This project aims to carry on a locally loved soul food, develop it into a safe and comfortable working environment for people with disabilities, and pass on its identity. It functions as a restaurant that will be loved for many years to come by intuitively communicating the food of fried food and making it a spatial experience.
Innovation
Beaver specializes in fried food. Founded in 1977. Beaver, which deep-fries everything from ice cream to Japanese sweets to fruit, has been a local soul food for many years. When the building was to be demolished, the owner decided to close the store. A long-time lover of the restaurant learned the news and took over the business. The new owner, who runs a social service business, wanted a work-friendly environment for people with disabilities. We designed a space that would be safe and sustainable for people with disabilities to work in, combined with a design that would leave a lasting impression.
Creativity
Yellow, the color associated with fried oil, was chosen as the main color, and the exterior is covered with yellow glass. From the outside, it looks as if the entire store is filled with oil, drawing soft yellow light into the store. Special yellow paint is also used on the store's floor and hip walls to reinforce the main color. The skeleton ceiling is painted a fox color (the color of delicious fried food in Japan) to express the aroma of fried food.
Regularly arranged lighting creates the impression of a laboratory, where innovative fried foods are created. Considering the sound of frying as part of the spatial composition, we placed the fryer closest to the seating area. The sound of the cooking process echoes throughout the restaurant, allowing diners to experience it with all five senses.
Functionality
We painted the floor yellow with a special durable paint to create a safe and comfortable working environment for people with disabilities. We painted the floor yellow to create a safe and comfortable working environment for people with disabilities. This allows people with disabilities to accurately identify the area in which they work. The yellow color surface also makes it easy to identify debris on the floor and to issue cleaning instructions. The glass surface of the facade functions like a lantern emitting a yellow light and making its presence known to the city. The menu uses replaceable cooking trays to enhance renewability.
Sustainability
The easy-to-clean flooring and simple, regular ceiling lights make daily cleaning easy and provide a lasting work environment for the workers. Menu signs are printed on cooking trays that can be stacked and stored, and can be replaced again and again, instead of paper posters that are thrown away when they become outdated. The yellow design continues the 45-year image of the sign and communicates the message to the city. Safety, renewability, maintainability, and design combine to create a highly sustainable store that will last for another 50 years.