When I first began this project, I was intrigued by the idea of eating to survive, and eating to enjoy- a way of celebrating life. Throughout human existance, we have worked to make food more enjoyable through recipes, different cooking methods, technology, etc. Through this enjoyment, we and our lives are more energized.
With these ideas in mind, I began to focus on nature at the core of life, and how the same ideas of energy transference (food and celebration > our lives) apply to nature and humans as well.
In designing my table, I wanted something that was simple and functional, using materials that conveyed the same ideas of transference of energy through human enjoyment. I chose a simple wooden frame with metal legs, and a leaf vein pattern embedded in the 3form table top. The leaf veins are ultimately the energy transference system at the core of the room, and the dining experience.
The table would also be lighted from underneath, to provide the main source of light at night. The buffet table is lower to place further focus on the main table top. It would be on wheels, and can roll directly into the kitchen when not in use, and in between the two tables for serving.
The chairs I chose for my table are Eames DCM (Dining Chair Metal) chairs, as these chairs are designed around the idea of human comfort and taking a natural material and forming it around the human. Its simplicity is also something I wanted to reiterate in my table design, as it puts all the focus on the humans and activities taking place. Below is my chair "tear sheet," which lists the specifics of the chair.
See my first and second previous process posts for more sketches and thoughts behind my table design.
My initial ideas for my actual dining space began with the idea of juxtaposing and overlapping two different materials, visually representing the balance between eating to survive and eating to enjoy. I wanted my dining place to convey this idea as well as the transference of energy eating provides for us. My room design drawings are below.
The "L" shapes of the wooden ceiling and frosted glass overhang create a balance between natural and man made materials. The skylights and their continuation on to the west wall repeat features from my table, and allow as much nature into the space as possible during the day, whereas at night, the table is the primary source of light. The green walls on either side contrast the neutral materials, and lead the eye along the "U" shape created by the east, west, and ceiling planes. While I had imagined the hue of green to be a little less bright than my drawings, I wanted a color that was both calming and energizing, which I feel works in it's sharp contrast to everything else in the room. Below is a wall section detailing the connection of the concrete floor, green drywall, and glass ceiling overhang.
Next is the furniture, finishes, and specifications schedule, specifying all the types of materials used in my space.
And lastly, my presentation board.
In all, I feel this project allowed me to more thoroughly explore a specific process of designing in a way I haven't experimented with before- from actual product, to sculpting the space itself as a product. I felt this type of process really helped me focus on the simplicity of the space, and the idea of "sculpting" it helped eliminate unnecessary elements. Thinking about things this way keeps thoughts and ideas more productive and organized. Hopefully I can bring what I have learned with this project into my future ideas, as I really enjoy designing a space this way.
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