HAPPIE040
CLIENT Springplank SIZE 287 m2 SITE TU/e
RESPONSIBILITY Concept, design & realisation
CONSTRUCTION Smeulders Interior Group
PHOTOGRAPHY Studio Indruk
ASSIGNMENT
A place where you experience the connecting power of food
Springplank is an organization with a special mission: helping people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness regain control over their lives. They do this through initiatives that focus on growth, learning and connection. We already know Springplank from their previous project coffee bar BAKKIE040, now they have also developed the HAPPIE040 concept.
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HAPPIE040 prepares up to 800 fresh, nutritious meals every day for Springplank’s shelter locations, as well as for students and staff of TU/e. This last group can enjoy their meals on-site at HAPPIE040.
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It was my ambition to make HAPPIE040 a relaxed, welcoming place where people feel at home. A key wish was a large table seating sixty people—a central place where food, conversation, and connection come together.
CONCEPT
DESIGN
While BAKKIE040 has become a cozy living room filled with individual stories, HAPPIE040 tells one shared story. For this hospitality venue, a conscious effort was made to source locations locally where materials and furniture could be “harvested.”
The terrazzo floor consists of 39% construction waste, such as crushed brick.
The tabletops are made from reclaimed wood by Herso Circulaire Houtbewerkers in Loosbroek.
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In addition to the conscious choice of materials, the concept is built around the Dutch saying: “Life is a party, but you have to hang up the garlands yourself.” A visual interpretation of this idea greets you as soon as you enter, in the form of a light art installation. As a guest, you keep wondering what exactly you are seeing; the piece has a playful and aesthetic quality that continues to intrigue.
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That same idea continues in the clearing station. At first glance, it appears to be a practical piece of furniture where dishes and waste can be collected. But it is much more than that. It also functions as a cabinet with space for board games and other homely elements that help people feel at home at HAPPIE040. At the end of the unit, visitors can write down a wish for someone else—a small invitation to be kind to one another, because together (the party) is always more fun than alone :)
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