Locavore is a restaurant centered around the principles of sustainable agriculture: foodthat is organically, humanely, and sustainably raised from farms and cooperatives nofurther than 150 miles from Richmond - thus the "local" in Locavore. Like all restaurants,certain programmatic requirements were standard such as providing places to store,prepare, and eat the food, and restrooms. Yet the design of the space also helps answerthe following questions: How does sustainable differ from organic? Is local necessarily better than foreign? How does a restaurant embody community?

The community of Old Town Manchester lies across from downtown Richmond on the south side of the James River. Annexed in 1910, Manchester was the industrial hub of the city and home to the Chesterfield Railroad, the first railway in Virginia and used to transport coal. These industrial roots are still evident today in the warehouses and manufacturing facilities that continue to operate or have been repurposed. The building of focus is located on the corner of bustling Hull Street and quiet 7th Avenue. Distinctive in its stone masonry exterior, 616 Hull was constructed in the 1920s as a Chevrolet showroom and manufacturing facility. Both the proximity to downtown and the historic character of Manchester made it seem an ideal location for a hotel and restaurant. Considering the hotel as a source of stability for the community because it provides jobs, and the restaurant as an entity within the hotel that simultaneously serves the guests as well as the local residents, the concept of discovery and experience of place emerged. With the belief that locals share a sense of pride in the city in which they live, thus making Richmonders the city’s best advocates, this thesis was an exploration of how design can encourage interaction between two groups of people- visitors and locals.

Les restaurants évoquant les allures et les saveurs des diners américains d'antan se multiplient dans les villes québécoises. Au cœur de cette tendance, les menus de ces restaurants se posent en véritables vecteurs de communication. L'objectif de ce mémoire est d'approfondir notre compréhension de la manière dont le passé s'exprime à travers les menus des restaurants québécois inspirés des diners américains. Mon analyse rend d'abord compte des points de convergence entre les imaginaires du passé et les impératifs commerciaux contemporains présents dans les menus sélectionnés. Puis, je sonde la notion d'identité à travers les influences locales et étrangères présentes dans ces menus. Face à la distinction marquée entre le caractère populaire des diners d'époque et le style haut de gamme de certains de leurs homologues contemporains, je concentre enfin mon analyse sur les indices permettant de déceler le profil des clientèles ciblées par les restauratrices et les restaurateurs. / Cities all over Québec are bearing witness to an increasing number of restaurants that capture the flavours and allure of old-time American diners. Significantly, these restaurants' menus act as genuine vectors of communication. Consequently, this dissertation aims to deepen our understanding of the ways in which the past is conveyed through the menus of Québécois restaurants inspired by traditional American diners. I first analyze the points of convergence between the imaginaries of the past and contemporary commercial imperatives featured in selected menus. I then examine the prominence of both local and foreign influences in these menus in order to explore the notion of identity. Given the marked distinction between the working-class ambiance of original old diners and the high-end style of some of their contemporary counterparts, the final part of this thesis centres on some of the clues that betray the specific customer profile targeted by restaurateurs.

El objetivo general de la investigación corresponde al desarrollo de un proyecto de diseño interior donde se plasme ambientes con distribución adecuada y comodidad en el restaurante benéfico del banco de alimentos en el distrito de San Isidro, así mismo brindar espacios que cuenten con un agradable diseño, en donde se sienta confort. Por otro lado, los objetivos específicos son los siguientes: Diseñar y mobiliario en base a materiales ecológicos para los diferentes ambientes. Investigación profunda del concepto para lograr un buen desarrollo en el diseño interior de los ambientes del restaurante benéfico y proponer muebles innovadores, aplicando los principios básicos del diseño interior. Adicional, proponer espacios de áreas verdes que estén en relación con el diseño. / The purpose of this investigation is the development of an interior design project where there are spaces with adequate distribution and comfort in The charity restaurant of the food bank in the district of San Isidro, also provide spaces that have a nice design, where to feel comfort. On the other hand, the specific objectives are the following: Design and furniture based on ecological materials for different spaces. The investigation was carried out on the concept to atheeve a good development in the interior design of The charity's restaurant spaces and to propose innovative furniture, applying the basic principles of interior design. Additionally, propose spaces for green areas that are related to the design. / Tesis