Posted by
Stefhanelle Laurel on September 10, 2026
What is coffee to an architect? A simple cup in the morning: the smell signaling a productive day ahead, the taste energizing. Yet, ironically, it is equally an architect’s opportunity for repose.
The office environment promotes a high functioning environment, one that is grounded in the team’s well being. Productivity is not opposed by relaxation, rather, they maintain a crucial equilibrium in work life.
Despite the bustle of the office, we always make time to reset. Each day, after lunch, the office gathers to go for a brief walk to grab coffee at a local shop near the office together. Coffee time allows us to center ourselves and connect with each other. Whether it’s a small conversation unrelated to the latest project, or connecting with the summer interns, coffee time welds the office environment together. Rotating around local Dumbo shops as each team member champions their favorite, we explore our surroundings just as we learn more about each other. As with many CAZA traditions, coffee time focuses on embracing our studio as not just a workspace, but as a community.
By taking a moment each day to pause, reboot, and connect, we prepare ourselves for each new project. A brief reprise from meticulous design improves our attentiveness and productivity for the remainder of the work day. Even more so, coffee time gives the opportunity to take a step back from a project and approach it with a new perspective afterwards, a critical skill to utilize throughout the process to match both site, client, and technical demands. A remedy to the debilitating brain fog that clouds creativity, coffee time is a crucial intermission to maintain the tempo of our work process. Coffee time may appear as a small moment in the CAZA office atmosphere, but it is a critical reset during the day and an extension of our collaborative ethos.
