A colorful outdoor market kiosk with a modern geometric design, selling green leafy vegetables, on a city street with people walking by and apartment buildings in the background.

sobremesa

named after the mexican tradition of spending time chatting with friends and family after a meal, sobremesa is a comprehensive yet simple outdoor dining system that allows low-income new york city restaurants to provide curbside dining with ease. 

PROJECT CONTEXT

in 2020, the new york city department of transportation implemented the temporary open restaurant program to combat the negative effects of the covid-19 pandemic. this program was crucial to the resilience of restaurants all across the city.

Infographic showing that during the COVID-19 pandemic, open street corridors saw an increase in sales while neighboring control corridors saw a decrease, with a 50% reduction in sales in control corridors.
Comparison of geographic data for New York City boroughs from June 2020 and December 2022, showing percentages of some variable for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island with color-coded regions on a map.

in november of 2023, new york city voted to make curbside dining permanent, with the new caveat that they must be disassembled each winter to allow for street cleaning.

because the dining sheds installed during the pandemic were built with the assumption that they were to be taken down after the pandemic, they have become run-down and immobile.

with these new regulations, curbside dining solutions must be durable, collapsible, and inexpensive to maintain.

Two construction workers with safety helmets and vests demolish a wooden structure with tools on a city street.

the modular building block.​

  • wall panels, designed for three-way connectivity; 

  • integrated customizable cladding;

  • nesting bottom and planter inserts;

  • a water liner and drainage for DOT compliance,​

  • and leveling feet to accommodate various terrains.

1: THE BARRIER

GIF of traffic water barrier connection and assembly for outdoor dining.
An exploded technical diagram of mechanical parts and assembly components.

a pin system is used to secure barrier components to themselves and each other.

Black and white technical sketches and diagrams of a bellows expansion joint, showing different views, parts, and dimensions.

initial barrier ideation

2: THE CANOPY

Sobremesa outdoor dining product rendering.

the canopy's stainless steel pipe skeleton is constructed using a universal three-way connector.

a customizable sheet of waterproof fabric is then threaded through one of the pipes and draped over the structure.

Pipe connection detail.

the angle of the canopy maximizes the visibility of street signage and storefronts, preserving the safety and character of the street.

Technical diagram of a roadside shelter with a person standing inside, a vehicle, and a street sign, illustrating sight lines and signage for visibility, with annotations about slope and visibility angles.

courtesy of the center of architecture

early canopy ideation

Sketches of roof ideas.

3: THE FLOOR

Sobremesa outdoor dining product rendering.
Close-up of the ground system.

designed to maximize cleanliness and adaptability, floor panels include a levelable frame and a slat covering that allows the floor to be flush with standard curb heights for those with wheelchairs and other types of mobility assistance.

Sketch diagram showing the construction process of a ground floor system. It includes items like gutter tiles, Ikea slats, a water dispenser, a stake, and a base for water drainage, illustrating steps to create an irrigation setup.

early floor ideation

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