Green (inside)? An eating experience which addresses ecological & lifestyle sustainability, with the interior as a tool

Abstract

This dissertation originated from a concern regarding healthy and sustainable living, with the focus on aspects of well-being, eating and nutrition. It has not been seen or explicitly explored as a problem to address within the discipline of interior design. It is of the opinion that the environments in which we live can directly influence the way we live. Green (Inside)? is a project proposal which addresses both a normative stance towards interior design and a recognized gap in the social sphere. A scarceness of experiential design in interior environments is examined. This stance is contextualized as a response against the status quo of the restaurant industry towards sustainable living. Restaurants, specifically fast-food outlets or caf?'s, tend to promote unhealthy lifestyles and lack to provide an experience beyond the food itself. The theoretical approaches of sustainable development, human centred design and experiential design, informed the design discourse. The character of the design is guided by the found theories of a process oriented view, the farm-to-table concept, urban farming and principles of the changing kitchen. The programme is placed within the Maboneng precinct in Johannesburg CBD. It establishes a new urban food identity and brand, furthermore connected with its creative and industrial identity. The conceptual restaurant, the Inside, proposes an eating experience, using the eating process as medium of communication to address various topics of ecological and lifestyle sustainability. It will intentionally expose users to participate and interact within the spaces, its processes and a specific sensory-story. The design interventions will aim to encourage and educate users towards sustainability.

n Kommer oor gesonde en volhoubare lewensstyle, spesifiek gerig op welsyn en eetgewoontes, was die vertrekpunt vir die verhandeling. Hierdie kwessie is nog nie heeltemal verken as 'n probleem wat aangespreek kan word in die dissipline van binne-ontwerp nie. Dit is egter van mening dat die ruimtes waarin ons leef en beweeg ons manier van lewe be?nvloed. "Green (Inside)?" is 'n projek wat gebaseer is op twee aspekte: Die eerste handeling is 'n normatiewe standpunt vir binne-ontwerp, waar 'n skaarste in die ervarings van binneruimtes erken is; die tweede aspek het 'n tekortkoming in die sosiale mark ge?dentifiseer. Die probleem is geplaas in die konteks van die restaurant bedryf, rakende volhoubare lewenswyses. Restaurante, spesifiek kitskoswinkels en kafee's, is geneig om ongesonde lewensstyle aan te moedig. Daar is ook 'n gebrek aan ruimtelike ervarings, buiten die ervaring wat die kos self bied. Verskeie teoretiese benaderings het die argument versterk, onder andere die kwessie van volhoubare ontwikkeling, 'n her-definie?ring van kos en die eet proses, verbruiker fokus in ontwerp en laastens ervaringsleer ontwerp. Die karakter van die ontwerp was be?nvloed deur die proses-geori?nteerde uitkyk teorie, die plaas-tot-tafel konsep, stedelike landbou asook nuwe beginsels van hoe 'n kombuis verander. Die projek is geplaas in die Maboneng gebiedct, Johannesburg. Verder was 'n nuwe stedelike kulin?re verbruiker voorgestel, gebaseer op die kreatiewe en industri?le identiteit van die ligging. Die konseptuele restaurant, "the Inside", is a voorstelling van 'n eet-ervaring. Die eetproses word gebruik as kommunikasiemiddel waarmee ekologiese en volhoubaarheids kwessies aangespreek word. Verskeie prossesse van die ruimtes sal doelbewus blootgestel word, van waar di? interaksies sal beoog om 'n sensoriese storie vir die verbruiker te skets. Die ontwerp sal beoog om mense te onderig en aan te moedig om aspekte van volhoubaarheid te beoefen.