Precedent Study

Barbacco Eno Trattoria Restaurant and Bar Barbacco occupies a long and narrow lot within the 1912 Hind Building in the Financial District of San Francisco. Designed by CCS Architects, it fulfills the desire of the owners; Umberto Gibin and chef Staffan Terje, for a casual dining and leisure space of trattoria that converts to an enoteca or wine bar at night. The design of Barbacco is inspired by the traditional wine bars in Milan and Rome, thus the sleek and refined space. The unique ceiling design of Barbacco highlights the lines of a sports car, creating difference in levels. The bar is designed to be a continuous strip of counter-height table which extends throughout the length of the space with a curve at the end. Vibrant Ferrari Yellow combines with more subtle colours to complement the wall of exposed brick apart from other material such as Negro Marquina stone, stainless steel and ultimately, timber. The low lighting in Barbacco gives a soothing and comfortable experience to the customers, while maintaining a quaint aesthetics of the space.

Lighting The combination of the types of lighting installed in Barbacco Restaurant and Bar creates a harmonious and comfortable environment for the customers. The primary type of lighting used in this restaurant and bar is the halogen spotlight. Eight units of halogen spotlights are installed on a thin panel which is hanged or attached to the ceiling. There are a total of eight hanging panels of halogen spotlights throughout the space. The upper part of the continuous mirror panels on the wall and the bar shelves are lit up with low light. This type of lighting produces localized lighting on a work surface and also highlights the cleanliness of the area. The commonly used lighting to create this effect is the LED linear strip which is attached along the cabinets and mirror, creating a neat and hidden source of light.

Acoustics The architectural acoustics of Barbacco is achieved with the control of its spatial design, openings and construction material. The difference in level of the ceiling design limits the noise transmission in Barbacco. The openings of the space is controlled by having no windows along the space and the glass door for the entrance, which controls the sound penetration from the exterior into the bar, while still providing natural daylight. Among the construction materials in Barbacco are unfinished bricks, timber, stone and stainless steel. Bricks are known to be great floor and wall construction materials for sound isolation for its rigidity, which means they will not contract and create sound waves on the other side, and also its mass which means it is capable of stopping sound waves effectively. Similarly, stone, masonry and concrete walls also have these qualities. Wood possesses an ability to reflect sound and a material for sound treatment as it resonates easily. Certain parts of Barbacco are finished with timber panels for its acoustical features.

Site Introduction
Vins Restaurant and Bar

Vins operates in a shop lot along a row of shop houses in a quite neighborhood in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Just a little distance away from the main business district of TTDI, the owner, Navin, with a great passion for A La Minute cooking, created a place of good food in a classy and relaxing ambiance. The spatial design of Vins makes optimum use of the long and narrow unit which includes a continuous dining area, a bar and a more private wine area, among common utilities such as kitchen, restrooms and storage space. The linearity of the space is highlighted by the straight walkway in the middle, separating the dining area on the left and right, and further emphasized by the suspended ceiling along the same linear path. The use of brick walls and timber decking right to the leather chairs create an earthy and rustic look to the whole interior. The use of low lighting projecting on the raw material creates a certain mood to the customers.

Lighting

The various types of lighting used in Vins Restaurant and Bar complement one another to create a pleasing atmosphere for the customers. The primary type of lighting unit installed in Vins is the halogen spotlights. A total of 39 halogen spotlights are attached onto the surface of the ceiling throughout the dining and bar area. Along the suspended ceiling of Vins, seven units of halogen lamps with surface mounted fittings are installed alternatively with the air-conditioner diffusers and air vent. Three similar halogen lamp units are also used in the restrooms. LED linear strips of less than one inch width are attached along the upper part of the mirrors and the suspended ceiling, underneath a side of the floor deck, the bar table and inside the liquor cabinet. This low light produced by the LED strips highlights certain parts of the interior, resulting in an interesting play of light. In the long and narrow kitchen space, three units of T8 fluorescent lamps are used to light up the space to enhance the cooking process. These fluorescent lamps are attached on the surface of the beams that run along the kitchen area.

Acoustics

Vins Restaurant and Bar entertains its customers with soft music such as jazz and R&B playing through the speakers. In creating a space with good architectural acoustics, the design of this restaurant is considered carefully in terms of the spatial comfort, openings and construction material. Speakers are installed at the edges of the rectangular space to play the background music in Vins, without being too loud that it interrupts the customers conversations. Being a middle lot shop house, Vins does not have of any openings in its space except for its two meters wide entrance. Although the entrance is always open and the space is exposed to exterior sound penetration, it does not result in major disturbance to the restaurant as the surrounding area is quite and does not contribute to much noise. The construction materials in Vins which are unfinished bricks, timber and concrete are chosen for their acoustical qualities to give a good architectural acoustics effect. Bricks are used as the material of the left side wall structure for sound isolation as they prevent sound waves from travelling through the wall. Vins incorporates an elevated timber deck flooring along the left side of the space. Timber panels are also used on the lower part of the walls and the bar table for its ability to reflect sound.

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