Bubble Diagram

Karim Rashid

One of the contemporary designers whom I focused on his interior projects is Karim Rashid. He is a leading figure in the field of product and interior design, fashion, furniture, lighting and art. Through my research process I researched in depth his commercial interior design projects, specifically restaurant and café designs. What grabbed my attention towards his project are the use of organic forms and sensible use of color.

Barbounia Restaurant

Located in New York city

Barbounia restaurant has a contemporary, flexible and highly experiential interior. The space, forms, materials, colors and texture speak of our digital age. Karim Rahsid uses of tactile surfaces gives the occupant comfortable and engaging physical experience. The restaurant somehow similar to my idea of Oraluom café in the use of organic forms, colors and variety in seating areas.

What I like about this restaurant the casual atmosphere and the fact that it’s kind of divided in to two area’s, socializing area and a quite area. A wall with organic openings separates the two area’s. In the socializing area the seating are arranged in way that promots big groups to gather around and socialize. As you enter the restaurant the lunch bar is situated in the middle space. While on the left and right side the seating are designed in three different forms, the ones that are located on the ground level are rectangular dinning tables with dinning chairs and the seating with circular and organic forms located on a higher platform and they are adjacent to the windows. Whereas the seating in the quite area are spaced out, have privacy, and promotes smaller groups to gather around.

Jones Cafe

Located in Philadelphia

Jones café is a casual, inexpensive, contemporary dinner. Karim Rashid found the idea of revisiting the classic American diner very inspiring and immediately considered developing a wallpaper and plastic laminate motif for the diner surfaces. The space designed to be practical and more fluid where scale and color would vary from one surface to another. In the middle space of the café facing the entrance cantilevered bar is project outward, displaying the menu with scrolling LEDs on the top.

Oishii Janpanese Restaurant

Located in Moscow

Oishii is a high end sushi restaurant aimed at Moscow’s new young urban crowed. It’s a contemporary space with touches of vibrant colors. The space reflects Karim Rashid vision of creating digitally inspired technorganic interiors that cross and blur boundaries of new artificial and natural materials. The organic shapes can be observed through the ceiling, furniture and walls.

Gourmet Cafe

Located in Paris

Deutsche Bank Lounge

At the Art Cologne 2006

Karim Rashid’s intended to create a design for the Deutsche Bank VIP Lounge that would stand out from the usual design that consisted of white cubes. In his novel design, he combined bright colors and lounge comfort with a new ambience that opens up unusual perceptions. He created mirrored floors, organically shaped walls, and computer graphic network ornaments in pink and blue rooms. The rooms serve as a communicative meeting point and exhibition space for works from the Deutsche Bank Collection. The design and installations of the space reflects Deutsche Bank’s commitment to providing access to contemporary art in new ways.

Reference: http://www.karimrashid.com/

Sustainable Design ( 3 )

Natural Paint

Natural paint based on plant oils, milk or lime and it’s completely safe and free of toxic
chemicals:

• Solvent free paint


• Milk paints


• Clay paints: they are less durable but provide richer earth tones. You can use organic minerals and pigments to tint your own paint to the color you desire.
  

Companies I found online that offer natural paint:

• http://www.bioshieldpaint.com/
• http://www.aglaiapaint.com/
• http://www.eco-decorator.co.uk/
  
  

Environmetal Fabrics

ArcCom

ArcCom company offers a wide range of textiles for drapery, upholstery, panel, and wall covering applications. Custom products and designs available for any textile request by designers. ArcCom offers sustainable textiles and wall coverings woven from 100% recycled, recyclable polyester.

Upholstery Fabrics

Durable, stain, moisture and bacterial resistant

Reference: http://www.arc-com.com/

KnollTextiles

Knoll company is a leading textile company in the design industry. Knoll textiles are made out of 49% of recycled contents and 75% of natural fibers. Knoll has received Green guard certification on over 95% of their fabric line. Knoll offers drapery fabrics, upholstery fabrics, panel fabrics, and wall coverings.

Uphlostery Fabric

Panel Fabrics


Wall Covering

http://www.knoll.com/knoll_home.jsp

Angela Adams Sustainable Fabric Collection

Angela Aadams offers sustainable, colorful, contemporary style fabric collection that are made from 100% post-industrial recycled polyester.

http://www.angelaadams.com/architex.php

Design Matrix

Sustainable Design ( 2 )

Cork flooring

• Corkfloorings comes in in three different forms tiles, planks, and cork mosaic tiles.


• Cork granules, in various sizes and shapes, are shredded from the cork oak trees, and then mixed with a low-VOC and inert binder
  
• Used both commercially and residentially
  
• Cork is highly durable
  
• Comfortable, it's soft underfoot


• Sound and thermally insulating
  
• It is easy to maintain
  
  
  

Cork tiles

Cork planks

Wine cork mosaic suitable for commercial and wet environments

Reference: www.sustainablefloorings.com

Sustainable Design ( 1 )

Terms such as "green design" and "sustainable design " are being used more frequently these days. This is because people became aware of Green or sustainable designs and materials as a solution to protect the environment. Professional interior designers considered to be the ones that are more conscious to approach sustainable designs. Nowadays many interior designers express a preference for sustainable designs and materials produced sustainably.


Designers can provide sustainable designs by enhancing indoor air quality and environmentally preferred materials.

• Provide thermal comfort with a maximum degree of personal control over temperature and airflow.
• Avoid the use of materials high in pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or toxins.
• Use materials that do not contain CFCs
• Assure acoustic privacy and comfort through the use of sound absorbing material
• Create a high performance luminous environment through the careful integration of natural and artificial light sources .
• Use durable materials
• Try to find recycled material
• Use natural renewable resources
• Try to find materials obtained from local resources and manufacturers
• For wood or bio-based products, they employ "Sustainable Harvesting" practices
• Maximize the use of biodegradable Materails
  

Bamboo Plywood

Bamboo is made from quick growing bamboo stalks. It's unique and beautiful, and a great alternative to other hardwoods because it's much more stiffer and stroger than normal plywood. Some of it's characteristics anti-microbial, water resistant, eleganct, versatile, durable, renewable, stable and it's non toxic. Bamboo used for flooring, countertops, walls, furniture, molding, shelving, cabinetry, desks, and much more.

Bamboo Veneers

Bamboo Flooring

Their is several types of bamboo floorings:

Strandwoven bamboo flooring

"The most durable bamboo product. Strandwoven™ bamboo is considered the most stable natural wood known for flooring, and one of the hardest woods known. Strandwoven bamboo is made by compressing "strands" of the bamboo fibers under intense pressure, while using a heat-sensitive low-VOC adhesive. Strandwoven bamboo is extremely exotic and rich looking - through the "woven" process, the consistency found in the "traditional" bamboo styles is completely removed". ( http://www.sustainableflooring.com/)

Horizontal grain bamboo flooring

Vertical grain bamboo flooring

Cubed bamboo flooring

Through my research for bamboo as a material I became more conscious as a designer that so many unique creative designs can be produced using bamboo, for exapmle in NewYork city in a small restaurant called Tides, the designer shaped the ceiling of the restaurant by using 110,000 bamboo skewers composed togather to produce atopographical effect, evoking sea grass.

References:

http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Green_Design
http://www.sustainableflooring.com/

Customer Questionnaire Results

A questionnaire for Zayed University Interior Design student, designing a café targeting students and employees seeking for a place to work in with a suitable environment provided by the interior space.

Questionnaire



1. How often you visit the café?

A. One time in the week ( 10 people )
B. Two times in the week ( 3 people )
C. Three times in the week ( 10 people )
D. More ( 6 people )

Most people choose B and C.

2. At what time of the day would you visit the café?

A. Mornings ( 6 people )
B. Afternoons (11 people )
C. Evenings ( 16 people )

Most people visit the cafes in the Evenings and Afternoons.

3. Maximum hours you spend in a café?

Their was a verity between the hours spent in cafes by customers. The majority would spend 2 to 4 hours in a café.

1 Hour ( 6 people )
2 Hours ( 11 people )
3 Hours ( 6 people )
4 Hours ( 8 people )
More ( 2 people )

4. Do you -------------- during the time you spend in a cafe?

A. Work ( 13 people )
B. Socialize ( 20 people )

People socialize more during the time spent in a café.

5. What sort of tasks you like to practice in a café?

A. Reading ( 9 people )
B. Writing ( 1 person)
C. Surfing on the internet ( 9 people )
D. Group discussions ( 16 people )
E. Other ( 4 people )

Most people visit cafés for group discussions, to read and surf on the internet.

6. What do you like about cafes in general?

Most of the answers were that atmosphere of the café that helps them change their moods.
Some people like cafes with semi private areas, quite areas, quick service.

7. What makes you visit a café again after your first experience?

The majority would visit a café again for the food and the ambiance, and some people mentioned details like lighting, and comfortable sofas.

8. What are your dislikes about a café in general?

The majority pointed out the crowd and the noise.
Some of the other answers were lack of private spaces, smoking area, space layout.

9. Do you prefer

A. Self serving ( 14 people )
B. Waitress serving you ( 14 people )

Equal in results

10. Do you like ------- space?

A. Open ( 19 people )
B. Closed ( 10 people )

Most people preferred open space.

11. Would you like to have more access to natural lighting?

A. Yes ( 21 person )
B. No ( 3 people )

Most people preferred to have more access to natural lighting.

12. What kind of music would you like to listen to during the time you spend in a café?

The majority favored Classical and Relaxing music.
Others favored Jazz, Piano, Buddha Bar.



13. What is your favorite color?

These are the different colors favored by people, purple, blue, yellow, white, brown, wood, green, maroon, light colors, red, beige, black, orange, pink.

14. Favorite café?

Different cafes favored by people Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Central Perk, Havanna, Coffee Bean, Coin Press Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Costa, Second Cup, Barista, Mug And Bean.

15. Favorite Restaurant?

Restaurants favored by people Italian Restaurants, Chain of restaurants in Al Marina, Noodles House, Beilla, Dim Sum, Janpengo, Karam Beirut, Goodies, Chilli’s, The Meat Company, Friday’s, Johnny Rockets, Tohnny Carrions.

16. What are your interests?

Different type of interests, Travel, art, photography, surfing on the internet, music, shopping, fashion, socializing, reading, writing, graphics, drawings, designing, technology and development, sports.

Most people are interested in socializing, reading, art, shopping and sports.

Contemporary Style

I choose the contemporary style for my project because it’s favored by most people for it’s practicality and comfort, beside that it’s been thought that contemporary interiors are cold and minimalist, I wanted to show through my design that today’s contemporary interiors are not restricted to minimalism only, it involves modernism, personal taste and today’s fashion. Today’s contemporary style interiors are comfortable and welcoming with more color and texture.

About Contemporary Style:

Contemporary style is today’s style; it’s hospitable and comfortable with its essential elements. It is appropriate for stores, offices, lofts and homes. Contemporary style focus on simplicity, subtle sophistication, color, texture, clean line, space, and shape, which makes contemporary interiors sleek and fresh. As an interior designer to achieve the look of a successful contemporary style interior you have to stick to some basic rules in your design, like color, line, space, furniture, floors, lighting and other design elements.

Colors

• The main colors in contemporary interiors neutrals, black and white.
• The palette is often stroked up and accented with bright and bold colors.
  With walls painted in a basic neutral, you will have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories.
• If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral.
• If a wall is a bright, bold color, neutrals should be used everywhere else.
• Use furniture and accessories to make a bold statement. Use a basic background and shout out with your favorite color on a piece that will stand out.

Line and Space

• The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary interior design is line.
• In the details of the space, use bold color blocks, high ceilings, bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture.
• The exposed space, on walls, between pieces of furniture, and above in upper areas, becomes as important as the areas filled with objects.
• In contemporary interiors each piece stands out as individual and unique.
• Take advantage of structural elements. Like air ducts may hang from a ceiling, exposed plumbing pipes, and broken bricks which provide texture. To attract attention to these structural details, paint them in bold contrasting colors, or to diminish their importance, blend them with the walls.

Furniture

• Smooth, clean, and geometric
• Contemporary furniture mostly upholstered with black, white, neutral tones in textured natural fibers, or bold fabric. Metal-finish and bright-colored furniture can fit the look of contemporary style as well.
• Leather is used more often
• Fabrics often have a natural look (wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute)
• Sofas, chairs, and ottomans have exposed legs.
• Chairs usually have no skirt, trim, fringe, or tassels.
• Colored and textured pillows in clean geometric shapes.

Floors

• Floors should be exposed and smooth in wood, tile, or vinyl. If you want to use carpet for sound control or warmth, choose commercial grades. You can add color and texture with plain or geometric-patterned area rugs.

Lighting

• Lighting is an important element in contemporary space.
• Each light fixture could be a work of art itself with sculptural details and clean lines.
• Color and metallic elements could be added on light fixtures.
• Should be selected to focus on specific piece.
• To draw attention to wall art, use spotlights or lighting directed at a painting, poster, or print.
• Track lighting and recessed lighting help to wash a wall in light.

Keep In Mind

• Texture and color combine for comfort and style.
• You can use metal, stone, and opaque or clear glass within the interior space
• To warm up the space, add heavily textured fabrics in plain colors for window treatments, pillows, or rugs.
• Blinds, shutters, or shades, are often preferred to curtains.
• Frames for artwork can be in high-gloss or matte black, natural wood, or in metallic finish.
  
  
  Reference: http://interiordec.about.com/od/contemporarystyle/Contemporary_Style.htm
  
  

Creating Moods With Color ( 2 )

Specifying certain colors and the mood they create


Red

• Warm and cozy
• Create excitements
• Associated with courage and power
• Mostly linked to war and fight
• Color of fire and passion
• Stressful color, use it with caution, because it increases the heart rate and blood pressure
• Shows leadership
• Dynamic – does not hide
• Stimulate appetite and conversation – ideal choice for restaurants
• For spaces requires grand atmosphere
• Required in a place where increased physical energy is needed – where You want to keep people moving e.g. Corridors
  
  

Orange

• Warm and vibrant
• Linked to health and vitality
• Practical color
• Doesn’t rush in with out thinking
• Rises tolerance and strengthen wills
• Orange does not allow you to sit still
• It’s not a popular color and maybe it will be rejected by people
• Enthusiastic positive color that keeps you on going
• It is a good color to be used in any place that needs cheering up and in creative fields
• Helps increase appetite
• Very good color to use with children makes children cheerful sociable it has been shown to improve academic performance
• It’s creative and constructive qualities make it a good choice for designers architects and similar creative industries.
  

Yellow

• Honest and confident
• Reflects sunshine and happiness helps left the spirit.
• Few people dislike yellow
• Warm and welcoming good for reception area’s .
• Energetic
• Does not distract
• Improve verbal reasoning and mental clarity, good for study room and work room,
• Emotional color associated with joy.
• Create a feeling of anxiety in some people.
• Stimulate creativity
• High visibility, for areas that you wish to draw attention to.

Green

• Color of balance and harmony
• Color of healing and soothing
• Green is the only color in the spectrum that works wit any other color.
• Promotes sociability, corporation and generous love.
• Create relaxing area
• Restore a clam environment

Blue

• Voice of calm and reason
• Symbolizes peace and devotion
• Spiritual side to it’s nature
• Dark blue associated to royalty
• Cool does not like to draw attention to it self .
• Associated with strong and calm personalities.
• In the heat of movement blue remain calm and clear thinking.
• Has strong healing power
• Combat fear
• Relieve tension, headaches, and lower blood pressures.
• For area where people want to cool down physically and mentally.
• For areas where people are under high level of stress.
• It is will suited for studies areas where logical thinking is required.
• Encourage clear thoughts and communications.

Purple

• Represents sensitivity, good taste, and a linking for the arts.
• Artists and philosophers relate will to purple.
• Inspirational color
• Unpopular color
• Good choice for anyone working in a creative field.
• Good color for decreasing violent anti social behavior.
• Striking color
• Suitable for meditation area’s and relation rooms.
• Suitable for a place where you want to be inspired artistically, creatively or spiritually.

Black, grey and white:

• They area not colors in themselves
  
  

Black

• Linked with death and depression to most people.
• Black seen as height of sophistication and glamour in the world of design.
• Limited use of black in the world of interior design.
• Used to highlight other colors and to define specific area or item.
• Bring the beauty of other colors
• Touches of black create drama
  
  

White

• Pure and fair
• It’s cold and hostile
• Representative of a liberator
• Represents purity, innocence and peace
• White is a sign of health and hygiene
• Many people see it as sterile and stark.
• Over use causes frustration, isolation and feeling of emptiness.
• White needs other color to create any sort of mood.
• Popular in interior design
• Mostly white is used to highlight display area or to draw attention to other decorative details.
• Minimal interiors based on white schemes
• If you area using white on a large scale it is better to use cream white to prevent the atmosphere from becoming sterile, and add balance using natural materials such as wood and natural stones
  
  

Grey

• Neutral color
• Associated with old age
• Represents confusion
• Color of stone and steel / dependable materials / firm and dignified
• Has strong links with institutions
• Grey considered to be dull and lifeless color.
• Over use of grey can be oppressive and depressing and can subdue personality.
• Used to make us conform with our environment .
• Good for camouflage
• Seen as color of industrial properties
• In the interior grey has no personality of it’s own and requires colors to bring it to life.
• Used as accent color or for a background for stronger colors.
  
  
  

Reference: Book: Colour your world/Maria Flynn

Creating Moods With Color

• Color theme have emotional message.
• Color generally evokes the same feelings in most people.
• Each person will react differently to certain color depending on our own emotional state.
• A color can change a mood from sad to happy from confusion to intelligence, from fear to confidence.
• Colors can be used to create specific moods but it is not a penance for all ills.
• Colors improve the interests and activities of the individual.
• Color is a tool to be used when designing an interior space.

Typical responses to color groups such as:

Nurturing Neutrals

• Blues and greens
• Earth colors and colors associated with sea such as sand, shell, coral, pearl, stone, seaweed.
• Create a sense of peace
• Dispel loneliness
• Promote a quite conversations
• Green help us to adjust to new environments and situation.

Intellectual colors:

• Earthy warm colors
• Burgundy and cranberry red ( Earthy shade)
• Sharp and witty colors which gives a message that the owner has traveled.
• Grey: which promotes creativity: warm and gentle
• Tones of blue: suggest communication and trust
• Navy blue: warm and never cold and fragile

Playful colors:

• Foundation of this group white
• Pink – bright green – purple – orange – yellow – red with different tones
• Exciting used for fun providing environment
• Gives energy
• Over used irritating and stressing
• Represents freedom – play – downright fun

Healing colors:

• Nature colors
• Green
• Light and dark earthy colors but not muddy, with contrast and clarity of the color that is inspiring.
  

Romantic colors:

• Softer tone of red
• Pink: have an interesting quality that stops the body ability to stay angry
• Purple: dreamy characteristics
• Peach: purity and innocence
• Blue: cool inspired by water
  
  

Reference: http://www.womanknows.com/decorating-repairs/news/416/

Customers Qusetionnaire

A questionnaire for Zayed University Interior Design student, designing a café targeting students and employees seeking for a place to work in with a suitable environment provided by the interior space.

Questionnaire



1. How often you visit the café?

A.One time in the week
B.Two times in the week
C.Three times in a week
D.More

2. At what time of the day would you visit the café?

A.Mornings
B.Afternoons
C.Evenings

3. Maximum hours you spend in a café?


--------------------------

4. Do you -------------- during the time you spend in a cafe?

A.Work
B.Socialize

5. What sort of tasks you like to practice in a café?

A.Reading
B.Writing
C.Surfing on the internet
D.Group discussions
E.Other

6. What do you like about cafes in general ?


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7. What makes you want to visit the café again after your first experience?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


8. What are your dislikes about cafés in general?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Do you prefer

A.Self serving
B.Waitress serving you

10. Do you like ------- space?

A.open
B.closed

11. Would you like to have more access to natural lighting?

A.Yes
B.No

12. What kind of music would you like to listen to during the time you spend in a café?

---------------------------

13. What is your favorite color?

---------------------------

14. Favorite café?

---------------------------

15. Favorite Restaurant?

---------------------------

16. What are your interests?

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Thank you

Caribou Cafe Observations

Furniture layout:

-The layout of different seating needs to be rearranged in a more organized form. For Example the dinning chairs and tables are positioned between the armchairs seating area or on the corner of the armchair seating area.

-The furniture is very close to each other; it needs to be more spaced out.

Furniture:

- Furniture avaiable for 76 occupants

-Bulky armchairs

-The space between the armchairs and coffee tables about 20 CM and sometimes you need to push the armchair to the back so you can set on the armchair.

-More than three two seater sofa’s are needed in the café (most people like to set on them, they are occupied most of the time). It’s upholstered with fabric that is comfortable to set on for long hours.

-Leather armchairs - leather is not comfortable to set on for long hours.

-Dinning chairs are not comfortable because they are wooden chairs with out back and bottom padding.









Colors:

-Very dark colors

-Different shades of dark brown and green


Lighting:

-Spot lights, track lighting, pendent, wall light, and lamps

-Needs stronger lighting plan

-Not enough daylight – the lights needs to be switched on during the day becuase the windows fall under the shade from the exterior.






Entrance:

-The entrance door is in the middle of the wall facing the ordering counter.








Movement:

-The movement is quite good in the space

-It’s easy to find your way within the interior space

-As I mentioned before the space between the furniture is small where it is hard for the waitress to walk between the armchairs and coffee tables to clean up. (they have to squeeze them selves between the armchairs and coffee tables).







General:

-Source of noise ( kids playing area).

-Increase the space of the working area with more of spaced out furniture for privacy









Customers:

-Most of the customers are university students and employees
-Tasks carried by the customers are mostly reading and working on laptops
-Customers come to work at different times of the day including weekends