Sofra

The table design is meant to combine the thematic elements of my cultural background surrounding food and the practices of Chef Jeong Kwan. The “sofra,” or dining table, is a staple of Albanian culture. It is meant to be the gathering place of a home, and after a meal is finished, we would clean together and gather the remaining food scraps together to feed the livestock.

Jeong Kwan’s philosophies as a Buddhist impact the way she thinks about and approaches cooking. Kwan has no formal culinary training and relies on appealing to the simplicity and beauty of nature to inspire her cooking. Her garden, which she relies on to cook all her meals, is treated with care and respect. She is conscious of allowing nature to take its natural course and not waste resources.

The table encourages the individuals eating to face each other as well as interact by having to stand up and serve the food in the open middle portion. Patrons are also meant to physically sit close to the ground, connecting them to the natural environment. The table is also designed to be outside so that after people finish their meal, other animals can eat what remains, showcasing the continuous life cycle of a meal. The table would be made from the adobe material of cob, which is made from a combination of clay, straw, water, and earth so that if the table were to decompose over time, it could once again become a part of the environment.

Digital Drawing

Sofra

The “sofra,” or dining table, is a staple of Albanian culture. It is meant to be the gathering place of a home where the focus of a meal is not what you are eating but who you are eating with. As a child, my family placed great value on joining together to eat for every meal. This diagram series represents the numerous meals I shared with my family in Montenegro on the sofra my great-grand-father carved from wood. Since we would have all of our meals together as a family, the table was often haphazardly set with varying sets of silverware and chairs because the importance of the meal was in the company shared. We would spend lots of time together at the dining table, which meant that we would move around and keep the wood furnace lit to continue engaging in each other’s presence. Afterward, we would clean together and gather the remaining food scraps together to feed the livestock, continuing a cycle of unity through communal dining.

Drawing

Chef Jeong Kwan

Jeong Kwan’s philosophies as a Buddhist nun impact the way she thinks about and approaches cooking. Kwan has no formal culinary training and relies on appealing to the simplicity and beauty of nature to inspire her cooking. Kwan’s cooking philosophy is reflective of the principles and teachings of Buddhism, which emphasize mindfulness, compassion, and moderation in all aspects of life, including food preparation and consumption. Her garden, which is what she relies on to cook all of her meals for the monastery, is treated with care and respect. She is conscious of allowing nature to take its natural course and not waste any resources. I chose to represent the garden because I feel it is such an essential element of her cooking process. The first frame is meant to show her lively untamed garden and transition into her cooking. The second frame is the meal. Kwan respects food and makes an effort to sit down to eat her meals. She also does not waste anything that is why the final frame after the meal is over is an empty plate

Drawing

Hybrid Study

This drawing acts as an inspiration board for the final table design. The study focuses on combining principles throughout the first and second drawings in order to inform the final form of the table. The other component contributing to the table design involves a study on the behaviors of squirrels in order to ensure that the table can accommodate non-human dining.

Eastern Grey Squirrel Traits:

- In urban and suburban areas, these squirrels scavenge for food in trash bins. Eastern gray squirrels have a high enough tolerance for humans to inhabit residential neighborhoods and raid bird feeders for millet, corn, and sunflower seeds.

- Eastern gray squirrels are skilled climbers and are some of the few animals that have been observed to “play” for leisure and not as a hunting or survival tactic.

- Squirrels nest near food sources, this is why they tend to form nests near homes or gardens.

- Eastern gray squirrels adapt their diets to the food available to them in their area.