Flick Mars have been Shortlisted for Hotel Under 200 Rooms – The Americas Award in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2021. Read more about Partner James Flick below:

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Name: James Flick

Company: Flick Mars

Position within company: Partner

Website: www.flickmars.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)

James Flick, RA, NCARB, LEED AP, carries a Bachelor of Architecture from Texas Tech University. James is a registered architect and interior designer with extensive experience in the hospitality design industry. Over the past 35 years, he has completed interior architectural design for hotel and resort projects in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Canada; including award winning projects in Osaka, Japan and Warsaw, Poland. Projects with his involvement have been published in Interiors, Architectural Record and Hospitality Design magazines.

How would you describe your personal interior design style?

Warm, ordered, and proportionate.

Where does your design inspiration come from?

Usually from a conversation I may be having with a client or my team; I love the collaborative process.  My greatest days are when ideas gel in the studio; when an idea is nurtured into being and we know it’s solid.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?

Theatre in an experiential sense.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2021 and beyond.

Wonder, Flexibility, Impact (both visually and on our planet), Experience, Comfort.

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to interior design schemes, what would it be?

Stay true to the project as a whole; and by that, I mean adhering to the core concept that inspired the design in the first place.

How important are The International Hotel & Property Awards as recognition of talent and achievement?

Everyone here at Flick Mars strives to create award winning projects and we celebrate as an entire design team when we are honoured with awards. The project submissions for the international hotel & property awards represent the best of the best globally. We are humbled and excited to be considered among our esteemed peers.

What projects are you currently working on?

Delta Midwest City in Midwest City, OK

Delta Santa Clara in Santa Clara, CA

The National, Marriott Autograph Collection in Oklahoma City, OK

The Trade, Marriott Autograph Collection in Milwaukee, WI

Tribute Portfolio in Gatlinburg, TN

Moxy Fayetteville in Fayetteville, AR

Moxy Madison in Madison, WI

What was your favourite project to work on and why?

The National (an Autograph Collection hotel situated in downtown Oklahoma City, not far from the Oklahoma City National Memorial). This is an amazing Prohibition Era Art Deco skyscraper designed in the likeness of The Empire State Building in NYC.  It was built for use by the First National Bank and Trust Company and contained a grand central banking hall done oddly enough in the neoclassical style.  Being involved in re-imagining such an important part of the OKC skyline and culture for use by the public once again was immensely rewarding.  We look forward to the 2021 completion of this amazing transformation.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?  

The answer once again is The National.   Working through the design aspects was of course a challenge, respecting the building for what it once was; as well as the myriad of technical issues encountered in such historic building.  The project required a complete gut of all areas apart from the grand banking hall and some other areas on the second floor.  Technical issues such as abatement, working with both the State of Oklahoma and the National Park Service to insure historically important aspects of the building were repaired and maintained; working with a complex system of floor support beams that were not friendly to the addition of hotel guest room bathrooms, the list goes on and on.  Challenging yes, as well incredibly rewarding.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?

We have an amazing support group of vendors in all three of the cities which we maintain offices; Dallas, New York and Los Angeles.  It is the people we know who provide the service we could not live without; more than any computer or software program could ever be.  We count our blessings these vendors and their representatives are part of our lives.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?

Now that we have survived the pandemic, we have set our sights beyond merely sustaining the company. Our short-term objective returns to the principles on which Matt and I founded the company; award-winning design that solves complex issues brought forth by our clients.  We love what we do and that is the pervading culture around the office.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession?

My 1965 Epiphone Casino Guitar

Your favourite holiday destination?

Penedès Wine Region, near Montserrat mountain Spain

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?

Can Bonastre Vineyard Hotel, Spain; Restaurant: Scarpetta, NYC; Bar: The Bar Room at Temple Court, NYC

Your favourite book, film & song?

Book: Tie: 1. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (As a child this opened up my mind and dreams) 2. The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand (dreams part two); Film: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand; Song: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Your favourite food and drink?

Food: Texas BBQ; Drink: I am partial to “brown water”; I.E. Bourban

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
Lost in my thoughts

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
Unemployed!

Flick Mars

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If you think you have what it takes to complete in The International Hotel & Property Awards, submit your application by clicking here.

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