For Earth's Sake by Studio Cube
Studio Cube designs a nature inspired cafe in Gurugram that is committed towards the reduction of plastic waste in our daily use.
Due to the pandemic, there is a growing movement to be more health & environment conscious. Our health & Immunity all are linked to the environment we live in, the pollution, quality of food, etc. One of the tenets of this new movement is to reduce the environmental impact of daily activities and reduce waste.
The conscious design and sustainable alternatives have always been long talked about and discussed; they are strongly encouraged because it is beneficial to our environment. It is our duty and responsibility to protect and take care of our environment, a step towards fine tuning our legacy.
It is Rightly said then – "We are what we throw away." By living a zero-waste life you stop the cycle of creating waste. It is re-imagining the way we live by investing in products that are good, not just for us but the planet too. For Earth’s Sake project is one such small initiative towards the reduction of plastic waste in our daily use. The client’s brief was of a retail experience using materials inspired by nature itself. The main idea behind their small effort is strong initiative to reduce the carbon footprint by minimizing the use of plastic and other non-sustainable materials to zero.
As the Cafe industry grows worldwide, waste has become a more pressing issue to deal with. The 500 square foot cafe experience is inspired by nature which helped elevate the overall decor of their brand-new store in Gurugram. Staying true to its logo—derived from earth, water, sun & air—the brand’s flagship store, located in DLF galleria market, is a fine design blend of minimal elements providing a warm, cozy and homey vibe to the users.
The layout of For Earths Sake, Gurugram was primarily designed to keep the circulation easy and seamless with single circulation axis while accommodating the design requirements. In order to make the products the focus of the space, we kept the theme as neutral, light and muted as possible.
The white textured walls, grey concrete finished tiles with custom design print tiles and teal / grey accents helped bring our vision of an airy, contemporary space to life. The addition of MS pipes which we usually see as part of our daily plumbing purposes have been used here as a support structure for our wooden shelves, they pose as a strong, reusable unit and last long for a good period of time. It’s diverse in use, forms and sizes hereby replacing plastic tubes.
Finally, to offset the abundance of natural textures and colors in the cafe, we painted an exposed brickwall black with a crafty mural promoting the entire zero waste concept & to achieve a peaceful and calming palette feel. The identity of the cafe, however, is tied to the fact that it has an abundance of natural light.
Pantone Brown, the color of earthy materials is reliable with grounding foundations, warm and natural. It is the color of our soil, growth, and earth also it is associated the concepts of all natural and organic. Shades of brown denotes color of the Earth and is comforting and nurturing. The tiles that are used are customized to meet the requirements of design, the pattern of strict curves, dots and lines came out minimalistic and compliments the palette
The designers also introduced two customized terrazzo tables to increase the awareness and to reuse the old terrazzo flooring in existing buildings while enjoying a corner for the perfect cup of coffee.
On entry, there’s a seating area with terrazzo tables which allows everyone to sit and rest with a gradually-visible window in the midst of textured white wall, enhancing the sense of movement. Natural Wood was added to create a sense of relaxation. There are no blinds on windows to provide a warm gradually-lighten play of shadow through the window during the daytime.
Next to the bar stool seating area, you'll find a bookshelf accompanied with a gramophone corner with vinyl records for customers to enjoy music the better way.
Seating areas are segregated to allow for a diversity of functions. When viewed from outside, a large window frame accommodates customers both inside and out. Meanwhile, an axis circulation maximizes the space utilization of the cafe. Additional bar stool seating lines the right-hand side of the café and makes it a perfect area for users to work.
Pinewood texture softly reflects concrete texture pattern, as well as the color of the coffee counter and individual tables. Mild Steel elements preserve their unrefined character & compliments the engraved – “you can do it – coffee” tile.
Inside the cafe-room was divided into two main areas for customers and baristas, with 15 seats provided. Exterior had a similar theme of nature inspired palette with only exception being the Teal colored Front door tying the entire façade together. Materials were almost white and light grey, adding some accent at the countertop which tiles pattern have been unfolded from a box to show delusive dimension.
The same material palette extends to the exterior façade of the Café with a lot of ambient lighting, pinewood, brass elements in signage boards, white and textures walls.
Project: For Earths Sake – Zero Waste Cafe
Location: Gurugram, India
Design House: Studio Cube
Principal Architect: Kashish Khandelwal
Photography: Asmita Khodanker, Shades Studio
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