The Bark Bar: Designing a sustainable Forest Integrated Cafe Using Accoya Wood

Abstract

I studied ten research papers to check if Accoya Wood is the right choice for building The Bark Bar, a forest café near Kerwa Dam in Bhopal. All the studies show that Accoya is no ordinary wood—it’s treated with acetylation, which makes it super strong, resistant to rot, and stable even in rain, heat, or damp soil. Long-term tests in Greece and New Zealand proved it can stay decay-free for over ten years, and other papers show it doesn’t swell, crack, or warp with seasonal changes. This makes it perfect for outdoor decks, railings, furniture, and even small structural parts like pergolas. It’s also eco-friendly and non-toxic, safe to use around trees, and needs very little maintenance while lasting much longer than regular hardwoods. These findings give me full confidence that Accoya is a tough, sustainable, and beautiful material that fits perfectly with a forest café designed to blend with nature and survive Bhopal’s weather.

Introduction

Interior design is a creative process that shapes interior spaces to make them functional, comfortable, and emotionally supportive. It blends artistic vision with technical knowledge, using layout, colours, materials, lighting, and ergonomics to create spaces that enhance daily life and reflect human behaviour and well-being.

Key Concepts

Interior design relies on:

• Colour theory (primary, secondary, tertiary colours)

• Design elements: space, line, form, shape, colour, texture, pattern, and volume

• Design principles: balance, harmony, rhythm, emphasis, scale, contrast, and movement

These ensure that a space is visually appealing, functional, and emotionally engaging.

Literature Review Highlights

Studies on Accoya wood show that it is highly durable, stable, sustainable, and suitable for exterior and interior applications. Research confirms its resistance to decay, moisture, insects, and weathering, making it ideal for long-term architectural use. Additional studies highlight its environmental benefits, structural strength, and suitability for humid or challenging climates.

Research Gap

Most cafés use superficial biophilic elements (plants, décor) without creating true nature-integrated environments. Modern cafés also focus on digital engagement, limiting relaxation and emotional restoration. There is a lack of forest-immersive cafés that encourage digital detox, mindfulness, and deep connection with nature.

Purpose

The project aims to design “The Bark Bar”, a forest-integrated café that blends silence, nature, and hospitality. Using Accoya wood and electrochromic glass, the café intends to be sustainable, calming, and emotionally healing.

Objectives

• Reconnect visitors with nature

• Encourage digital detox

• Preserve natural site conditions

• Use sustainable, durable materials

• Offer sensory-rich experiences

• Ensure functional seating and circulation

• Inspire ecological and wellness-oriented design culture

Aim

To create a calming café that seamlessly merges with the forest, supports emotional well-being, and operates sustainably without compromising comfort or beauty.

Hypothesis

• Visitors will feel less stressed in a forest-immersive café.

• Nature-based engagement will reduce screen use naturally.

• Biophilic design will improve emotional connection and comfort.

Limitations

• Site limited to Kerwa Dam, Bhopal

• Only AutoCAD and SketchUp used

• Focus on interior and immediate exterior envelope

• Small to mid-scale café model

• Plumbing details excluded

Methodology

1. Topic Identification – Two concepts explored; forest café selected.

2. Synopsis Development – Structured framework created.

3. Theoretical Research – Biophilic design, sensory psychology, sustainable materials studied.

4. Live Case Studies – Conducted in Bhopal for real-world insight.

Concept

“Layers of the Forest Bark” —
The café reflects the protective, calming nature of tree bark. Spatial planning moves from openness to deeper emotional comfort: waiting area → dining → outdoor nature zones. Natural materials like Accoya wood, electrochromic glass, and earthy concrete help the café blend with the forest.

Materials

• Flooring: Engineered wooden planks

• Ceiling: Exposed wooden rafters with truss system

• Construction: Steel frame, Accoya wood, electrochromic glass

• Lighting: Suspended fixtures

Conclusion

This project set out to explore how a café could become more than a commercial venue—how it could transform into a space for healing, reflection, and meaningful connection with nature. The Bark Bar is the result of that exploration: a forest-integrated café designed to offer quietude, emotional comfort, and a deep sense of belonging to the natural world. The user survey played a crucial role in shaping the direction of the design. Participants overwhelmingly expressed the need for calm environments, natural scenery, silence or soft nature sounds, and spaces that reduce digital and urban noise. These insights confirmed that people are actively seeking places that help them slow down, think clearly, and reconnect with themselves. This café responds to that need directly and intentionally. The design approach embraces Accoya wood, electrochromic glass, and a warm, earthy palette to create a structure that blends into the forest rather than imposing on it. The architecture respects the land with minimal intervention, elevated forms, and materials that age beautifully with time. The interiors extend this philosophy—natural textures, soft lighting, and organic spatial flow encourage visitors to unwind, read, create, or simply sit in silence surrounded by nature. Above all, the project highlights how thoughtful design can support emotional wellness. By prioritizing sensory comfort, natural integration, and sustainability, The Bark Bar becomes a retreat rather than a typical café. It offers an experience rooted in peace—where visitors can disconnect from chaos and reconnect with themselves through the forest. In conclusion, this project demonstrates the powerful role interior design can play in fostering mindfulness and well-being. The Bark Bar stands as a gentle, nature-driven alternative to conventional hospitality spaces, proving that when design listens to human needs and honors the environment, it can create places that truly heal. This café is not just a destination—it is a restorative escape, shaped by nature and designed for the quiet moments people seek today.

References

[1] Mantanis, G., Lykidis, C., & Papadopoulos, A. N. (2020). Durability of Accoya Wood in Ground Stake Testing after 10 Years of Exposure in Greece. Polymers, 12(8), 1638.https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Durability+of+Accoya+Wood+in+Ground+Stake+Testing+after+10+Years+of+Exposure+in+Greece&author=Mantanis&author=Lykidis&author=Papadopoulos&publication_year=2020 [2] Scion Forest Research Institute. (2011). Five-Year Field Tests of Modified Wood Performance in New Zealand. Scion, NZ. https://www.scionresearch.com/ [3] TRADA. (2016).Accoya Cladding: Ten Years of Natural Weathering Performance in Scotland. Timber Research and Development Association, UK.https://www.trada.co.uk/ [4] Crawford, D., Hairstans, R., Alexander, J., & Bongers, F. (2024). Assessment of the Structural Performance of Accoya® Wood for Glulam Fabrication. Edinburgh Napier University Repository.https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Assessment+of+the+Structural+Performance+of+Accoya+Wood+for+Glulam+Fabrication&author=Crawford&author=Hairstans&author=Alexander&author=Bongers&publication_year=2024 [5] Springer. (2015). Performance of Modified Timbers under Service Class 3 Conditions. In Wood in Civil Engineering (pp. 781–792).https://link.springer.com/ [6] Papadopoulos, A. N., et al. (2019). Dimensional Stability of Acetylated Timber in Varying Humid Climates. Journal of Materials Science.https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Dimensional+Stability+of+Acetylated+Timber+in+Varying+Humid+Climates&author=Papadopoulos&publication_year=2019 [7] Accsys Technologies. (2018).Accoya Technical Report: Sustainability and FSC Certification. Arnhem, The Netherlands.https://www.accoya.com/ [8] Dutch Wetlands Board. (2012). Case Study: Accoya Decking in Wetland Applications. The Netherlands.https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Accoya+Decking+in+Wetland+Applications&publication_year=2012 [9] Architectural Journal. (2020). Façade Applications of Accoya in European Heritage and Public Projects. AJ Publications.https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/ [10] WoodSolutions Australia. (2018). Durability of Modified Timbers: Benchmarking Accoya Against Tropical Hardwoods. Melbourne, Australia.https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Vedansh Verma, Mrs. Sucheta Nigam. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.