Literature case study - culinary art school

General Background
The first thing that comes to mind when seeing the Culinary Art School is anything but an
educational facility. Cleanliness and orderliness is what defines its structure and interiors.
The Culinary Art School was built in 2010 and seeks to inspire its occupants and learners by its
environment and learning process. It is located in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and was built
by California-based architect, Jorge Gracia.
The cooking school is housed within two volumes with a grand plaza as a connection. The structure
and its interiors are composed of raw and sleek materials such as wood, concrete, metal, and glass.

The building is divided into two main volumes:

The greater volume consists of:
1. Administrative offices
2. Classrooms (demonstration kitchen included)
3. Library
4. Wine cellar

The smaller volume consists of:

1. Cooking stations
2. Workshops

Project Information
Name of building: Culinary Art School
Location: Tijuana B.C., Mexico
Architect: Jorge Gracia
Associates: Jorge Gracia, Javier Gracia, Jonathan Castellon
Construction: graciastudio
Area: 894 SQM
Type of Building: Educational
Project Year: 2010
The Reception
The reception is located at the East end of the greater main building.
The design of it is a continuity of the structure and other spaces in the building. It echoes with
clean architectural and interior elements. It includes a small reception desk, waiting chairs and
a wall monitor.
Adjacent, there is a small computer lab.
Materials
Materials included in both the reception and the computer lab:
Frosted glass
Wood
Concrete
Stone
Leather

Lighting
Spotlights
Natural light

Demonstration Kitchen
The demonstration kitchen is located at the West end of the greater main building.
The design is contemporary as it is in the remainder of the building. It is designed similar to a
lecture hall/auditorium. There are 3 rows of benches and at the front of the room is the
instructors’ equipment (stove & counter.) Each demonstration kitchen is equipped with its own
storage (cold/dry.)
Materials
 Glass
Wood (for seating and walls)
Steel (ceilings)
Polished concrete

Lighting
Spotlights

Natural light (daylight from windows)

Cooking Station & Workshops

The cooking station is located in at the upper part of the greater main building. Each area is
equipped with top of the line cooking gear (stoves, oven, grills etc.)
Some of the cooking stations have a nice set up at the front of it to provide a sense of nature
indoors.

The workshops are located in the smaller main building.

It is a medium size area that consists of worktables and shelving for equipment and stationary
needs. Its purpose is like that of a library or studio. It is available for students to do their study
requirements and work. It has a floor to ceiling window that provides a pleasant atmosphere
for its occupants and users.
Materials
For both areas, materials include:
Glass
Wood
Polished Concrete

Lighting
Fluorescent (cooking stations)
Spotlights (workshop)
Natural light (both)

Lockers
The lockers are situated in both the male and female bathrooms. It is a multi-level storage unit
available to its students and occupants.
Materials
Materials included in bathroom and locker area include:
Wood
Mirrors
Marble
Polished Concrete
Lighting
Spotlights

exterior view of building

plan of greater main volume - first floor

plan of greater main volume - second floor

sketch of elevation

elevation of greater main volume

elevation of exterior buildings

reception
computer lab
demonstration kitchen
cooking station
workshop
lockers