lagniappe kitchen
An inclusive culinary institute providing education & third place experiences.
Interior Design Senior Thesis Proposal
Louisiana State University
Spring 2024
a little something extra…
Lagniappe Kitchen is a culinary school that will bring the Greater Baton Rouge area and Louisiana community together through inclusivity and accessibility. Providing education through the idea of third place will assist in creating an alternative school where people can connect, learn and explore what community looks like through the culinary arts.
research question
How can third place environments support education in a local community?
thesis statement
Students need a place separate from traditional school environments and home to further practice and study the subject matter and explore other interests outside of the curriculum. Creating a third place for encouraging a socialized learning experience would allow an alternative place for students to study, engage, and learn through connection to the local community. Incorporating nutritional elements into a third space experience, such as the culinary arts, can enhance productivity and create a healthy, enjoyable learning environment.
design criteria
design concept statement
Lagniappe Kitchen is a culinary school where third-place spaces are created through multiple lounge areas, casual workplace environments, and community workshop spaces. The school’s design brings a sense of freshness to the existing contemporary building, the Commerce Building, located in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Balancing natural elements such as wood and indoor plants with pops of warmer-toned colors through paint, furniture upholsteries, and wallcoverings, the overall aesthetics of the culinary school allows the users to feel comfortable in the space as it resembles similar features that may be found in a Southern Louisiana home. The usage of beadboard, detailed trim and millwork, floral patterns, and local art nods to the mixed use of traditional and arts and crafts architecture that is found in the surrounding area, allowing the users to feel a sense of connection to the surrounding community as they navigate the building’s interior. The community is encouraged to visit Lagniappe Kitchen to learn more about the art of cooking and connect with others in the local area.
To the right: inspiration images
programming
Above: Detailed Program Summary
Adjacency Matrix
Bubble Diagram
illustrated drawings & diagrams
Interior Schematic Sketches
site analysis and building selection
The Commerce Building, located in Downtown Baton Rouge, LA, currently serves as an apartment complex with a couple of retail stores located on its first level. The building consists of eight levels with two rooftop spaces, one being currently used as an outdoor patio with a swimming pool for the apartment’s residents. With its downtown located, the building is located near museums, retail stores, local cafes and bars, churches, and hotels. Baton Rouge, like many cities in Louisiana, is known for its cuisine. By bringing a culinary school into the downtown area, locals and out of town visitors can immerse themselves in the culinary arts in the heart of a city known for good food while learning about how to cook and experience a local culture and community. Because there are multiple levels of the building, there is room for a restaurant, a culinary school, and residential spaces to relate to each other in the space for a third place experience.
To the right: existing building images
Below: site analysis
Address:
The Commerce Building
333 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801
Building Square Footage:
180,000 s.f.
8 Levels
floorplans
Below are Levels 1-8 of Lagniappe Kitchen.
See the Floorplan key to the right to help identify the spaces in each floorplan
