LOCALHOMEMADEHEALTHYRICHMONDPUREFARMFRESHORGANICNATURALSWEETSFRESHBAKERYCOMMUNITYSUSTAINABLE
Chelsea Kirk Senior Thesis Proposal Fall 2008
PROPOSAL . . . . . . .
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Why did I choose to design an organic local bakery?
RESEARCH . . . . . . .
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The facts on eating local, organic food.
PRECEDENTS . . . . . .
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Richmond is lacking in the organic bakery department.
PROGRAMMING . . . .
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What kind of spaces are needed in a bakery?
BUILDING ANALYSIS . .
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The future home of fresh, local sweets.
REFERENCES . . . . . . Sources for information and photos.
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What inspired the Richmond Organic Bakery?
baking pan out of the oven realizing, I made this with a bit of flour and some hard work.
There is something truly special about bakeries that can only be experienced by being inside one. The smell of vanilla and warm sugar permeate the air, inviting you in to gaze at the rows of baked treats ready for your choosing. Swirls of sweet icing top cupcakes, powdered sugar dusts cookies and brownies, and suddenly you feel like you’re five years old all over again.
This love of baking has carried into my adult life, and I spend many a nights in the kitchen with my Kitchenaid mixer trying out new recipes that I’ve created. Having been raised vegetarian and vegan for 4 years, everything I make is free of all animal ingredients. I also try to use local organic ingredients to make my baked goods as healthy and sustainable as possible. This belief in using pure, organic ingredients to make treats and delicious indulgences is what inspired me to design the Richmond Organic Bakery.
I have a long, personal history with bakeries. My mother worked at a bakery when she was pregnant with me; she even got the idea for my name because of a cake that read, “Happy Birthday, Chelsea!” I have fond memories of going into our local bakery with my dad and giving lollipops to the women behind the counters in exchange for a cookie. My mother always let my sister and I help when she was baking, and I will never forget the satisfying feeling when we pulled the
I believe that there has been a huge disconnect in our culture when it comes to food. What used to be small family farms growing crops to be turned into food has now become a huge industrialization of agriculture that produces low quality, genetically modified food to be shipped to all corners of the world. With the change in family life, home-
made meals have been replaced with TV dinners and cheap, over processed snack cakes. The impacts of this change can be seen in the environment, our health, and our local communities. The pendulum has swung so far in this direction of low quality processed foods and I believe with the organic farming and local, “100 mile diet” movements becoming stronger and stronger, the pendulum is beginning to swing back to a healthier, more sustainable way of eating. The Richmond Organic Bakery will be a warm, intimate space that will showcase the products and invite its customers to stay and unwind. Using local, organic ingredients, the bakery will serve the city of Richmond the best quality baked goods possible. After all, we should all be able to have our cake and eat it too. 6
RESEARCH
Why organic?
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Organic farming is a method of growing vegetables and fruits without using pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms that are used in traditional farming methods. Utilizing more natural forms of agriculture, organic farms use composting, green manure, crop rotation, and other environmentally sustainable practices to produce the highest quality and best tasting crops. Traditional agriculture currently uses up to 300 different kinds of pesticides to grow the foods available in our local supermarkets. These pesticides are proven to cause serious health issues, including infertility, birth defects, and even more serious issues such as cancer. Pesticides and fertilizers also pose a major threat to the environment. When pesticides are regularly sprayed onto our crops, they eventually end up in our soil, rivers, ground water, and eventually our plates. In fact, US consumers can experience up to 70 daily exposures to pesticide residues on the food we eat. Organic farming eliminates these hazards by utilizing more natural forms of agriculture. Organic farms use composting, green manure, crop rotation, and other environmentally sustainable practices to produce the highest quality and best tasting crops. 10
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2,763 miles
2,668 miles
811 miles
2,668 miles
2,763 miles
785 miles
= 100 miles In the United States, produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm in which it is grown to our refrigerators. This transportation of food across great distances, using refrigerated trucks, planes, ships and airplanes, burns an enormous amount of fossil fuels that contributes to global warming. Eating food that is grown within a 100 mile radius of where you live is a great way to curb these emissions. The less distance the food needs to travel means less fossil fuels, little to no preservatives, and it keeps the food dollars in the local community. The United States has lost over 650,000 family farms in the past decade. When family farms go out of business, rural communities begin to deteriorate. Supporting local farms boosts the community’s economy by protecting local jobs, shops, and farm stands. This chart shows how many miles these items travel from the farms they are grown in to be sold in Virginia. Most of our produce comes from the opposite side of the country and beyond, even though all of these items can be found within a 100 mile radius of Richmond, Virginia.
Produce grown in Virginia Apples Asparagus Blackberries Blueberries Broccoli Cantaloupes Cucumbers Grapes Green Beans Green Peppers Spinach Nectarines Peaches Pumpkins Raspberries Squash Strawberries Sweet Corn Tomatoes Watermelon
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Where will the bakery get its food from? Richmond Organic Bakery will buy only local, organic produce from farms within a 100 mile radius of Richmond, Virginia. This will support local Virginia farms while providing the freshest and healthiest ingredients for our baked goods. The bakery will have a composting system to allow for all food waste, from the kitchen to the dining area, to be broken down into organic matter. The compost material will then be returned back to the farms for use in farming and planting. Most food products go from farm, to grocery store, to refrigerator, to food, to landfill. Composting will reduce the volume of food waste sent to the landfill and close the circle between the farm and the food products.
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Why vegan? So far we’ve learned about eating organic and locally grown food and how truly beneficial it is to our bodies and the Earth. The Richmond Organic Bakery is dedicated to providing the most healthy and environmentally sustainable food products possible. This is why it is not only a local and organic bakery but a vegan bakery as well. Veganism is a lifestyle that chooses not to use or consume animal products and by-products. The reasons for adopting a vegan diet vary from personal health, environmental, and ethical concerns, all of which are backed by extensive evidence to support each and every issue.
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ENVIRONMENT Animal agriculture and production is a major contributor to land degradation, water shortages, climate change, and air and water pollution. A 2006 United Nations report concluded that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUV’s, trucks, cars, planes, and ships in the world combined. Every single stage of the meat and dairy industry involves heavy pollution and massive amounts of greenhouse gases and energy consumption; all of which can be drastically improved just be adopting a vegan diet and lifestyle.
HEALTH Animal-free diets support a lifetime of good health and provides protection against numerous diseases, including our nation’s biggest killers; cancer, heart disease, and stroke. People who chose an animal-free diet are 50% less likely to develop heart disease, 40% less likely to develop cancer, and on average live to be 6-10 years longer than those who eat meat. A vegan diet provides us with all the necessary nutrients without all the cholesterol, saturated fat, and contaminants found in animal products.
ETHICAL Modern factory farming jam packs innocent animals in tiny cages or sheds to live a short, torturous life that ends in a gruesome and violent slaughter. The horrors of the meat and dairy industry are impossible to sum up in a few sentences, but there are thousands of videos and resources available that shows a glimpse into the unnecessary suffering that so many people are unaware of. This is why the ethical and animal rights reasons for becoming vegan are sometimes paramount to all others.
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PRECEDENTS
PATIESSIER CHOCOLATIER Claudio Colucci Design Tokyo, Japan
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Can a design be inspired by the product being sold? Frederic Scailteur wanted the design of his chocolatier to reflect his use of 100% natural ingredients in his chocolates and pastries. Matcha, or green tea powder, and olives were the inspiration behind Claudio Colucci’s design for his store.
Specializing in decadent chocolates, the chocolatier’s cool shades of green showcase the delicacies on display. I feel Colucci achieved his goal in creating a warm, sophisticated space by gaining inspiration from the product being sold; natural, hand crafted confections. 20
MX Steve Leung, Alan Chan Hong Kong, China
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Can a restaurant that serves cheap, fast food look like a million bucks? Interior architect Steve Leung joined with graphic designer Alan Chan to re-brand this fast food chain in Hong Kong, China. White fiberglass furniture defines the dining area creating a relaxed, retro look to the space. In this case the food wasn’t the inspiration for the design. Instead the new logo for the restaurant, a “blooming heart,�
and an emphasis on bold graphics lead the design for the space. 16 custom pieces of art by various artists line the walls of the restaurant, with each piece intending to embody the thoughts and emotions of the employees and customers who use the space.
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PINKBERRY Young Lee Designs California and New York
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Can stores that sell healthy versions of popular treats be sought after? Pinkberry is an up-scale, frozen yogurt chain with 61 locations in California and New York. It’s low-sugar, low-fat take on frozen yogurt have become all the rage with Hollywood stars and those who seek healthy treats.
Young Lee designed the interior for Pinkberry stores. He wanted the space to feel like “a hot summer day where you are rewarded with ice cream at the end of the day.” He went with a retro-modern look with Philippe Stark’s Ghost Chairs and Le Klint Lamps that reminded him of frozen yogurt swirls.
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NOOCHX NOODLE BAR Karim Rashid, Inc. Singapore
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How can the design reflect the product that is sold in the space?
court restaurants. He chose bright technical colors and curvilinear forms to create a high-energy space that The fast food version of an estab- emphasizes the speed and movelished restaurant chain, Noochx is ment of a fast food cafe. one of many food stations inside a shopping mall’s food court. Karim His design proves that the restauRashid’s concept was to bring a more rant’s location, a shopping mall, does conceptual and human-centered de- not have to dictate it’s design. sign into the world of standard food
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PROGRAMMING
How will items move through the space? My first step in programming the Richmond Organic Bakery was to establish how goods and services would move through the bakery. This allowed me to determine what kind of spaces would be needed and the equipment that would be required for the bakery.
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DELIVERY: Fresh ingredients and supplies are delivered to the bakery.
STORAGE: A space is needed for dry storage as well as refrigerators and freezers for produce and perishables. Shelving for equipment and racks for storing baked goods are also needed in the space.
PRODUCTION: Appliances such as mixers and ovens are required to make the goods, as well as work surfaces for kneading dough and other assembly jobs.
SALES: Bakery cases are needed to display the goods for sale. A cash wrap with a service counter for wrapping items and for customers to return their dishes.
DINING: Dine-in customers have tables and chairs as well as built in booths to stay and eat. A custom waste disposal station allows for both recycling and composting any scraps. 30
en t ip m al Eq u
ng
Sp ec i
bi Plu m
Fo ot Ad ag ja e ce nc ie s Pu bli c Ac ce ss Pr iva te
ar e Sq u 31
1
KITCHEN
400
2,3
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
2
STORAGE
100
1
No
Yes
No
No
3
SERVICE
200
1,4
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
4
DINING
300
3,5
Yes
No
No
No
5
RESTROOM
100
4
Yes
No
Yes
No
How will the space be used?
What are the needs for each space?
Richmond Organic Bakery has three main spaces: the kitchen, service area, and dining area. In addition to the main spaces there will be a 100 square foot storage room for dry storage and supplies, and an ADA compliant restroom for customers and employees.
KITCHEN:
The bakery’s kitchen will be fully equipped for baking organic breads, pastries, various types of cakes, muffins, and sweets such as cookies, brownies, and bars. The service area will have three large refrigerated cases for displaying the products as well as work space for making coffee and preparing orders. Booths, four top, and two top tables will be provided in the dining area for customers who choose to stay and eat. This will be a cozy, informal space where customers can feel comfortable to stay and relax while enjoying their baked treats and coffee.
• Refrigerator • Freezer • Oven • Range • Mixer • Sink • Dishwasher • Racks • Work surfaces
STORAGE:
DINING: • Booths • 4 top tables • 2 top tables • Chairs/seating • Coffee station • Waste disposal station
RESTROOM: • ADA toilet and sink • Storage cabinets
• Shelving • Storage bins
SERVICE: • Refrigerated display cases • Espresso machine • Coffee machine • Beverage case • Cabinets and shelving • Dishes and utensils • Cash wrap • Order/Pick-up counter • Work surfaces 32
BUILDING ANALYSIS
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Where will the bakery be located? The site chosen for the Richmond Organic Bakery is 2820 West Cary Street in Richmond’s own historic Carytown. Carytown is an urban retail district that lines Cary Street in the southern end of the Museum District. The home of over 300 shops, restaurants, and offices, Carytown’s wide variety of eccentric shops and boutiques is not only a tourist attraction but also a place for Richmonder’s to shop and dine. The site is located just a few doors down from Richmond’s historic Byrd Theatre, which draws hundreds of people every weekend for $2 movies. Local bars, coffee shops, and cafe’s attract people of all ages to Carytown. Carytown is a busy part of town that brings in a lot of foot traffic as well as vehicle traffic, assuring that the bakery will be seen and attract customers. The building is right along the bus line as well. The site is close to many major roads in Richmond, including
Main Street, Boulevard, and the Downtown expressway. Other landmarks that are in close distance to the site are Byrd Park, Maymont, the James River, and many of Richmond’s museums including the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. Ellwood Thompson’s, a local organic market, is only blocks away from the site. The market is Richmond’s only organic market, providing a wide array of local, organic products to health and environmentally conscious customers. The store’s success has recently allowed them to expand their store, which proves that the location is successful for reaching its target customers. With the appeal of Carytown’s shops and restaurants along with the great resource that is Ellwood Thompson’s, I believe that this site will be perfect for the Richmond Organic Bakery.
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The building chosen for the Richmond Organic Bakery is a two story general retail space. The site used to be the home of one of Richmond’s most popular theatres, The Carillion. The space is currently being used for Cartwheels and Coffee, a play place and coffee cafe for parents to take their infants and preschoolers.
First floor
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Second floor
BUILDING DOCUMENTATION
BUILDING ANALYSIS
YEAR BUILT: 1935
OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION: A2
SQUARE FOOTAGE: Total for building: 5,920 Total for space: 2,016
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: III
NUMBER OF FLOORS: 2
ALLOWABLE NUMBER OF FLOORS: 3
ENTRANCES: 2
OCCUPANT LOAD: 15 SQ FT PER PERSON
STAIRS: 1
REQUIRED EXITS: 1
DOORS: 9
REQUIRED PLUMBING: 1 UNISEX RESTROOM, 1 SERVICE SINK
ALLOWABLE AREA: 14,000 SQ FT
WINDOWS: 10
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REFERENCES
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Sustainable Table www.sustainabletable.org 100 Mile Diet www.100milediet.org Claudio Colluci Design www.colluci-design.com Architectural Record www.archrecord.com Flickr www.flickr.com
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