Harudot by Nana Coffee Roasters / IDIN Architects

Harudot is a stand-alone café in Chonburi, a famous beachside town in Thailand. This cafe is a result of a collaboration between the Nana Coffee Roasters brand owner and the landlord, who has a particular interest in plants with unique forms. The name “Haru” translates to “Spring” in Japanese, referring to “new beginning” and “growth,” while “Dot” symbolizes a “starting point.” The two main requirements for this cafe are to, firstly, design a "destination" with an interesting experience that is able to attract visitors, and secondly, to include the landlord's identity into the design in order to signify this unique collaboration. The architect chooses to focus on the concept of new beginnings and growth by including the trees at the heart of the design. Here, a bottle tree (baobab) has been placed in an inner court where the gable form of the architecture is pulled apart to allow for its growth towards the sky. This makes it appear as if the seed of the baobab had been planted long before and grew out through the architecture as time passed.