ReGround
2022 - University Project
Software: SketchBook Pro, AutoCAD, SketchUp, VRay, Photoshop.
ReGround is a café that aims address the problem of world food hunger (SDG2) by designing with regenerative approach to educate customers about food waste. Patrons are presented with the journey that coffee beans make before one is served their coffee. Patrons are engaged by grinding their own coffee beans. Further, the coffee shop expands on the traditional journey of coffee beans, which ends with a cup of coffee, by adding three steps. First of them is drying used coffee beans by the café, second is giving away to the customers and the third one is reusing the coffee grounds by customers. Clients can access the website explaining the ways in which they can reuse coffee beans by scanning a QR code displayed on a poster which explains the way the café works. Further, the café offers food which includes desserts and sandwiches, which can be seasoned with fresh herbs situated in a planter at the front of the service bar.
Sketches
This project addresses the Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger, one of the goals proposed by United Nations. The aim of this goal is to 'end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture (United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs, no date). ReGround is situated in England, therefore the customer base comes from a highly developed country, which is characterised by high per capita income. However, there are 8.4 million people in the United Kingdom who are struggling to afford to eat (Fare Share, 2022). Due to the location of the intervention, where there are already many provisions made for people in need, this project aims to educate customers, who are less affected by hunger in their everyday life. ReGround addresses the problem of hunger by educating customers about food waste and encouraging them to reduce it. This solution was chosen because, as suggested by the FAO (2022), 'reducing food loss and waste is critical to creating Zero Hunger world'.
Global Food Security Programme report that 'highly developed countries, food waste is most prevalent during consumption' (Bond et al., 2013), while WARP reports that households produce 6.6 million tonnes (70%) of total food waste in the UK (The Waste and Resources Action Programme, 2021). However, 70% of the total food waste is edible and only small amount of that goes to charities or animal feed (The Borgen Project, 2020). Therefore, the proposed solution of dealing with food waste, is a more tangible way for customers to address the problem of food waste, and by extension, hunger.
The proposed intervention is a café that incorporates ideas of regenerative design and nature connectedness. Reed (2007) defines restorative design as 'a way of thinking about design in terms of using activities of design and building to restore the capability of local natural systems to healthy state of self-organization', while nature connectedness, refers to the way people experience nature, where a strong connection with nature means feeling a close relationship or an emotional attachment to our natural surroundings (Richardson, 2021). The goal of the café, is to restore the connection customers have with nature, and while doing so, regenerate the natural environment of their local area, as well as reduce their food waste.
In ReGround, customers are encouraged to reuse used coffee grounds at home, and one of the most popular ways of doing that include compost and fertiliser. Patrons are presented with a service which offers a circular approach to the journey of coffee beans, it encourages the customers to return used coffee grounds back to nature. Moreover, the connection with nature is further increased by the opportunity of seasoning food with fresh herbs offered by the café. This allows patrons, to engage with multiple senses: smell, touch and taste, with nature
3D View
