Coffee Bar: S=f(t)

"The analytical study of the link between actions and time, led to the possibility of creating a wide continuous open space which is virtually divided in two poles: the first one dedicated to quick services and customers." says Alessandro Calvi Rollino Architetto on Coffee Bar: S=f(t)

By: Alessandro Calvi Rollino Architetto

View of the benches, table and service counter in the background.

Project details

• Project Name: Coffee Bar: S=f(t)
• Location of Site: Pantigliate (MI), Italy
• Design Team: Design Architects: Alessandro Calvi Rollino, Sandro Panarese
• Collaborators: Micaela Tolio
• Project Type: Coffee Bar Renovation
• Client: Coop. Lavoratori di Pantigliate
• Site Area: 100 sq m
• Date of completion: August 2005

Words from the architect

This project concerns the renovation of the central hall of a coffee bar, in Pantigliate; the previous disposition of the counter divided the space, both physically and visually, in two parts: the first room was used for betting, the other for all the remaining activities. The client's requirement was to realize a wide open space, in which any activity could find a proper location.

View from the service counter.

Time spent at the coffee bar depends on the various activities people intend to do: buying cigarettes, having a coffee, betting, having a lunch, watching a football match, playing cards (...). The analytical study of the link between actions and time, led to the possibility of creating a wide continuous open space which is virtually divided in two poles: the first one dedicated to quick services and customers (i.e. buying, paying your bet, having a coffee); the second one thought as a place where you can sit and relax talking to your friends, having a lunch or a cup of tea, reading a newspaper or planning and writing down your bet.

Detail of the service counter by the entry.

Such analytical input is transposed into the dynamic form of the furniture, whose development throughout the space, cuts diagonally the space itself, underlying its physical extension. The design of the ceiling, the upper shelves, the service counter, the ramp to the smoking room, all together physically underline the analysis of people's movements throughout time, contributing to create a wide open and fluid space where boundaries become subtle, even if still virtually present.

Spatial and functional development of the three-striped furniture system.

Furniture are made of multi layered heat-curved birch wood and satin-finished stainless steel; the multi-layered structure for furniture was a proper technical choice because of the continuous bending form. The same type of metallic finish is used for the central pillars and the ramp. Flooring: grey epoxy resin floor coating for the open space while black vulcanized rubber for the ramp.

Design of the space customized to the time spent by people at the coffee bar, that is, Space as a function of time S=f(t); t1, dedicated to quick services and customers; t2, area where you can sit and relax.

The space subdivision is left to the furniture: a service counter separates the staff's space from the customers, while a peculiar three-striped furniture system divides the customers' space in two poles: one for quick services, the other reserved to tables and chairs; a sinuous ramp leads to a smoking room.

Theodor Cafe-bistro | SO Architecture

The Theodore Café Bistro is a place of culture. It is a café restaurant that exudes a culinary atmosphere, while leaning on an Israeli cultural foundation that was created during the last 60 years, Exhibits in Literature, song, art and architecture on display are shown on the shelves, it allows one to dine while staying in very special atmosphere.

The rich, and special space of the place is created by an architectural inspection of the concept of the architectural section. The project offers an attempt at the thought of architectural section as a building stone to spatial formation.

Testing of possible sections combination

The section is not an entity by itself. It is configured by a collection of sections that came before it and follow it. The order and intensive and crowded placement in relation to its neighbors form the whole.

This is comparable to what is known in the movie history as the Kuleshov effect, the film maker Lev Kuleshov showed in his work that the way a shot is interpreted by the viewer by the shots around it. In other words: the sequence is the dominant factor, and not the individual shot. The same applies to Theodore: the spatial formation is conceived as an intensive sequence of changing sections. The view in site are enclosed and planned meticulously by the use of physical models and a computerized three dimensional model.

Since the place is a stage for high literature, the building details point that way. Just as in literature the exact word choice is of cardinal importance, so, in this project, the planners gave great importance to the precision and clarity of the details of the building. The module of the sections was built by combining clear lacquered plywood, and 10 mm thick aluminum. The wooden elements play with the meeting of with ceiling, floor and lighting fixtures, cleanly and in detail. The lighting fixtures that were specially designed for the place were cut by laser, in correlation to the graphical language of the place.

The project was planned as a complete project, in all its components designs – architecture, graphics, and architectural landscaping. The planning and execution included the close cooperation with the graphical designer, who designed the architectural graphics in harmony with the architectural geometry. A richness and synergy is created by the interaction of the two dimensional graphics and the three dimensional architecture. The graphical language of the site is repeated in the menu that was designed as a book, and thus changes the perusal of the menu into part of the architectural experience of the site.

Project: Theodor Cafe-bistro
Architects: SO Architecture
Location: Israel
Project year: 2008
images © SO Architecture

English Garden Landscape Design – The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

Materials, accessories, and, of course, appropriate plant life are all important aspects of a romantic cottage style garden design that brings elegance and beauty to your outdoor space, as well as your home. Natural, twisting walkways, edged with flourishing plants and shaded by majestic trees, thriving lawns for relaxing and playing, and traditional county cottage style accessories create a simple outdoor living area full of beauty that complements your home.

Building English garden Paths

Secluded walkways with graceful curves and abundant, free-flowing plant life are the foundation to creating a genuine English landscape design. garden paths meander through the landscape, allowing peaceful enjoyment of nature’s pleasures. The materials used to build the walkways are the key to a romantic, English atmosphere.

These materials and design tips are perfect for your English garden style outdoor living area:

Natural materials, like gravel and bark, make beautiful paths with a simplistic look. These materials are inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance.
Stylish brick or stone pavers are a more luxurious option, lending an element of charm and grace to your outdoor design.
Combine stone, gravel, and brick materials for a more genuine English garden landscape design.
Avoid formal angles and conservative patterns, integrating soft lines and curving designs that suggest romance instead.

The Charm of English garden Accessories

Your quaint English garden should be a relaxing and tranquil place that allows you to enjoy the beauty of fine outdoor living. The garden accessories you choose are an important influence on the overall atmosphere and theme of your outdoor space. Select decor that complements the free-flowing, natural uniqueness of the English countryside.

Green lawns with picturesque views of the most beautiful aspects of your design are made functional with wooden garden furniture, like teak, that has an antique, aged appearance. Romantic benches or intimate cottage style outdoor furniture, along with quaint arbors and fragrantly adorned trellises, create the appeal of the country without detracting from the modern beauty of your home. Gazebos, quaint foot bridges, and rustic fences can also add the charm of your country style garden.

Wildlife’s Role in the English garden

Traditional English gardens were abundant with a variety of insects, birds, and other wildlife that only complements the natural beauty of this landscape style. garden accessories, like water gardens and rustic bird baths or feeders, are one way to attract a number of species to your outdoor living space.

Certain plants and ground coverings are known to attract wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant fragrant lavender, clover, and small bushes with bright colored berries throughout the garden. Undisturbed grasslands and natural rock arrangements are also inviting to area wildlife.

English garden Plants

The country garden style is characterized by a lavish array of flowers, shrubs, and vines in a rainbow of vibrant hues, complemented by majestic, curving trees providing relaxing shade from the afternoon sun.

Select a variety of country garden plants for your design, including blooms that provide color in each season. Some flowers and shrubs to consider are:

Traditional country rose bushes, aromatic honeysuckles, foxglove and primroses, and the native, graceful lily of the valley are excellent plants for shady areas.
Potted herb gardens and planters filled with cornflowers, violas, and petunias can tolerate the tranquil shade of your English garden as well.
Native flowers, peonies, easy to care for geraniums, and fragrantly luxurious sweet peas are other suggestions.

English garden landscape designs provide unique outdoor living areas with a fun and whimsical atmosphere. A landscape design plan that blends the style of your home into the simple, natural charm of your outdoor space can be perfected with the assistance of a professional landscape architect or garden designer. Your design firm can also offer advice on the best country garden style for you and your home.

What is I-Bar?

 

 

 

     I-Bar is a system for the interactive design of any bar- counter. Integrated video-projectors can project any content on the milky bar-surface. The intelligent tracking system of I-Bar detects all objects touching the surface.

 

The “I” in“I-bar”means intelligent and interactive. This input is used to let the projected content interact dynamically with the movements on the counter. Objects such as the cups, keys, cards, mobile phones and so on can be illuminated at their position or virtual objects can be "touched" with the fingers.

 

bar makes the activities more interesting:

(1) Menu function

The users can get information of the wine and drinks on it .It makes the order more effectively and interesting.

 

(2)Playing games

The users can play some interesting games on the bar-counter alone or with other persons. It insists cooperation and helps to kill time.

 

 

(3) Ambience inspiring

When people’s glasses on the bar-counter are connected by the light of the I-bar, it will be a good chance to make new friends.

 

 

(4) Decoration

The I-Bar system is ready to be installed completely into any kind of bar-counter, there’s no need for any further installations on the ceiling or something like that. The software is flexible and can be adjusted and enhanced。

 

 

It can show Videos, Newspaper, Brochures, Games, Fun, and Visuals, Ambience etc.

 

Tags:I-bar,interactive,games,

Art Fund Pavilion - The Maze - London-Cre8 Architecture

 

The objective of The Art Fund Pavilion architecture competition is to provide The Lightbox in London with a semi-permanent summer pavilion which will sit alongside their RIBA award-winning building by Marks Barfield Architects.
Source:Cre8 Architecture

AIA 2009 Small Project Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) have selected the 20 recipients of the 2009 Small Project Awards. The program recognizes small-project practitioners and their work, raising public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects bring to projects, no matter the size and scope.

Core architecture + design: Blatz Bottle Apertures

Moorhead & Moorhead: Mobile Chaplet

Robert Maschke Architects: Media Arts

Moskow Linn Architects: Swamp Hut

Small project objects category winners:

• Atlas Performing Arts Center – Shadow Signage, Washington, DC, by CORE architecture + design
• Blatz Bottle Apertures, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects
• Counterbalanced Steel Stair, Bozeman, Montana by Intrinsik Architecture
• Dominey Pavilion, Decatur, Georgia by Lightroom Studio, LLC
• Mobile Chaplet, Fargo, North Dakota by Moorhead & Moorhead
• Cup City, Austin, Texas by Legge Lewis Legge
• The Founders’ Circle Wall at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware by RMJM MERJE

Small project structures category winners:

• Chapin Studio, Austin, Texas by Clayton Levy & Little Architects
• Dar Luz, GLOW 2008, Eindhoven, Netherlands by Laboratory for Environments, Architecture & Design Inc.
• Ferrous House, Spring Prairie, Wisconsin by Johnsen Schmaling Architects
• Hanna Fenichel Center for Child Development, Solana Beach, California by Stephen Dalton Architects
• Media Arts, Cleveland, Ohio by Robert Maschke Architects
• Accessory Building, North Vancouver, British Columbia by mcfarlane green biggar Architecture + Design Inc.
• Emel Residence, Palo Alton, California by EASA Architecture
• Public Bus Shelters, New Haven, Connecticut by david thompson Architects
• Swamp Hut, Newton, Massachusetts by Moskow Linn Architects
• Trail Restroom, Austin, Texas by Miró Rivera Architects

The awards jury included jury moderator Louis Smith, AIA, Microtecture; Kenneth Workman, AIA, RWA Architects; Sanford Steinberg, AIA, Steinberg Design Collaborative; Eric McRoberts, AIA, RLPS; Katherine Austin, AIA; Sherry Ahrentzen, Assoc. AIA, Arizona State University.

Filed under Architecture, Awards, Interiors, Public and tagged 2009 Small Project Awards, AIA, Clayton Levy & Little Architects, Core Architecture + Design, david thompson Architects, EASA Architecture, Intrinsik Architecture, Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Laboratory for Environments Architecture & Design, Legge Lewis Legge, Lightroom Studio, mcfarlane green biggar Architecture + Design Inc, Miró Rivera Architects, Moorhead & Moorhead, Moskow Linn Architects, RMJM MERJE, Robert Maschke Architects, Stephen Dalton Architects. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

Puptent; New York City

Slade Architecture

Description by the Architects: This piece was an exploration in materials designed and fabricated for the Design Trust for Public Spaces Annual Auction. The project requirements were: to create a “nest”--something that could support residence for a creature, and would fit in a taxi. The auction was intended to raise money for a handful of public projects sponsore by the Design Trust and featured the work of a variety of artists and architects, including: Christo, Kiki Smith, Isaac Mizrahi, Lewis Tsurmaki Lewis, Hariri & Hariri, Tsao & McKown, etc.
Our design is for a modern, indoor dog lounge or PUP TENT. Water-jet cut plywood was laminated to create a conical shape. The exterior surface was sanded and finished smooth and the interior maintains the stepping configuration characteristic of the plywood lamina. A surface pattern is created as the planar plies of the wood intersect with the conical geometry of the surface. The design is sustainable as well as the configuration promotes the stack effect and the skylight and window provide natural light!
Construction Cost in whole dollars  $ 1000

Recipients of the 2010 AIA Small Project Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) have selected the 10 recipients of the 2010 Small Project Awards. The AIA Small Project Awards Program, now in its sixth year, was established to recognize small-project practitioners for the high quality of their work and to promote excellence in small-project design. This award program emphasizes the excellence of small-project design and strives to raise public awareness of the value and design excellence that architects bring to projects, no matter the limits of size and scope.

The jury for the Small Project Awards includes: Tom Howorth, FAIA, Howorth & Associates; Kevin Harris, FAIA, Kevin Harris and Associates; Camilo Parra, AIA, Parra Design Group LTD; Thomas Fisher, Assoc. AIA, Dean, University of Minnesota College of Design and David Miller, FAIA, Miller Hull Partnership.

Award recipients are categorized into three groups; Architecture in the Public Interest, Small Project Objects (up to $50,000 construction budget) and Small Project Structures (up to $500,000 construction budget).

Small Project Structures

Update! View this related article:

• Tonic-Design Frames a Sculpture Park:  AIA Small Project Award Recipient 2010

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East Village Studio; New York City; jordan parnass digital architecture

East Village Studio; New York City
jordan parnass digital architecture
Living and working in just under 500 square feet, the client had been occupying the space without ever really living in it. The solution was ultimately to combine the kitchen, bath, sleeping loft and a new walk-in closet into an intricately sculpted wood-paneled central service core. The space outside of the core area would remain as flexible as possible, with millwork finished in a high-gloss white to read as part of the shell and stand in contrast to the wooden service core.

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Salve Staff Canteen; Milwaukee; Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Salve Staff Canteen; Milwaukee
Johnsen Schmaling Architects
This small canteen serves the cooks, janitors, and maids of an ornate downtown hotel built in 1893. Located deep inside the building’s subterranean belly and without access to daylight, the canteen was carved out of a cluttered maze of residual spaces previously occupied by closets, obsolete mechanical equipment, and a make-shift break room. Invisible to the hotel guests above, this modest back-of-the-house project demonstrates architecture’s transformative power, regardless of scope or budget limitations, benefitting a community of workers at the bottom of the economic food chain.

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Kevin Mundy Memorial Bridge; Bozeman, Montana; Intrinsik Architecture

Kevin Mundy Memorial Bridge; Bozeman, Montana
Intrinsik Architecture
With a clear span of 50 feet, the bridge is two halves made up of two opposing shed trusses, each with a high part and a lower part. The moment frame, accentuated by powder-coated orange steel, joins the two wood halves together. Seating is designed to accommodate many and offer dynamic shelter to contemplate the art of the structure and the nature of the place. From various perspectives, including the winding approaches and from points high along the trail, the dynamic form continues to surprise and impress.

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[Wide] Band - Nomadic Café; Los Angeles; Griffin Enright Architects

[Wide] Band - Nomadic Café; Los Angeles
Griffin Enright Architects
[WIDE]BAND is a 600-square foot, portable project with the flexibility to accommodate a multiplicity of functions. Originally designed as an installation for NeoCon West, it was then moved to the A + D Museum in Los Angeles where it functioned as a café by day and as a bar/lounge space at night without altering the configuration. The name, [WIDE]BAND, alludes to the physical loop formed by the surfaces and to the broadband technology supporting the wireless Internet access provided.

 

Small Project Objects

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Shadow Pavilion; Ann Arbor, Michigan; PLY Architecture

Shadow Pavilion; Ann Arbor, Michigan
PLY Architecture
The Shadow Pavilion explores the paradox of a perforated structure where the removal of material makes a structure lighter and weaker. The Shadow Pavilion, is both a structure and a space made entirely of holes. The pavilion surface is made with over 100 aluminum laser cut cones that vary in size. Beyond testing the limits of sheet aluminum, the cones funnel light and sound to the interior space, offering visitors a space to take in the views and sounds of the surrounding landscape.

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plug-in satellite office – ASU; Phoenix; mark ryan studio

plug-in satellite office – ASU; Phoenix
mark ryan studio
When not in use the steel tube frame enclosure can compact to 7’ x 14’ and can be moved as necessary throughout the studio. When fully deployed it occupies a floor space that is 14’ square feet and accommodates one to four persons. It can be ‘plugged-in’ as needed around the entire studio perimeter where data and electrical services are located. The specific site for the satellite inside this historic warehouse was chosen for its active, energetic atmosphere within the emerging downtown arts district that sits adjacent to the university’s downtown campus in process.

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Prospect.1 Welcome Center; New Orleans; Eskew+Dumez+Ripple

Prospect.1 Welcome Center; New Orleans
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
The Welcome Center for Prospect.1 (P.1), which is the largest biennial of international contemporary art in the U.S. is housed in the historic Hefler Warehouse – and serves to orient visitors to the city and the biennial. The design was inspired by the shape and scale of shipping containers, a nod to the significance of the port to the city’s economy and a reference to the nature of delivery for much of the art exhibited for the biennial. Due to constraints of time and budget – the entire project was designed and constructed in 6 weeks at a total cost of $28,000 – a single construction material, plywood, was selected that was both inexpensive and readily available.

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Puptent; New York City; slade architecture

Puptent; New York City
slade architecture
This piece was an exploration in materials designed and fabricated for the Design Trust for Public Spaces Annual Auction. The design is for a modern, indoor dog lounge or PUP TENT. Water-jet cut plywood was laminated to create a conical shape. The exterior surface was sanded and finished smooth and the interior maintains the stepping configuration characteristic of the plywood lamina. A surface pattern is created as the planar plies of the wood intersect with the conical geometry of the surface.

 

Architecture in the Public Interest

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Art as Shelter; Raleigh, North Carolina; Tonic Design

Art as Shelter; Raleigh, North Carolina
Tonic Design
Designed and built as an integral component of the North Carolina Museum of Art Park’s ‘art-in-service’ projects program, ‘Art as Shelter’ offers visitors a sheltered place to sit and reflect upon the museum sculpture park and public greenway. Viewed as an object in the landscape or experienced from within, the pavilion offers magnificent veiled panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

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SplitFrame; Portland, Connecticut; North Studio at Wesleyan University

SplitFrame; Portland, Connecticut
North Studio at Wesleyan University
SplitFrame is a wildlife viewing structure designed and constructed to maximize environmental exposure while minimizing impact, both in construction and over the projected life of the structure. Sited in a publicly accessible wildlife sanctuary, the core of the project consists of two integral pieces - a floating Observation Deck and an elevated viewing station - connected via a hinged staircase, allowing the observation Deck to rise and fall with the seasonal change in water levels.

Gordon Square Bus Shelters

Architects’ contributions to the public realm are more than just the façades of buildings. They also include street furniture and other elements of urban design, especially in cities where design is valued for making contributions to a sense of place. Robert Maschke Architects’ designs of two bus shelters are a striking addition to the Detroit Avenue Streetscape in Cleveland, Ohio. The architect answered some questions about this urban design project.

View looking Southwest

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project? 

Robert Maschke Architects was commissioned by the city of Cleveland based on the firm’s design profile and commitment to the neighborhood where the shelters are sited. The project consists of two bus shelters designed for the Gordon Square Arts District within Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The brief called for the creation of functional and iconic elements to be incorporated as a part of an ensemble of new pieces of public art slated for the highly anticipated Detroit Avenue Streetscape project.

View looking East (Evening)

Can you describe your design process for the building?

Conceptually, the design is conceived as a single stainless steel surface which wraps and folds to create the shelter. The singular material enhances the sculptural quality of the modestly scaled shelters. Folds in the surface are determined by the accommodation of functional, contextual, and structural variables, which merge to generate the shelter’s shape. A pattern of perforations moves across the surface of the shelter which responds to localized conditions of sun, wind and view. In the evening the shelters are internally illuminated, projecting a subtle dithered pattern on the surrounding buildings and surfaces transforming the existing context and incorporating it as a part of this new vibrant installation.

View looking West

How does the completed building compare to the project as designed? Were there any dramatic changes between the two and/or lessons learned during construction?

The bus shelter was conceived and designed using a combination of Autocad and 3d modeling. Digital models were used to create renderings and physical models which informed the design of the bus shelter. The models and drawings were used by the fabricator to create a template of the exact design. The final components of the shelter were cut from the templates and welded together. The final product was installed as designed without any changes to original design.

Unfolded Diagram

How does the building compare to other projects in your office, be it the same or other building types?

This project continues a series of investigations at multiple scales, over the last several years, of single surface organizational strategies and the capacity to incorporate multiple functions into the single surface.

Assembly Diagram

How does the building relate to contemporary architectural trends, be it sustainability, technology, etc.?

This project utilizes digital fabrication techniques. Seamlessly translating from the design software to the fabricator.

Are there any new/upcoming projects in your office that this building’s design and construction has influenced?

Yes, Robert Maschke Architects Inc. is currently working on a private residence that will deploy similar technologies at a larger scale.

E-Mail Interview conducted by John Hill

Urban flotsam p28