Cucina Rustica...a place to dine

La Cucina Rustica

(Rustic Kitchen)

La Bellezza Delle Montagne Incontra la Pasione Della Cucina

(The beauty of the mountains is introduced to the passion of the kitchen)

My concept was to incorporate the natural beauty of Tuscany, the passion for food and togetherness of the family. In doing my precedent analysis for this project I felt it necessary to design for the culture. In Italy the main meal of the day is lunch (pranzo) in which everyone comes home from work or school during siesta time to be together with the family. This room is designed mainly for eating and gathering during mid day where natural light is abundant. Afterwards users of this space can converse over espresso and comfortably enjoy the dining experience.

I first started out with the design of my table. I wanted it to be a rustic butcher block style. The table is made of oak wood and coated with a heat protectant. I didn't want it to have a gloss finish so no stain was necessary.


The structure of the table is supported with a cross beam holding the weight of the table top. It is 10'x4' and 2'-6" tall. The table seats 12 people.

Scale for both models is at 1"=1'-0"
The side buffet table follows the rustic concept. It is designed with two drawers for commodity. The side server dimensions are 5'W x 3'H x 2'D.

The Floor Plan shows the layout of the room. As you can see neither of my windows or doors are closed. Purposely I have kept the space open to the exterior. This is an "outdoor" eating space, there are four walls and a roof, however there are openings to the exterior space. I imagine this space to be off of a kitchen which contains a wood burning stove to roast lamb of other cultural foods. The finish of the floor is slate tiles, and a border of ceramic tiles. The room is 26'-6"x 15'.

In the reflective ceiling plan the viewer is able to see the placement of the three chandeliers. Scale is at 1/2"=1'-0"

Elevation A scale 1/2"=1'-0"

From this view the viewer is able to see the significant height of the ceiling which is a vaulted cathedral ceiling. From the floor to the roof it is 20'. The main chandelier is centered with the table and lowered to emphasize the dining area. The other two are off set lighting used to create a softer lighting.

Elevation B scale 1/2"=1'-0"

This elevation shows the placement of the crossbeam, where the chandelier is centered on. It also shows a frontal view of my side serve table within the space.

This is a section cut for Elevation B it shows the conection from the roof to the support beam, and the connection into the concrete.

Here is a perspective demonstrating the space filled and interacted within.