case study
Dining
Under the
Sun
Despite being in fog-swept San Francisco,
a new restaurant mixes solar energy
into its recipe for success.
By CINDY BECKMAN
San francisco is all about green. from cradle-to-grave prod- uct assessment to sustainable design practices, the ecological impact of our built environ- ment was ingrained in the local culture long before it was being
legislated by our state.
The san francisco food culture has likewise been at the forefront of environmental
responsibility. chef and author alice waters
began promoting the use of sustainable and
local food sources in the 1970s. The introduction of farmers’ markets to urban centers
has flourished, helping to reconnect the consumer to the producer. The locavore movement — eating foods grown or harvested
within a 100-mile radius of an urban core
— started in san francisco but spawned a
nationwide discussion over how we eat.
combining the two movements, sustainable design and sustainable eating, was
the natural next step for many local restaurateurs. eco-friendly building materials are used prominently in new restaurant
construction. “Local” and “sustainable” are
common catchphrases on most menus these
days. Less common, however, is incorporating those sustainable ideals into the mechanical design of dining spaces.
The majority of restaurant construction in
san francisco consists of remodeled commer-
sun light and Power
sun light and Power
In 2007, Dosa on Valencia owners Anjan
and Emily Mitra decided to open a second
location to build on their success with San
Francisco’s first South Indian restaurant. Their
new location was an opportunity to create a
green restaurant in both design implementation and daily operation.
