3rd Places, Fabrication

Phoenix Coffee in Coventry is part of a unique, dense, and active district in Cleveland Heights.

Engaging with and contributing to this existing social activity was the primary objective for the exterior seating project.

 

The design challenge was to create exterior seating on a sidewalk with an 8% slope. This slope is drastic enough that a typical bench solution would either leave one person’s feet dangling, the other’s knees hitting the table, or one person’s head six inches above the others. Our approach was to develop one sinuous bench that created the seat bottom, back, and floor allowing it to work in tandem with the sloped sidewalk below. The seating also needed to express continuity both visually and materially.

 

The ideal material would hold up through the seasonal climate, be simple to fabricate, and

be comfortable, we chose to use western red cedar. The series of cedar slats that form the seating surface are segmented together using dovetail joints and a steel dowel. This joint method allowed for each bench to continue into the next as they worked their way down the slope. The simple connection detail also allowed for quick fabrication and installation. Strategic angles for the seat back and the seat bottom were designed to offer a balance between a relaxed and alert position.

 

Somewhere between how a slinky continues down a staircase and a Jacob’s ladder toy’s segmented pieces move yet remain connected we composed a playful piece of furniture that may subconsciously conjure up youthful nostalgia.

 

The overall execution of the seating is consistent with the ambiance of the coffee shop interior and stays true to the social culture of artisan coffee.  Adding another experience to Phoenix Coffee’s space benefits both them and the surrounding area.

 

Gathering around a cup of coffee has been a part of culture around the world for centuries. The solution to develop a continuous seating structure strengthens the nearby social construct and is an expression

of this historical and unifying cultural practice.