In our urban experience, every once in a while a new eatery opens up and brings forth a wave of curiosity, freshness and innovation- and sets a trend for the rest to follow. The secret to this synergy is not only in the food being served, but also the space it is served in. And in the case of an exceptional health-food café such as Freshco, the synergy between all its elements has led to its growth, and ofcourse, more freshness!
With the success and appreciation that Freshco Vadodara garnered, The Crossboundaries was committed to recreate the magic with the new cafe in Surat. Having worked together before, an unspoken understanding existed between the clients and The Crossboundaries in conceptualizing and executing Freshco café, Surat. The brief given to TCB was crisp and clear: the new space needed to be vibrant, soothing and inviting.
A few elements used in the earlier franchise were revived and revisited here. The overall layout of the café with a transparent façade allowing complete visual openness from outside to in. In keeping with the overall theme of cool colors, bright indoor plants, and a blend of natural finishes, Freshco aims to reflect the organic ethos of a health café.Being a constant innovator and experimenter with various materials, Harsh Boghani , founder and chief designer at TCB , was keen on taking the design brief to a different level.A few features were highlighted, for instance, a large feature wall with a full-scale wallpaper with fresh, fruity colours, in contrast with the plastered grey ceiling, or the neatly arranged rows of plants.
Oppositethe color splashed wall is a designed lighting element made from acrylic boxes and recycled thermocol cups, set on a turquoise blue background. This elementbrings a certain lightness into the overall space, further accentuated by bright green plants. These two walls form the backdrop to the main seating area, which carries forward the theme of complimentary cool colors and natural textures. The most striking aspect of all these elements coming together is the blue-tinted micro-concrete flooring. The brushed texture of the oxide flooring gives the overall illusion of a gently floating, relaxed space – which gleams with turquoise and olive green shades when illuminated.
Sleek Eames-ian chairs in unique avocado green and brown leather finishes are paired with wood-textured table tops of an optimum size. As required by the brief, Freshco the Health Café caters to a variety of patrons, who like to relish their healthy meals either at ease in the seating area, or grab a parcel to take away. The thoughtfully designed black cantilevered ledge at the entrance is the perfect space for a quick meal, with comfortable high bar stools and ambient lighting to read the newspaper on-the-go! For those looking for a more leisurely eating experience, a comfortable family seating area is provided near the service counter. As the café serves quick yet healthy foods such as salads, juices, and power-smoothies, a variety of customers, both young and old are expected to walk in for a daily dose of nourishment!
Thus, the most vital part of the café, the menu display and service counter are kept simple yet effectively unmissable. The counter, finished with black back-painted glass adds a glossy edge to the otherwise raw tones of the space. In contrast to this, the menu written on a white board for easy legibility is kept simple. Under the menu and along the counter’s edge, hints of lively greens are added. The planter boxes are finished with wood strips neatly placed together and these are kept constant across the space.
As another bold step in design iteration and innovation, The Crossboundaries designed and produced a range of 24 custom- made hanging lights. These light fixtures, cast in fibre are arranged neatly along a grid are suspended from the ceiling through the exposed electrical wiring.The electrical wiring grid is a result of flawless execution after several trials and tests. Custom-designed junction boxes house the cables and streamline them into an orthogonal grid pattern to give an overall neat look to the ceiling.As a result of this, the lamps hang in an equally ordered way, allowing their designed randomness to stand out. The raw whiteness of the lamps are a welcome relief from bright blues and greens. At first glance, these seem to be sunlit, delicate lilypads floating across the space!
Experimentation with materials and expressions is central to the design process at The Crossboundaries, according to the founder, who along with the team hopes to bring many more such spaces to life, and make sure we receive our daily dose of freshness!
