Capstone Project
Presented by Kristyna Borden
FIU School of Architecture
Department of Interior Design
Graduate Studio 6
Spring 2011
Personal Interest:

Passion for both cooking and baking

At one point contemplated being a chef …
(ex. Attended demos at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris)

Believe cuisine to be a skill that can be taught
given the correct training and environment
Professional Interest:

This type of technical school makes allowance
for people who love to cook, but also have
a full-time career, by providing multiple schedules
for completion of the degrees offered

Growing number of people are venturing
out to start second careers in the culinary arts

Improving the present day institution

Users (students and instructors) can benefit
from interior design solutions

Literature Review
IND 5937-Special Topics, P. Abbott
Colleges for the Culinary
Arts: Implementing
Design to Improve the
Learning Environment

Case Study
IND 6639-Research Methods, J. King
Case Study: Educational
Philosophy and Goals of
Culinary Art School Design
RESEARCH TOPIC
Central Question:

What physical and sensory attributes of interior design contribute to create a successful learning
environment for the culinary arts?
Sub-Question:

How does natural and artificial lighting affect a person’s ability to learn?

How does class-size affect the learning environment?

Do crowding, density, and personal space play an important factor in a learning environment?

Does a sense of community affect a person’s ability to learn?

How could interior design decisions benefit visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning types?
PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of this study will be to develop an understanding of physical and sensory qualities
that facilitate the design of learning environments for students in the culinary arts. At this stage
in the research, learning environments will be generally defined as a system of complex
relationships that exists among the physical structure (size and arrangement of a room), a
teacher, and a student.
According to RobertYin,
“A case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary
phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the
boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.”
RESEARCH TOPIC
Focus of Case Study:
The questions to be answered through this case study will be:

How does educational philosophy differ among the three different culinary art schools?

Does the size of a culinary art school play an important role in student learning?

How can educational philosophy along with interior design improve student recruitment and
retention?
PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of this study is to explore the differences in educational philosophy and goals of
culinary art schools. More specifically the study will examine how they are reflected in the built
environment and interiors.
Culinary Art Schools in South Florida
 The three culinary art schools selected are all
accredited by various associations
 Choosing schools that have accreditation
proves that each school has successfully
passed a rigorous review with regards to length
of time in business, number of graduates, and
placement of graduates in successful careers
 The schools selected also vary in size and will
allow for the differing educational philosophies
of each curriculum to be evaluated
3221 Enterprise Way
Miramar, FL 33025
1701 Northeast 127th Street
North Miami, FL 33181
1600 Southeast 17th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Study No. 1
 The building that houses Le
Cordon Bleu Miami is part of a
larger industrial/commercial
park.
 The structural elements are
well hidden within the façade
 The buildings are uniform in
design and create a cohesive
architectural landscape
 This uniformity does not allow
for any clues as to the buildings
function
 The building aesthetics do
seem appropriate for this given
development and for the
differing offices located within
the park
Study No. 2
 The structural elements of the
Johnson & Wales building that
houses the school for the
culinary arts are not apparent
The building’s exterior does
not really translate what is
going on in the interiors

The design is dated as far as
aesthetics are concerned

 This was the old North Miami
Hospital and it did undergo
renovation—so it seems as
though the façade has been
added to create the grandeur
associated with the name of
the university
Study No. 3
 The structural elements of the
building that houses the Ai
Culinary school are integrated
into the overall design. Visible
portions of the structure can
been seen in parking garage
The building’s exterior does
not really translate what is
going on in the interiors

The design is dated as far as
aesthetics are concerned

 This was once an Olive Garden
Restaurant prior to becoming a
Culinary School
Client / Owner
Reasons why:
Background in the culinary
industry
 Years of knowledge
 Energy to invest herself into
something that will provide a
solid foundation for the next
generation of culinary
professionals
 Together, with a group of
investors, Giada wishes to build
a culinary art school that will
incorporate the traditions of
the past with the technologies
of the future so that the future
chefs receive the technical
environment they need in order
to be successful in the field
Giada De Laurentiis
Giada’s new adventure and business venture is to open a culinary art school!
Client / User
User Types:
 Faculty / Staff:
Administrative
Chef Instructors
General Education Instructors
Maintenance/Janitors
 Students
First Year
Second Year
Prospective
 Visitors
Patrons of the restaurant
Chefs from around the world
Tasting panels for finals
Potential recruiters for
positions at high-end resorts
College for the Culinary Arts
Welcoming center:
 Located at the entry of the school.
 House most of the public venues that are part of the culinary art school
 Upon arrival the users will have a welcoming receptionist to greet them
 A place for users to sit and wait
 Should have some views to the outdoors
 The school’s restaurant will be adjacent to the reception
Administrative:
 Area where the people who are in charge of running the school will be housed
 This includes heads of departments, financial aid, advisors, student activity organizers,
as well as those in charge of assisting with uniforms, equipment, and off-campus housing
 These activities will have a secondary adjacency to the welcoming center
Classrooms:
 General education classrooms will follow a more traditional classroom layout
 Users of these classrooms will need chairs, desks, white boards, projectors, etc.
Instructional Kitchen:
 Divided into Pastry & Bakery, Chocolate & Confections, Butcher Skills and Basic Cooking Skills
Storage:
 Throughout the school will have designated areas for storage
 Space needed for specific equipment, appliances, uniforms and food items
Placement of Culinary Art School
Auckland, New Zealand
 Extensive and popular wine producing region
 The culinary school can support and help sustain
the local agriculture
 International context with many ethnicities existing
in this area
 Largest metropolitan city in the country
of New Zealand
 Potential for the people of Auckland to benefit from
this type of school in their region
Reason for selection:
 Overall building composition
 The large open views that it will afford
 Grand entry space
 Layout and minimal use of structural
columns, which will allow me to fully incorporate
the programmatic needs
FIU’s Recreation Center
North
East
South
West