two meetings, slightly deeper

R E S I D E N T I A L- a living room

The living room, also referred to as the lounge is the space in a dwelling which is designated for no practical purpose other than ‘being at home’.  The space must facilitate this to be functional, this is defined by psychological comfort, and physical comfort may come as a result. Soft furnishings are surplus to the function of the room but in the homes of the middle class and particularly the West are a given.  Some people prefer to slouch on a sofa, some feel comfortable crossing their legs.  The place of a television could be seen as a contentious issue.  A piano may take its place. The living room is shaped by those who occupy it.  Like a bedroom, it is blank in the sense it has no fixtures.  The interaction between someone and their living room is relative to that person.

R E T A I L  S P A C E- a coffee shop

The function of such a space is to facilitate the purchase of a product and in the case perhaps 60% of the time the consumption of it.  A well defined counter/bench is the space that defines the boundary between the buyer and seller. In this case the bench also serves as a work space.  The form of this space is cuboid.  The work bench is the length of it, with a small break to allow for passage behind. Several small tables run parallel to the bench. A sense of balance is achieved and those who are sitting have a visually open relationship with those who are making/selling. The aesthetics of the space also match the values of the product.  The customer has an all-encompassing experience.  The sight, sound of the chosen music that is playing, smell,  touch is appealed to by the equipment used to serve, the quality of mug as your lips touch when drinking from it.