The Farm Foodcraft by Seshan Design: Garden-to-Plate
The Farm FoodCraft is a “Garden-to-Plate” restaurant where all ingredients—vegetables, fruits, herbs, and mushrooms—are grown and harvested on-site. The owner, with a background in farming and running smaller cafes, has created a unique project that marries these two worlds. The lush greenery creates a garden-like dining atmosphere, and the plants are not just decorative but edible. During the first pandemic lockdown in 2019, when wholesale supplies were disrupted, other nearby restaurants came to purchase fresh vegetables. This experience underscores the value of decentralized urban farms.
Transforming a double-height space into a greenhouse and dining lounge
The original site, with a double-height ceiling of 5.2 meters and glazing on three sides, was ideal for creating an indoor greenhouse. A mezzanine was built over the rear half of the site, above the kitchen, and designated for a hydroponic farm. The remaining mezzanine space became a private dining lounge/bar viewing the hydroponic farm. The main challenge was managing the kitchen’s height, including its services, hood, and exhaust ducts, to ensure there was sufficient space for both the kitchen and the hydroponic farm above it.
Creating a botanical dining experience
A three suspended planter rings chandelier steel was featured in the double volume dining to elevate the experience of lush greenery atmostphere and ensuring a clear floor plan for flexibility of seating or events. The designer worked closely with the client’s planting and farming experts to curate various planting structures and devices to cater for different plants. A large piece of driftwood was even sourced by the client, curated with ferns, and suspended next to the stairs.
Crafting a comfortable environment for users and plants
Ensuring optimal conditions for both plants and customers was paramount in this design. Adequate air circulation and movement were prioritized, leveraging natural light supplemented by UV lighting where necessary, particularly in the hydroponic farm zone.
Watering and fertilizing were mechanized through irrigation tubes. In the kitchen, tailored exhaust systems were installed to accommodate cooking demands while ensuring positive air pressure to prevent air-conditioned air from escaping into dining areas. Additional small exhaust and intake fans were strategically placed to promote air movement within the restaurant. Ceiling-mounted centrifugal fans were installed to enhance internal air circulation, operating even during off-hours to maintain airflow and temperature control beneficial for plant health.
The hydroponic farm operated as a closed system with dedicated cooling, ventilation, and lighting. For the al fresco area, semi-transparent roller blinds were installed around the front deck to retain cool air inside during events, complemented by industrial fans to enhance circulation. These fans could be manually adjusted, including reversing the middle fan’s rotation to create a vortex flow, boosting overall airflow for comfort, especially during warmer periods.
Seamless steel and glass integration
A distinctive feature of the site is its gigantic steel and glass framework, which allowed the designer to seamlessly integrate custom-made mild steel frames with the existing steel structural components. Additionally, with mutual agreement between the owner and client, a steel and glass annex was extended to house a staircase to the mezzanine floor, preserving valuable dining space.
The use of steel also allowed the designer to incorporate intricate details in the stair railings and easily create curved corners and edges. The rest of the building’s fit-out was completed with carpentry, featuring stained senply veneer and rattan weave cladding. Ready-made rattan furniture and light fittings were sourced to complement the overall aesthetic. However, the large rattan sofas on the decks were custom designed and fabricated to enhance the unique look.
The floor was colored concrete—essentially regular screed with added pigment. Instead of leaving the floor grey, a coffee-colored stain was chosen. Additionally, glass floor inlays were incorporated, creating a unique effect with the glass’s natural green tint.
| Location | The Sphere, Bangsar South City |
| Area | 430 m² |
| Year | 2019 |
| Design Studio | Seshan Design |
| Designer | Chan Xiu Ming, Syaf Selamatt, Scott Lu |
| Contractor | Interfit Project Management |
| Civil Engineer | Perunding ACE Sdn Bhd |
| Landscape Design | Farm Establishments Sdn Bhd |
| Furniture | Despace Sdn Bhd |
| Coloured Concrete Flooring | Suriwong |
| Photographer | Rupajiwa Studio |
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