The Overview
For this project we were tasked with creating a 3D structure in Sketchup with a popup that would interact with customers in New York City. I liked the idea of bringing people closer to nature in the city of concrete buildings. I remember always feeling like the Brooklyn Botanical Garden was a magical place and I wanted to bring that magic to other people outside of the garden. What better place than a butterfly themed cafe right in Central Park?
The name of the cafe was inspired by my favorite flower, Forget Me Nots. It ties back into remembering even the smallest species and aiding in their conservation. It also ties back to a niche of the cafe which is making well wishes, small asks of the world in the bid that it wont be forgotten or left behind.
*The 3D models that I had used were pre-made and readily available to download from Sketchup for free.
The Problem
New Yorkers need a place to relax and interact with plants and nature, creating a healthy environmentally friendly dynamic. Butterflies are also in need of protection and it would be helpful to aid them and educate others on conservation efforts as well.
The Solution
Create The Forget Me Not Butterfly Cafe, where visitors could be surrounded by nature and butterflies. Visitors could also take caterpillars home to raise and then bring them back to the cafe to be released back in either the cafe or the environment. Customers can also plant seed paper and ensure butterflies get the food they need.
The Moodboards
Due to the various aspects of The Forget Me Not Butterfly Cafe, I felt that it would be better to create separate moodboards for each part of the concept. The Texture Palette displays the eclectic Victorian theme I had in mind for the cafe. The materials I would use are foliage, trees, brick, glass, stained glass for the some of the outer windows, recycled paper, and wrought iron.The Butterfly Cafe Moodboard displays the interior and exterior of the cafe, as well as the food and drinks that would be served there. The Wisher's Tree Moodboard (shown here as the wishing tree), is inspired by the Japanese Tanabata festival wishing trees, and will be in the center or back-most part of the cafe. The Butterfly Garden Moodboard shows the external garden by and around the cafe, as well as what one might find in the butterfly room.
Location of The Cafe
I originally wanted to place the cafe in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, but I realized the space would be small and compromised by other buildings and landscape. That is why I've decided to instead bring it to Prospect Park, which could become a nice discovery for people traveling through the park.
Loose Sketches of Concept
These are sketches of what I pictured for the layout of The Forget Me Not Butterfly Cafe. I wanted to go with a Victorian aesthetic with detailed carved wood, stained glass, brick, and metal tables. The furthest part of the cafe would have the wishing tree where guests could sit around or tie their wishes to the tree.The long hall leading out from the main floor of the cafe has a hallway for plants, and a butterfly larvae room/ gift shop.
Loose sketch of cafe floor plans
Loose sketch of what I pictured the walls would look like of the cafe
Loose sketch of the wisher's tree within the cafe
Loose sketch of another iteration of the wisher's tree
Sketchup Images - Floor Plan From Above
These are images of the cafe as pictured from above. I want the cafe to feel welcoming and spacious with the sun shining through, although I do understand that temperature might be an issue. Implementing tinted glass ceilings, room temperature control, and only reservations for days that are not extreme heatwaves would be the next plan to ensure guests would be safe.
Sketchup Images - Outside of The Cafe
These are images of the cafe at different angles when pictured from outside. I wanted the building to look like Victorian greenhouses so that people can enjoy the beauty inside and outside of the cafe through the glass.
Sketchup Images - Inside Main Cafe Floor
I had taken off some walls on the model in order to show the interior of the cafe floor,. Pictured is also the tea shelf and counter.
Sketchup Images - Hallway & Larvae Room
These are both ends of the hallway, one leading out of the building, and the other leading into the main cafe area. There is also the larvae room where guests can purchase larvae to raise and bring back to the cafe to set free. There are also flower seeds, plants, Forget Me Not Cafe merchandise, and more to purchase.
The Wisher's Tree Tags
I Guests of the cafe can reserve a time and table. When they arrive, they will be greeted by a hand written place card with their name on it. The place card also doubles as a card to tie to the wishing tree and can be detached by tearing it along the perforated line. Guests can write their wishes on the card and tie it to The Wisher's Tree. Since the cards are made from seed paper, they will be taken down after each month and planted in order to grow more flowers for the cafe butterflies. These cards were hand drawn/ created by yours truly.
Outcome + Reflections + Next Steps
My experience with games such as The Sims helped me put together the model with premade assets easily and in a shorter time span, albeit with a lot of lag. There are some imperfections due to the lag which I was unable to fix when the program froze. I remember praying that the computer would save my files, but I screenshotted as much as I could as a backup plan. Ultimately Sketchup crashed and I had lost all my data, so the images you see are the ghostly remnants of a project's past. If I were to revisit this project, I would instead create a version via Blender or gaming programs such as The Sims as an easier way of showcasing the design without the technical issues. Overall I was extremely happy with the concept of this cafe and wished that it could be brought to life. I had a blast getting creative and thinking of fun ways the project could be environmentally friendly and also attract customers, and I believe I have achieved such a balance.
