Functional Aspects of The Concept.
As a part of my research I dedicated some time to looking at the functional aspects of the design such as the lift shaft and the use of the food hatch. I selected to use a lift within the building in order to allow people of all abilities to move around the building with ease and as they require. This would be a glass life that would travel through the four floors. I wanted to look at the lift so that I knew the sizes for the shaft and how many people etc that would be able to fit within the space. I then also looked at the use of a food hatch that would we used to keep food warm and move plates around the restaurant as required. Although this would used it would be more for the transportation of of dirty and used plates and cutlery. Keeping the movement of food around the building and different spaces is an aspect that I would like to keep as this is an aspect of the senses - seeing, and smelling. Below are some of the details I found including the data which provided me with the sizes of the shafts needed within the building to create the required space within my concept.
Lifts
For the lift I want to create a sleek appearance using a glass and mirrored affect. The lift will run centrally through the building to creating views all around the building for those who would use the lift so that they would gain the space experience and atmosphere from the building that those whom are using the stairs would get from their form of movement through out the space.
Below is a document that I have taken from the DomusLift website (http://www.domuslift.com/index-eng.html). I looked at many different companies but found this one which had the product that I would want use within the building as well as providing me with the required information to place the building within my design.
A video taken from the companies website also allowed me to look at the product range and the options available to create the required aesthetic appearance.
Food Hatch
The use of a food lift will be used within the restaurant due to the size and the distance food would have to travel from the kitchen to the table. Using this will allow waiters and waitresses to move plates around the building with ease to create the service required. This element will be hidden from the customers eye in the "staff block" which is the extension to the building. The details taken from the website show the that there are varying sizes that could be selected. I decided to take a middle measurement to cater for the restaurant requirements.
The document below taken from the website used for research details that would provide the required information for the sizing of the food hatch for use in the restaurant.
Bi-Folding Doors
Bi-fold doors are to be used within the cafe area on the basement level to create an open facade to create this idea of external eating within a green space in the city. Due to the size of the 8m glass facade it was important to research how this could be achieved. Using Bi-fold doors will allow the space to be opened and closed with ease and as required. They will allow large amounts of light to flood the space which will create a light and relaxed space due to the basement level of the building currently being a dark space. The door will open out into the external eating area doubling the size of cafe on nice days. The doors will use a new and modern aluminium frame along with the new window through out the building to continue with the creation of the contrast between the new and the old existing structure.
Below are two documents from two companies I looked at during the research stage. Bother offer bi-fold doors, I included the documents as they display the technical information required that is needed on the plans such as the size of each door and how many would be needed to install a door of this size on the 8m glass facade required on the basement level of the building.
Acoustic Doors
Acoustic doors will be used within the building to block out the surrounding sounds. Where in some areas of the building the noise created within the spaces is wanted in other it is not and therefore the use of these doors will work to create a tranquil environment for a dining experience. There are three locations that these doors will be used - at both entrances and in the private dining space. Due to the buildings location within the city the traffic can cause noise therefore due the the building being on street level an acoustic door will be used at the entrance to the cookery school. This allows those partaking in a class to here what it going on without the noise from outside. Another door will be used at the main entrance through the tunnel to create the quiet and unusual atmosphere of no noise when entering a restaurant space and another for the private dining room to create the idea of being in a private space within a busy room of other dining in the restaurant. From research I found that these doors can be made to measure and therefore no space requirements etc are needed in relation to the development of the plans.