interior architecture: a place to dine : process

Our second studio project of the year, "a place to dine," (for 12) is well underway, and I hope by posting about where I am so far, it will help me organize my thoughts. The project began with designing a table & buffet, which serves as the basis for the eventual design on the entire space. We are to focus on color, texture, pattern, softness, hardness, finishes, etc. to define a sense of place for our space, treating it like the design of a product rather than "a room."

Initially when I began brainstorming for this project, I was stuck on the idea of eating, cooking, and dining traditions as a celebration of life & living, juxtaposed with the idea of eating for nutritional sustenance. This really grabbed my attention as I'd never really thought about this balance before, and it got me thinking about how architecture and design work in the same kinds of ways. Architecture is about creating spaces that better the quality of human life, and celebrate it- it is not just for providing shelter, which it does do as well.

I want the dining space I create to celebrate the energy that eating provides for humans, and create a better environment for eating. Eating engages all of our senses, and while it does provide us with the necessary energy to live, it is also very centralized around the "pleasure" of eating- turning something we need to live into something that is enjoyable.

*What I have visualized so far, for the table primarily, is a sort of frosted 3form table top, lighted from underneath. I love the idea of fiber optics creating a leaf vein like pattern with light.. literally acting as the points of energy being transfered through the food. The table would be split longways, 6 people on each side, and the buffet would slide in the middle, and be just high enough to fit snuggly underneath, so diners can serve themselves. When the buffet isn't in use, the two tables can be pushed together to make one again. I am still considering the possibility of having the buffet actually slide back and forth from kitchen to eating space.