IIDA Student Sustainable Design Competition

First Floor is the "Franklin's Heart & Soul Cusine" restaurant. All surfaces are sustainable. Since Franklin is known for its sugar cane plantations, the open kitchen and bar is wrapped in sugar cane stalks. Also the tables and chairs are made of 50% osb and 50% sugar cane rind. Recycled sugar cane rind has the potential of replacing wood and combined with osb the results are a stronger content and better look. Because this building is older, it is located in such close proximity to neighboring buildings that it can not accomodate windows for ventilaition or views. So my solution for sunlight is to add skylights that go through to the second floor Art Gallery. This creates a cohesive space for visitors. They will feel connected from the restaurant to the art gallery to the outside gathering space.

Center Theater Concept

The Center theater is an old building located in downtown Franklin on Main Street. It was once the downtown theater, but it is now vacant and owned by the city. The city wants to make the existing building a more active space for the community and visitors while also connecting it to the Bayou Teche. Franklin is located in the Historical District so the building should maintain its original façade and characteristics.
My idea for the center theater is to create a space that welcomes both the community and visitors. Franklin’s downtown lacks restaurants and meeting places. I propose to more gathering spaces and a restaurant that offers Franklin’s cuisine. The client has stated that a restaurant is not what they need but I believe that a restaurant can bring in profit and visitors. According to the National Restaurant Association, it’s predicted that industry sales will increase by 2.5% in 2009 and it is also expected to exceed $1.5 trillion in 2009. Also, Food Service Warehouse state that, “many travelers are looking for cultural education, and offering unique, regional cuisine will pique their interest.”
My concept for this building is to create a restaurant with an entertainment space for the community. The space will consist of local culture, music, food, and art. This is a space where the community can gather, dine, celebrate, and entertain each other. This space could also be a place for visitors to come and learn about Franklin’s culture.
My inspiration for my design is Franklin itself. I want to incorporated Franklin’s food, culture, the Bayou Teche, the festivals, sugar cane plantations, and the community in my design. Inspired by Franklin’s determination to sustain a historical district, I decided to use sustainable materials. In “Reviving Main Street”, Deryck Holdsworth stated that a “town could re-establish commercial vigour with economic and physical changes that would include fixing up the store-fronts along main street and emphasizing the strong historical heritage of the town.” In my design, there are much of Franklin’s history and characteristics but interpreted in a more modern and sustainable design.