The Embedded Forest

Where Nature Grows Indoors

This project integrates hydroponic farming techniques to create a self-sufficient restaurant located entirely within an enclosed indoor space. Customers can personalize their meals by harvesting fresh vegetables themselves. Its innovative operation promotes organic living and healthy eating—topics that are increasingly relevant and gaining widespread attention today.

Organized around the concept of a solid spiral, the spatial layout invites visitors on a continuous journey of discovery, where movement and sightlines unfold gradually. The spiral structure guides circulation organically through the space, encouraging a sense of exploration while revealing layers of planted walls, growing systems, and dining zones in a choreographed sequence.

The concept of “City Corridor”:

The site functions as a “city corridor,” linking Kennedy Plaza—the main transportation hub in Providence—to Westminster Street, the heart of the financial district. As a result, foot traffic through the space is consistently high, attracting not only intentional visitors but also passersby using it as a shortcut. The space is fully embedded within the building, with no access to natural light. While this initially posed a significant design challenge, it ultimately proved ideal for hydroponic farming, which does not rely on sunlight to thrive.

Why Hydroponic?

How the restaurant works:

The hydroponic shelving system is the defining feature of the space, extending vertically across two levels to create a dramatic and immersive green experience. Rising from the ground floor and continuing seamlessly up to the mezzanine (where the restaurant is located), the shelves form a living wall of lush vegetation that anchors the spatial narrative.

The verticality of the system draws the eye upward, emphasizing the height of the interior and creating a striking contrast against the otherwise enclosed, windowless environment. Strategically placed lighting mimics natural daylight, highlighting the textures and colors of the plants while reinforcing the sense of a thriving indoor ecosystem.

From the ground floor, visitors walking through the corridor encounter a dynamic, ever-changing facade of edible greenery. As they ascend to the mezzanine, they move closer to the crops themselves, engaging with the system on a more intimate level. Diners at the restaurant are surrounded by the very produce they will harvest and eat, reinforcing the concept of transparency, sustainability, and self-sufficiency.