The tabletop is veneered in tapered pieces of ebony so that the wood grain follows the curved S-form.  Solid ebony nosing with an oval profile protects the edges and feels soft against the hands.  The three cases are cylindrical sections lifted off the ground by stainless steel legs.  Quarter-cylinder drawers pivot open.  The end of the footwell is covered by a translucent fiberglass panel, and behind the panel, rails carry electrical and data cords through the top, between the cases, and down to the ground.

My client, Jennifer Balser, worked closely with me to develop this piece, and it reflects her appreciation of Art Deco furniture and patterned surfaces.  Also, Jennifer insisted that the overall image be instantly recognizable and memorable.  This is an ongoing theme in my work, the idea that a successful design gets hooked in your memory, like a good pop song whose melody you cannot forget.

The Nowlin House, also known as the Mayan House, was designed by Paul Lamb Architects and built by Escobedo Construction.  The seven years required to build the house are indicative of its extraordinary achievements in construction technique and collaborative artistry.  It is a work of historic significance, and I am honored to have participated in its making.

Mocha Babylon desk creates a 270 degree wraparound surface for maximum horizontal organization and leg room.  The three-inch thick desk top features thin drawers hidden in its thickness.  The separate bookcases are built as if each were machined from a giant ebony block.  In fact, the ebony veneer was sliced into leaves remaining in the exact sequence in which they were cut, so that the arrangement and jointing of veneer has an effect of seamless continuity.  Veneer economizes the material to the extent that the entire suite requires only a small fraction of one tree.

Mocha Babylon is definitively outfitted for information technology.  The deep base cabinets hold CPU's and other hardware.  The cabinet backs contain ventilation grilles and through-holes for power and information cables.  The cables can follow an aluminum chase that runs around the entire circumference of the desk and can be accessed at any point for desk top hardware and devices.