Light Wave: Roast Coffee Soffit
- consultant: Ryan O'Connor
- Mar 15, 2010
- 2 min read
Client | Roast Coffee
Partner Agency/ Designer | UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture (Microcosm Studio 2010)
Services leveraged | Parametric Design, 3D modeling, Fabrication efficiency, Material Selection, Inspiration & Trending
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Catalyst was was asked by a student team from the School of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee to assist in conceiving of and fabricating a design for a local business. The student team chose a local coffee shop called Roast Coffee located at Locust Street and Maryland Avenue. In addition to the talented student team, Catalyst leveraged our parametric design services to provide a tool for the students to link aesthetic considerations with fabrication requirements. Specifically, the design aimed to create a soffit above the counter that reinforced the relationship of access between barista and consumer- it was raised where exchange occurs and lowered where it does not.
With this in mind, and with the limited set of donated materials (reclaimed wood from a church and 1/2" steel bar from a railing manufacturer), Catalyst was able to guide the students on fabrication limitations. These limitations were then incorporated into the parametric computer model so that aesthetic design exploration was ALWAYS feasible.
The payoff:
Variables based on fabrication requirements were baked into the parametric model allowing the students to explore the design from an aesthetic point of view much longer (5+ weeks on a 7 week project). The parametric model was created within a 3D software (Rhino) which meant renderings were always a click away, keeping the client informed on the look while simultaneously knowing details about fabrication. When the design was selected, the fabrication details and material options were also immediately ready. The students carried out fabrication in 1 week and installation in 2 days.
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