The Cathedral of Creativity: PAVLOV's Digs

It’s not every day you meet someone whose creative wavelengths match your own. But that’s what happened when PAVLOV’s CEO Allen Wallach met the owners of Roots Coffeehouse, Janice and Matt Townsend. The trio’s ideas seemed to mesh almost seamlessly — at least, when it came to office design. 

Roots owns the A-frame building at 400 Bryan Ave., a stately structure that towers above the hip new eateries and shops in the burgeoning South Main district. The Townsends’ original plan was to open their coffee shop on one corner and turn the rest of the building into coworking space. 

Then one day, Wallach took a wrong turn while driving through the area and happened upon the building. Around that time, Wallach had been looking to move his advertising agency from the busy, urban West Seventh corridor to somewhere a little different.

So, he reached out to the Townsends, who agreed to let PAVLOV lease the coworking space in its entirety. 

And somehow, everything just clicked.

“My interior design aesthetic is sympatico with our landlords who developed the space,” Wallach says. “Their industrial or brutal-chic approach — defined by natural wood accents, lots of glass and steel, and polished concrete floors –– was right up my alley and a perfect match for furniture and equipment.”

At 6,560 square feet, Wallach refers to the building as “the cathedral of creativity,” referencing its pointed roof and glass facade at the entrance. 

“We are professional thought provokers, so for a creative agency like ours, everything we do is an expression of our talents and expertise. Our office space is a direct extension of our brand promise,” he says. “It’s very hard to convince a potential client that we have exceptional creativity if our most visible feature is dullsville.”

PAVLOV occupies two floors of the building (there’s also a third floor that has not yet been developed). The second floor includes an outdoor patio that overlooks the Near Southside — it also offered the perfect view when the Blue Angels flew over the Medical District to honor health care workers back in May. 

The second floor is also home to what Wallach calls the building’s “wow factor” — the primary conference room, located directly in the center of the A-frame, where natural light pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows.

“The interior has an abundance of bright, natural light and soothing color palette which lends to a positive vibe,” Wallach says. “More than just for our enhanced productivity and creative inspiration, our office is intended as an oasis for clients and prospects as well. It’s the place where they can immerse, open their minds, and more effectively participate in the process, too.”

Luckily for PAVLOV, the space didn’t need much additional construction nor finish-out, aside from tweaking the layout to include the centerpiece main conference room and adding an upstairs kitchenette. The agency didn’t have to buy much new furniture either and was able to carry over many of the pieces from its West Seventh office.

The furnishings themselves are professional and modern, though there are a few quirkier pieces sprinkled throughout. Magis Spun Chairs by Herman Miller are shaped like spinning tops — and act as such. “They’re fun to look at, but I almost cracked my head open trying to spin around in it,” Wallach says. An airline drink cart with “cheers” written in 11 languages sits in one common area, while an oversized lollipop — an art piece titled “The Sweet Life, small orange Lollipop” by Elena Bulatova Fine Art — sticks atop a coffee table. There’s also a bench and side table made from reclaimed, 300-year-old longleaf heart pine, crafted by Andrew Bradfield of Bradfield Designs in Fort Worth.

Then there’s the Framery O soundproof phone booth from Finland which, according to Wallach, was only the third one purchased in America (the others were purchased by AT&T and Google). It’s marked by a message that reads “Beam Me Up, Ivan,” written in bold on the exterior of the box. 

Plenty of other fun features are found throughout the space. Beaded curtains stylishly hide storage areas. A garage door by one common area can roll up to let in fresh air. A translucent map of the Near Southside adorns the glass wall of another conference room. 

And, yes, employees can totally order coffee from Roots via PAVLOV’s own personal counter on the other side of the bar. 

Wallach says he’s glad to be in the South Main district, calling the area a “creative hotspot” with a certain energy that PAVLOV looks to emulate. 

And that starts with a great office.

“The building has amazing curb appeal,” Wallach says. “With its pointed roof and sheer glass facade, the exterior beckons visitors and belies the magic that happens inside --— it truly is the Cathedral of Creativity.”