Area: 160 sqm
Status: Completed 2012
The Lawn is a specialty grills and salad café nestled amidst the lush greenery of the Biopolis.
Drawing inspiration from its name and the site, images of what the lawn conjures were explored: a place to relax, have fun, be yourself, hanging out with friends, picnic, a place with plants. An identity of fun, casualness, relaxation and quirkiness is proposed.
In the Biopolis master plan designed by architect Zaha Hadid, an undulating landscape strip flows between the dynamic building forms. The Lawn is sited next to this green strip. The design proposal seeks to bring this dynamic green from the outside, right into the café itself, blurring the boundaries between exterior and interior.
The front elevation comprises of a yellow balau timber clad wall with the grill station prominently placed in the middle, as the focal point. The “lawn” begins as an astroturf from outside and carries on in the interior as a green carpeted platform, which forms the ‘picnic’ zone. The carpet bends to form seats, alluding one to the experience of relaxing on a grass turf.
Loose Elements are used to strengthen The Lawn’s identity via the use of :
Plywood cut-outs
Sloping bench
Kerosene lamps
Dome-shaped light fixtures
Designing for a start-up firm comprised of two young partners with a tight budget presented a huge but interesting challenge. Their appreciation for design and passion for aesthetics however, made up for the lack of capital. By working with the client’s contacts for timber and steel, we were able to capitalize on the use of these materials for the overall design. Second hand furniture was restored and ‘kopitiam’ wooden stools were painted in shades of white and black to lend a quirky feel.
The clients themselves managed to source for the kerosene lamps at the army market for a bargain price, after which these were converted to prominent lighting fixtures.
Overall, it was a satisfying client-designer relationship as there was a willingness to explore beyond the norms and a fluid exchange of ideas was present.
Photo credits:
Darren Soh
Status: Completed 2012
The Lawn is a specialty grills and salad café nestled amidst the lush greenery of the Biopolis.
Drawing inspiration from its name and the site, images of what the lawn conjures were explored: a place to relax, have fun, be yourself, hanging out with friends, picnic, a place with plants. An identity of fun, casualness, relaxation and quirkiness is proposed.
In the Biopolis master plan designed by architect Zaha Hadid, an undulating landscape strip flows between the dynamic building forms. The Lawn is sited next to this green strip. The design proposal seeks to bring this dynamic green from the outside, right into the café itself, blurring the boundaries between exterior and interior.
The front elevation comprises of a yellow balau timber clad wall with the grill station prominently placed in the middle, as the focal point. The “lawn” begins as an astroturf from outside and carries on in the interior as a green carpeted platform, which forms the ‘picnic’ zone. The carpet bends to form seats, alluding one to the experience of relaxing on a grass turf.
Loose Elements are used to strengthen The Lawn’s identity via the use of :
Plywood cut-outs
Sloping bench
Kerosene lamps
Dome-shaped light fixtures
Designing for a start-up firm comprised of two young partners with a tight budget presented a huge but interesting challenge. Their appreciation for design and passion for aesthetics however, made up for the lack of capital. By working with the client’s contacts for timber and steel, we were able to capitalize on the use of these materials for the overall design. Second hand furniture was restored and ‘kopitiam’ wooden stools were painted in shades of white and black to lend a quirky feel.
The clients themselves managed to source for the kerosene lamps at the army market for a bargain price, after which these were converted to prominent lighting fixtures.
Overall, it was a satisfying client-designer relationship as there was a willingness to explore beyond the norms and a fluid exchange of ideas was present.
Photo credits:
Darren Soh
