Into the Force | RoarcRenew

1. Structure  Deconstruction  Construction
 
This is a summary of the Into the Force concept store.
According to the progress of the design, it is divided into two paragraphs.
The first paragraph is the overall design description of 2021, which is about the structure and the reflection of structural reconstruction.
The second paragraph is about the reflection and redesign after the opening of the store, which includes checking the defects and iterating the evolution.
Designing is mostly about interpreting 
 
Saturnbird first grabbed attention of Roarc Renew because of its unique Chinese name - Sandunban (Three and a half). If we break it up, it means three meals for the body and half meal for the soul. What a true reflection for the living conditions of most people! Whether it reflects full implications of the brand is unknown for me, but I am sure this is part of the brand story.
 
From my personal interpretation, the brand is trying to tell us the relationship between the body and the soul, a quite interesting topic.
Three meals a day for the body, and a half meal of coffee for the soul.
This kind of interpretation is indeed realism touch with symbolism characteristic. So if soul refers to nature, then the body obviously means the man.
If we let nature take its course, then Daoist ideology Nature and Man in One comes to our mind.
 
Talking about the Daoist, three principles are the keys:
1. In pursuit of wisdom, everyday something is dropped, namely less and simpler.
2. Taoism follows nature, namely law of nature.
3. Acts where the knowledge indicates, that is, be your true self.
The interpretation of Roarc Renew are as follows,
1. We use arabic numbers to indicate the roast level from to the lightest to the darkest, which is a simple expression of Spatial-temporal reasoning.
2. A co-brand cooperation with independent barista, which is the law of nature in the coffee industry.
3. Help protect the environment by recycling and we walk the talk.
 
Designs from Roarc Renew always take inspirations from this kind of deep thinking. With these keywords in mind. Roarc Renew took care of the Saturnbird project with full confidence.
 
PLAN
Simpler, principle and a true self with special background
But what does a special background mean? A special background is the setting and temperament of a design, and we need to find the principles and true self there in a simpler way.
Concession is a principle that follows the law of nature. We make room for others in the floor plan.
Saturnbird Anfu Store sits along Anfu Road, a crowded street full of social media influencers.
Saturnbird shows its utmost kindness by making concession a space of 50 m2 for outdoor activities. Making concession to share is also a principle we’d like to follow.
 
Impression
Practice of Taoism in a restricted space
 
The key to practice of Taoism in a restricted space lies in being simpler and true self.
Mankind created the space with rooms made of concrete. These kinds of spaces offer sheltering to the mankind.
The space became a form of Taoism that is independent of human will. You find the space thanks to concrete, so the space deserves respect from the mankind.
 
Designing and renovating a space can be like a long journey, but the first step is how we respect the disciplined space with our practice.
 
Practice to the space means repairing. The activities of ash-shoveling, patching, puttying and cleaning is a kind of practice to different material on each inch of the space.
The ones have a good practice always find a total comfort toward life. A practice to the space brings similar comfort. We need to respect the space and repair every flaw on the wall with no single extra action. Taking a much simpler approach and we will naturally find our true self.
 
Polishing of a Space
A polished space is the collision of principle between an uncultivated space. Within the law of the jungle, you find social attribute and natural attribute in the space.
With this project, the original space can be seen as outcome of the nature. We need materials and principle to polish it before it can be of service to the mankind.
Roarc Renew always have one principle in mind, be simple.
Every detail counts for us when working on the project, but we leave no marks on it upon its finish.
 
A good design should not bring any burden to a space only to meet certain need.
Talking about materials and principle, materials refer to brick and block while principle brings order to the space.
1 Rammed-earth brick was used to polish the irregular concrete wall.
2 Terazzo slab was used to decorate the uncovered ground.
3 Corrugated paper brick offers commercial function for the space.
The process of earth to brick is the first step of the polishment.
A rammed-earth brick is a purely handmade brick. The surface presents the texture of the earth, and then filling the clay with a ruler mould before tightening it with a hand rammer.
Rammed-earth brick was used to fill the space between the concrete beam frame and the wall with traditional brick construction method. So the rammed-earth brick is the surface layer as well as the base layer.
The size scale of the brick lays out the first order of the space. The joints between the bricks are tight and natural, rebuilding the order of the space.
As to the concrete wall opposite of the brick wall, we rebuild a new formwork with grouting filled. Small gaps were specially left on the newly built concrete wall, coordinating with the repaired concrete beam frame.
 
Terazzo Slab
Terazzo slab is a high polymer material with similar features of waterstone, the aggregate and marl can be custom-made separately. What distinguishes it with others is its strong resistance to staining as the surface underwent a 2000+ ton of hydraulic pressure treatment, while a normal waterstone can only sustain a pressure of 200 ton.
The terazzo slab has a huge size in 3000x1800, forming the floor style for the space.
 
With lines of slab joints, the rammed-earth brick on the wall, beam frame network, pipeline system, a second order for the space that was a total comfort to the eyes were established.
 
Corrugated paper brick
Corrugated paper brick pose with a lot of advantages, which is light-weighted, environment friendly, solid and reliable, easy-to-cut and cost effective.
We bring layer texture to the paper brick with CNC cutting technique. Cutting to the sides of brick leaves a natural constructual texture. The pierced triangle has a good compression resistance as stress enforced on it was evenly distributed. The paper brick is very light-weighted as there were many small triangles on it. The corrugated paper brick also serves as the package of the brand’s product.
It is good looking when on display and comfortable holding in the hands.
In the perspective of the whole space, the paper brick extends the order that Rammed-earth brick brings. Moreover, the paper brick was endowed with commercial function.
 
Roarc Renew never thought of designing packages for products, but this one coincides perfectly with the need of our design for the space.
 
Joint is the ultimate form of being simple and true self in the perception of people at Roarc Renew. A qualified joint always reflects its ultimate function with no surplus attached. And this kinds of joint is the answer to being simple. To connect objects you need qualified joint that linking relationship with logic to the essence, otherwise the connection can not be strong enough to hold on. The true and strong relationship of the connection shows the charm of joint and industrial technologies. For people at Roarc Renew, joint is the basic form of a society consisting of enormous physical objects.
Every oak must be an acorn, and every high building starts with the connection of a screw and a nut. As explained before, we see the brand identity of Saturnbird (Sandunban) in being simple, following nature and be true self. We’d like to use joint to express the design logic in the practice.
 
Intertranslation between the architectural language and brand identity
Connecting and circulating can be explained in the joints and sustainable design.
They are two forms of interpretation to one same value.
 
Firstly, we can explain the relationship between connection and joint. From the view of an architect, every time there is an issue in a building, it must be the issue of joint connecting two materials in most cases. For example, leakage happens when the joint between two materials were not effective connected. So joint in a excellent form can completely eliminate these common issue. Joints can be the effective solution that connects things into a combination of beauty and comfort. The ideology can expand to the brand interpretation in the view of Roarc Renew. The space can be the joint connecting people, offering a beautiful and comfortable experience for people at the store.
 
Secondly, it’s about the relationship between circulating and sustainable design. Truth is the basics to sustainable development and the ultimate target of a sustainable design is to reduce the burden as much as possible. Materials with the tag of truth are always sustainable itself. A counter-example is plastic made of chemical compound.
In the space, we used “true” materials like corrugated paper, birch and stainless iron casting, which have a common characteristic that need few further processing. They come from the nature and can go back to nature with few harms.
It’s the sustainable design we are looking for, we need to cherish the natural enviroment we are living on.
 
Module and the furniture system
Module system and the furniture (unit: mm)
As mentioned above, the principle we are talking about is the law of nature. Growing to certain scale, a brand will need to find more different ways to express itself, like cooperation or crossover.
The process follows the law of nature and do not rely on personal desire, it’s what we call Taoism follows nature. It is also the reason why Roarc Renew develops module furniture for the space. With the architectural logic of module, it offers various possibility for the layout of the space so that differentiated functions can be created based on it.
 
a. The goodwill showed by the steel barrier at the entrance  
The steel barrier is motor-driven that allows free flow of wind from both sides.
Composed of 20 hinge structures sized at 600*1400, the steel barrier door is there only for the consideration of safety after business hours. Indeed, we’d like it stay opening whole day long so that the 50 square meter space will always be available for the passer-by.
After business hour, passengers can see inside from the steel barrier and feel the charming flavour of cocoa beans.
 
b. Simple logic on the store sign
Unlike most store signs with plenty of information, the store sign stays true to the brand identity of being simple, which is putting stamped name on the square grilling over the external façade made of aluminium-plastic panel. It’s worth mentioning to explain the position of the store sign. Before renovation, there is a bracket beam made of concrete on the top of the store entrance, which outstretches about half meter to the road. We keep the design and put the store sign on top of the bracket beam.
 
c. The folding chair and the storable long-table
The setting logic of the entrance transitional space is to create as much space as possible for function variability. The folding chair can save space when they are not needed, and the table can act like Matryoshka to make room as well.
For folding chair: a 18 mm thick and 990 mm long board mounted on beam with customized fastener and the rod pivot on the board will help it unfold. There are 55 of them in the space.
In order to prevent injury brought by misoperation, there is a buckle latch and a customized M6 screw on the back of the board to hold it tight.
Storable long-table: There are four chairs with respective size of 1900*360, 1450*360, 1000*360 and 450*360 so that they can be stacked together. Carpenter's clamps were used to fasten the grilling lateral plate and the table top. And T shape landing legs were firmly soldered to make sure an excellent bearing capacity.
 
d. Coffee table that can be automatic back-bit
We introduce this design not because it’s cool but there are practical need in operation.
Saturnbird (Sandunban) follow the law of nature and do not sell coffee in the night. So what do we do during the time? How about an exhibition? Believe it, a coffee store can be an exhibition hall.
These coffee table need to be exhibition table in the night, for this reason we bring in the automatic back-bit function to the coffee table.
Coffee table: a coffee table is sized at 400*400 mm but once it was changed to exhibition table, the size can be 800*400 mm by rotating the support arm on the side of the table.        
There were footmaster casters on each leg of the coffee table. With the magnetic stripe underneath the table and strong magnetic force on the side of the table, every coffee table can find its way back to the calibrated position.
Exhibition table: with the hidden switch bolt under the table top the surface area of the table can be extended. There were also external hooks in the grille board of the cabinet. On the other side of the flank there were several spring guide drawers for exhibition, the length of which is progressive increasing from the top to the bottom.
 
e. Coffee stool can grow in height
Different height of coffee stool can work for three functions. A height of 350 mm stool can be an small exhibition table.
A height of 400 mm stool can be comfortable to sit.
A height of 450 mm stool can be useful as a mini-bar.
With handle sliding in the steel pipe, the height of the coffee stool will be adjusted accordingly.
To safeguard the stool, there were aligned piercing on inside and outside steel pipe, fastened by handle with screw thread.
There was a stainless rail on the bottom box to support the foot.
 
f. Flexible frame system made of paper brick
The display rack is a display system with good flexibility. Changing Inserting mortise and tenon joint method in a modular system can bring various display scenes.
The board base is pre-embedded and fixed with the wall by four stainless steel joints while the exhibition board is separated from the back wall. The lower connecting piece has a bolt node, and the upper connecting piece has a buckle node, so that quick disassembly and assembly of the exhibition board can be realized in a minute. The display rack is composed of 30 sets of cross-shaped stainless steel suspension arms supported by tenon and tenon joints. The suspension arms are composed of 3 pieces of special-shaped stainless steel plates with silicone anti-collision buckles sealed at the ends.
The boom socket is equipped with a stainless steel elastic buckle to lock/unlock the boom. The display rack can also be extended with different expansion accessories to realize different forms of display on the exhibition wall, such as electronic screens, display light boxes, etc.
 
g. Breathable glass doors
The 5 folding glass doors have a large partition space of 900*3200, which can be operated with a door grip in diameter of 150. The metal grip is fixed on the door with M4 screw kit, presenting a unique door handle style for the space.
These 5 glass doors are the real physical boundaries between indoor and outdoor. But even if it is a glass partition, we still hope that such physical boundary resembles something with life force. Therefore, we help the door breathes while it is closed. Whenever night comes, faint light comes through the gate fence, bringing a sense of breathing that resonates with this field.
 
Hidden light
a. Adaptive H steel
Light is one of the most essential elements that allow us to sense the colorful world. It is possible to meet the needs of diversified function in a space with one single light form and one single light carrier;
The most essential light is actually very simple, which can bring out the best form of a well-designed carrier.
To this end, we have designed three levels of lighting systems:
1. The up-lighting system lights up the raw clear cement on the top, with a diffuse reflection the light offers basic lightening to the ground as well for comfortable business operation;
2. The down-lighting system is used as a direct lighting source to create atmosphere for activities and exhibitions;
3. Adjustable lighting system is the focused lighting system that highlights products displayed;
To meet the three lighting modes mentioned above it will definitely disrupt the ceiling that has been carefully trimmed on the top.
"Integration" is the keyword of this lighting design.
We choose H steel as the lighting system carrier with confidence in its excellent adaptivity. With the help of it, we can integrate the lighting systems for the top, ground and products into one system hanging on the ceiling.
With unified form, adaptive H steel that fits with all lightening system becomes part of the space elements.
Meanwhile, a control module is integrated in the lighting system so that one can combine any set of light into one mode on the mobile device. When time comes to change the function of the space, a single click can make it happen.
 
b. Corner mark in-command
We are always trying to figure out the relationship between motionless graphics and people in an exhibition within a limited space.
The corner mark is used to positioning the moving tables and chairs. With combination of graphics and lighting, an interesting positioning point is created.
Positioning point is a very interesting minor detail with important functions;
The corner mark in-command locates the position of the stool by reading of the interaction between the light and the people. The magnetic switch helps achieving this function.
As the desk and stool approach a corner mark, the light at the corner mark lights up so that the person using the desk and stool can follow the light reminder to move and position them.
It’s true that this design is not a necessary, but we hope to create a law of nature in behavior with these detail so that there will be more interaction between graphics and people, or people and space.
Other items
A shape board, menu holder and trash can.
 
Reflection Evolve Redesign
This second stage is about the reflection and redesigning we’ve made after the opening so that it evolves with actual needs.
It is the consensus both the brand and us holds that Into the force Concept Store should be capable of self-evolving.
With observation and double check, we made some adjustments to the first version of the design.
The second version design focuses on retail displaying system, the design language of which inherits that of the first design version.
 
Storage table
Storage table comes to mind because of the commercial activities. After months of operation, it is decided that the column span where the storage table lays can be served as the semipermanent retail space. Meanwhile, the increase of retail goods and sales volume requires a bigger exhibition stand with greater storage capability.
So it comes the storage table. On the surface, lattice magnetic system and glass block forms the display system. The cabinet of the table is set up with drawer storage system.
Upper space for displaying while lower space for storage.
An eyeful of goodies on the big platform.   A meticulous layout on the small table top.
Forward, there are plenty of goods to enjoy.
Backward, there are plenty of space to use.
 
The fourth type of brick
The fourth type of brick.
We have chosen rammed-earth bricks for the wall; terazzo bricks for the floor and paper bricks for the shelf.
 
Finally clear bricks for the table. Here a clear form takes the place of bold outlines.
Being transparent, the bricks can carry and highlight anything on display. That's why we choose clear bricks as the fourth type of brick for the display system.
The fourth type of brick were used in two settings.
One at the cashier desk, working as the showcase for cashiering.
Another at the retail desktop, serving as the platform for the retail goods.
Fire symbol  
fire exit door
anti-smoking logo
fire extinguisher hanger
 
After months of operation, it is decided that there should be a reading area in the space.
So we hung two newspaper rack on the two columns.
The rack can also hold poster and brochure.
 
umbrella stand
The umbrella stand is needed to collect the umbrella in rainy days.
The stand can take both long-handled umbrella and foldable umbrella.
 
 
It starts with Saturnbird Coffee and ends with IntotheForce.  
The project experience is quite interesting for us.
An interior design is not our ultimate accomplishment.
The construction Roarc Renew is trying to build is a space full of openness in the structure system.