#otonali

The Natural Way of Life

Betrand Larcher, a restauranteur, opened a ceramics store and adjoining Otonali eatery using only natural materials to build it. The store, named B-Raku, is located in Brittany, France and connects to a Japan-inspired restaurant next door. One half of the store houses the ceramics store, while the other half host a Japanese restaurant. Both spaces have interiors created by Guillaume Terver, who comes from the architecture studio, LeLad. His inspiration was to create a “low-tech” aesthetic that celebrates raw and natural materials. In the ceramics store, the majority of the surfaces are covered in clay, which covers a stone column left exposed. Blocks of granite are used to form a small basin as well as shelf dividers. Wooden door frames line the cabinetry that runs along peripheral walls. In front of the chef’s kitchen in the adjoining restaurant Otonali, sits a large oak table. The back up the room features a unfired clay wine rack to satisfy all the customers drink needs.

To me, this is both the most cost efficient and is least detrimental to the environment. I believe a big issue that architects have ignored for years is the effect that their building, or the materials they utilize has on the environment. A lot of times everybody, myself included, are amazed at the skyscrapers that are going up. It seems like with every skyscraper built, they fast forward ten years into the future to pick the next design. But, what we don’t consider is the amount of trees killed to clear out that space or the amount of natural resources used to create the monstrosity. Now I agree, we will always need new buildings and we won’t always be able to use natural resources. However, if we use natural resources to build the smaller buildings, think about how much more our bodies would reap the benefits of a “healthy” build building. There would be less asbestos cases, or buildings closing for mold. To me, I rather spend more money to use natural resources then spend next to nothing to kill my environment. We were only given one Earth, so I say let’s reap the benefits of her.