Restaurants and Institutions

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It's a Grass
December 4, 2006

Stu Stein

December 4, 2006
The interior design is basically completed—check off the lighting, color scheme, fabrics, materials and most fixtures. We’ve got the lowest water-usage toilets and energy-efficient equipment. Architects Kelly Edwards, Jess Graden and I are still selecting some of the restaurant furniture and fixtures.

The biggest choice to date is deciding on the most comfortable chairs, ones that are not too hard, not too soft, not too big, not too ugly and not too expensive. Let’s just say that if you are a restaurateur in the Portland area, you might see a little guy with a graying goatee ordering a drink at your place and trying out all of your chairs, then flipping them over to check out the manufacturer. I used to think that only chefs would go to restaurants and flip over the china and flatware to see who made it. Who would have thought that designers do the same thing with furniture and fixtures?

This week, I was able to make a deal with Ken Tomita, a local bamboo furniture maker/artist. He is going to make all of our tabletops, the bar top, several shelving components and the piece that we will use as the host desk. All will be from bamboo ply finished with natural, hand-rubbed oil. Bamboo is a triple threat: It’s absolutely stunning, durable and environmentally responsible (see below for additional information).

I know what you’re thinking: “It will be very expensive, no?” Actually, no. Prices for the tabletops are actually less than other solid wood or wood-veneer table tops typically used in foodservice. More importantly, they are locally made from sustainable material and bring our design full circle by stressing the importance of terroir.

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Big on Bamboo

Just a few notes on bamboo, an environmentally responsible, rapidly renewable building material.

• Bamboo is a giant grass that produces wood faster than trees.

• Bamboo plants are “evergreen” so they turn harmful carbon dioxide gas into oxygen 365 days per year.

• Bamboo is the most efficient plant on earth for reducing carbon dioxide gas.

• Bamboo reaches its full height and diameter in one growth spurt of two-to-three months and matures for harvest in three years.

• Bamboo requires less water and energy to grow than any coniferous or hardwood tree.

• Bamboo prevents soil erosion along river banks and steep slopes.

• Bamboo is sustainable, as harvesting bamboo does not harm the grove; the root systems continue to thrive and produce more shoots.

• Bamboo is durable, sturdy and strong, and it is harder than red oak and maple.

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Posted by Stu Stein on December 4, 2006 | Comments (0)