Thinking Around the Human Scale
I have carried out some research of a building that is local to me. The building is a restaurant and farm shop called The Trough, it illustrates my understanding of medium scale. The Trough was designed and built in 2016 by local Architects BoonBrown. Constructed in a rustic palette of ham stone, reclaimed roofing tiles and untreated timber boarding, the building sits sympathetically alongside the traditional farm. The Trough is part of a continuous farm diversification project and involved constructing a new farm shop and cafe within the land area of the existing working Longcroft Farm. The development has been created to provide the local area with a permanent and uniquely beautiful venue in the heart of the Somerset countryside to sell local farm produce and a restaurant for bespoke event parties and function. Alongside the family run restaurant is The Farmyard, an ideal place to enjoy peace and beauty of the countryside without forsaking the comforts of modern living. The architect designed apartments sit in a quiet spot a stones throw away from The Trough and enjoy the same beautiful surroundings.
The original building was built in 2016 and consisted of one open plan restaurant and bar space, a kitchen for preparing the food and WC’s all within the same building, externally finished with a mixture of timber cladding and stone.
A Glass box was then added to the existing building in 2022 enlarging the space to include a dining area, adding an extra 5m2, made up of a mixture of timber cladding, modern glass panels and brick, which sculpt the exterior. Internally clad walls with up-cycled timber and polished concrete floors add to the character alongside a cast concrete bar with polished top.
The owner’s family have been farming in Somerset for seven generations and each generation has shared the passion for farming. Over the years they have developed and added diversity to the farm of which their grass fed Longhorn cross Devon herd live and in turn produce incredibly flavoursome and naturally lean meat which they serve at The Trough.
As I approach the building, my first impression is how the design has considered the landscape that it sits within. The palette and materials of natural colours in the building sit pleasantly in its surroundings. The views around the building are breathtaking, you can see open countryside for miles. It is no surprise that the interior has a wonderful mix of earthy tones alongside rich greens and yellows. Floral patterns and moody lighting amplify the rich atmosphere. There is a variety of seating, they are functional and inter changeable. The venue offers a space for parties and functions and so the seating and tables can be moved around to suit. This is a clever idea, they are not limiting themselves to a certain clientele and pride themselves on offering a warm welcome and a delicious dining experience to whoever books or pops by.
Human scale is fully illustrated in the design interior and exterior of The Trough. If I start with the exterior, as you drive into the carpark area, there is so much space for parking, which I think is a really important factor when creating a building for visitors. It can be so frustrating when you turn up to a cafe or restaurant and you need to consider parking further away.
The interior, starting with the entrance double doors, have been designed for wheelchair access with a flat pathway leading up to them. Once inside, you can either turn left to enter the huge dining room area or turn right to the cafe/bar area, farm shop and toilets. The concrete serving bar wraps around to include both spaces, which is accessed via a polished concrete floor. Everywhere you look there is colour and style, warmth in the wood panelling and black casement windows to capture the panoramic view. The variety in seating offers lounge chairs, upright leather seating, velour upholstered chairs and comfy relaxing snug areas, something for everyone. The black casement doors open up on to a patio area where you can enjoy dining al fresco in the warmer months.
The space is functional and has been designed to cater for a high volume of visitors. The polished concrete floor runs throughout the whole building, there is even polished concrete sinks in the WC’s with the Trough emblem engraved on them, the attention to detail is evident throughout.
Images
Fig. 1 – The Trough Restaurant and Farm Shop, Yeovil https://kbbuilderssouthwest.co.uk/projects (accessed 16/3/23)
Fig. 2 – A selection of photographs in it’s original form https://kbbuilderssouthwest.co.uk/projects (accessed 16/3/23)
Fig. 3 – A selection of photographs with the glass box added https://kbbuilderssouthwest.co.uk/projects (accessed 16/3/23)
Fig. 4 – A selection of photographs of the finished interior https://kbbuilderssouthwest.co.uk/projects (accessed 16/3/23)
Fig. 5 – My own photographs of The Trough showing the wider environment Walker, T (2023) Annotated Photographs [Image] in possession of: the author: Stoford
Fig. 6 – Site location plan and photographs showing car parking area https://www.thetrough.co.uk/ (accessed 18.3.23)
Fig. 7 – Photograph of the sink used in the WC’s https://www.morrisconcretedesign.com/listing/601713748/pastel-pink-bathroom-concrete-trough (accessed 18.3.23)
my Interior Design Journey 