and culinary influences from Thailand and the Philippines, the native roots of the owners.

Looking at the building’s existing rectilinear floor plan, Studio West developed a flexible yet cohesive design strategy that allows the space to adapt and evolve. Specific zoning, design, and programming—paired with the owners’ unique cultural and culinary expertise—enable the new restaurant to function either as a single dining experience or as a place that offers an immersive experience of both Thai and Filipino heritage, distinguished by the separation of the central kitchen.

Rendering of back dining room in Thai themed restaurant with dark blue and wood color scheme

With the kitchen as a central anchor, the design evokes the opportunity for Chada to evolve into a novel dining experience, where the distinct tastes of both cuisines are placed on opposing sides of the building—welcoming each identity to be experienced on its own, yet together.

Through thoughtful chef-led collaboration, Studio West arrived at a material palette that emphasizes traditional textures and ornamental woodwork, paired with contrasting tones of deep blue and gold. Indoor-outdoor connections hug the site with a wraparound garden featuring tropical plantings—becoming a bespoke, sensorial dining environment akin to the broader atmosphere of the Thai region.