The local: a designer's guide to neighbourhood taverns and cafes in New Zealand

Abstract

The placing in residential areas, of small licenced facilities of domestic scale and character, known as neighbourhood taverns and cafes, seems to be generally better than their present distribution They overcome much of the antisocial behaviour related to licenced premises and provide a pleasant and relaxing community facility, used by people of all ages from the surrounding areas. The neighbourhood cafe appears the more appropriate solution, blending in with residential areas more readily, and providing suitable facilities which everyone can enjoy. Here liquor plays a minor role to that of the social centre, come coffee bar, come restaurant. The provision of these types of facilities creates a new design problem for the architect, as their design varies from traditional pubs. By studying the history and development of pubs these differences become more apparent, and why such facilities have not appeared until recent times. Social problems related to alcohol are discussed to give the architect a better understanding of them, so he may endeavour to design to overcome them. Existing pubs and prototype neighbourhood taverns are evaluated, and the results and recommendations listed to form a design guide as a basis for the design of future neighbourhood cafes and taverns. This guide is used as a basis for the design of two neighbourhood cafes at the end of the report.