Interior Studies II 

Midterm Project: Tea and Coffee

For the midterm project, we were asked to create a tea or coffee-related program for a small portion of the Providence Public Library, located in the Providence downtown area. 

This program explores the idea of a dim sum cafe (dim sum, or yum cha in Cantonese, translates to tea time). The name of the cafe is hei, which in Cantonese means 'happiness', and when the character is repeated (double happiness), it indicates good luck, good fortune and joy. The dim sum cafe promotes spending time with friends and family, and enjoying a unique dining experience. As dim sum is also served in small plates, it is an affordable and fun meal.

In the cafe, organically shaped round tables provide for easy circulation of diners, as well as traditional dim sum carts. A glass wall provides a view into the kitchen, and a centralized entrance circulation provides an easy understanding of the space. There is also a private dining room in the rear for banquets or other events, as well as a grab-and-go case for the busier customer.

This project also explored the creation of a total design. Students created graphic packages, material layouts, scale models, and digital drawings and renderings.