Building in a hip new world

For many students, college is a time of self-discovery and
decision-making. Some become compulsive in changing their
major, floundering in the uncertainties of the real world, while
others enter as freshmen with a resolve and direction that follows
them throughout their lives.

One man exemplifying the latter qualities is Stephen Francis
Jones, a UCLA alumnus who has grown from a tot with Tinker Toys
into one of the top up-and-coming architects of the day.

Although his name is probably unfamiliar, his architectural
designs are famous worldwide. Jones has designed everything
from a housing development in Southern France to the celebrity hot
spots Spago and Barfly to the restaurant chain Daily Grill.

“I’ve done a lot of different kinds of work from
residential to commercial,” said Jones. “But I like
commercial better than residential, particularly restaurants
because they have a built-in excitement and fun aspect to them.
Also, when you do houses, chances are people aren’t going to
see your work, but with restaurants they have a built-in publicity,
and you become associated with your work.”

Because of his designs in chic international destinations like
the Diamond Head Grill at the W Hotel in Honolulu, and the Chinois
Las Vegas in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace, Jones has a
high level of prestige among restaurant moguls like Wolfgang Puck,
who are looking for a creative and hip ambience for their
restaurants.

For students with budgets too tight to visit some of
Jones’ more famous architectural creations (like Puck’s
Spago), they have the option of checking out Jones’s more
down-to-earth projects like the new Lucky Strikes bowling alleys,
which come complete with black lights, full screen projections and
a DJ.

“The whole idea is to combine bowling with the bar and
club scene,” said Jones. “In the typical bowing alley,
there is a disconnection between the food and the
activities. The whole point with these (bowling alleys) was to
put it all together and make the lanes part of the overall scene
similar to how pool tables would be in a bar.”

After completing his undergraduate work at the University of
Florida, Jones attended UCLA’s graduate program for
architecture. However, he was so far above the typical student that
he was able to breeze through the curriculum.

“When I went to UCLA I had advanced standing so I was able
to finish in two years” said Jones.  “Because of
this extra year I went to study in Italy and worked in
Barcelona.”

This was just the beginning of travel for Jones, who currently
has projects in Tokyo, Toronto, and all over the United States. But
traveling has become less of a priority since meeting his wife in
1992 during his last quarter at UCLA and, in recent years, starting
a family.

“Now, instead of eating at some place like Spago,
I’ll just go to The Kettle with my family and order Mickey
Mouse pancakes for the kids,” said Jones.