Bangkok-based IDIN Architects designed Harudot, a unique architectural coffee shop experience in the seaside town of Chonburi, Thailand. A project for Thai speciality coffee brand Nana Coffee Roasters and a proprietor with a business selling exotic plants, the design is built around two bulbous baobab trees (or bottle trees).
“The name ‘Haru’ translates to ‘Spring’ in Japanese, referring to a new beginning and growth, while ‘dot’ symbolizes a starting point,” explains IDIN Architects. Harudot is conceived as a destination coffee shop, a place where the combination of architecture and nature seeks to charm visitors. The focus on new beginnings and growth is signified by the inclusion of trees in the project — an olive tree also features in addition to the baobabs. The baobab trees are the focal point of two semi-outdoor courtyards, where the gable form of the architecture has been “pulled apart” to allow for their growth. These voids create curved forms that add to the architecture’s dynamic quality. “The voids allow for rainfall and sunlight to enter into the semi-outdoor court, maintaining a connection with nature despite the enclosed walls,” says IDIN Architects. Guests can sit on benches designed like a continuous ribbon, marveling at the baobab trees and how they appear to have been planted long before the cafe surrounded them.
The coffee brand’s identify draws inspiration from Japanese culture. IDIN Architects incorporates this into Harudot cafe with a design that encapsulates simplicity and attention to detail. The architecture’s black gable forms contrast with natural and warm interior pine walls. Guests enter the cafe through one of the gables, discovering a bright and zestful space that morphs and bends throughout. “The building is separated into smaller masses to make it more human-scale, which establishes different zones such as the bar, coffee drinking zone, a lounge, a meeting room, and the restrooms,” says the studio.
The voids in the courtyard spaces are replicated internally: in place of open-air voids, a Barrisol Light stretched and illuminated ceiling system has been installed. This system comprises a translucent sheet and a light source that gives a warm, diffuse illumination throughout the interior. The long courtyard benches continue in their ribbon-like form on the inside, wrapping around the space. The cafe also features seating made from resin mixed with coffee grounds, rice, and leaves. Terrazzo flooring includes phrases in a custom-designed font that highlight and lead to different areas of the cafe.
IDIN is an acronym for Integrating Design Into Nature, something that IDIN Architects has literally achieved in the design of Harudot cafe.
