Warm memories of Specialtys Cafe, Pleasanton, Calfornia.
Timber structure is a significant interior element in Specialtys Cafe.
I am writing on New Year’s Day in wet cold Macclesfield, UK. But Specialtys Cafe is hot! Not just because Pleasanton is in California. It is a sexy interior. Sexy? Well I mean attractive, exciting. It works well because Specialtys Cafe is different. I loved the way structure is exposed for visual appeal. This makes Specialtys Cafe a distinctive place. Therefore memorable. A place drawing you in. The aim of any retail space. We like to shop and consume in destinations. Look at those big timbers and steel straps. They form a truss. Or structural frame supporting the building. But also giving it unique style for a cafe. Breakfast at Specialtys Cafe was wholesome & delicious! So friendly.
Specialty’s Café & Bakery
5050 Hopyard Rd, Suite 250
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Parthenon, Athens. An architecture of decorated structure, rhythm and precise geometry. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
The relationship between architecture and structure is key. For a cafe, temple or cathedral. Some interiors hide structure. In others it’s clear. The Parthenon’s architecture is structural. So is Westminster Abbey’s. I always look for ways to express structure as in this cafe. But only if this adds value at reasonable cost. Thoughtful architecture is balanced in many ways. One of these is the extent of structural expression. For example your new roof can be supported by natural wood trusses. Or just oak purlins. These enable increased space overhead. A simple way to make the most of compact floor areas.
Westminster Abbey, London. A structural rule shapes this building:- Loads transferred to ground by the compressive resistance of stone. Courtesy of WhichholidayTV.
I visited Specialtys Cafe in September. It’s in the Bay Area, near San Francisco. Pleasanton is as far from downtown SF as Macclesfield is from central Manchester. Warm memories of Joe and Kendalle’s wedding. Of good times with Kendalle’s family, Kevin, Brenda, Kellen and Kamron. The wedding was held in Murrieta’s Well winery. Murrieta’s is in Livermore, 10 miles from the cafe.
Murrieta’s Well, Livermore, California. Thick concrete and few windows promote coolth.
The tables were set in the wine store. A concrete building with high thermal mass. This keeps the wine cool without mechanical cooling. And it kept the wedding guests cool too! Such trips help to keep my architectural creativity fresh. To all my clients present and future I wish you a new year full of happy cafe moments!
