Treehaus encourages a sort of “urban foraging” at its woodsy Midtown eatery

Even in a city with as many cuisine options as New York, lunch can start to feel really repetitive day after day. <a href="http://www.treehausnyc.com/">Treehaus</a> is a dining concept that aims to take some of the mundanity out of the hunt for lunch by taking the traditional buffet counter and turning it into a sort of urban foraging ground where diners can try out all sorts of freshly prepared dishes. Designed by <a href="http://www.unspace.org/">UnSpace</a>, the Midtown restaurant incorporates sustainable strategies and an element of discovery within a clean, woodsy interior.

The spatial organization is sculpted by the relationships between objects and different types of food. The design visually conceals the food from the exterior of the building, to encourage the instinctive approach of discovery. The large sculptural elements guide people through the open space for urban-foraging.

There are three main design components that envelop food and other eatery functions. The first is 20-feet tall cedar wood planks sheltering the register.

There are three main design components that envelop food and other eatery functions. The first is 20-feet tall cedar wood planks sheltering the register.

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There are three main design components that envelop food and other eatery functions. The first is 20-feet tall cedar wood planks sheltering the register.

The second object is a white rectangular vessel housing a variety of hot food selections and greeting the entrance with its solid face.

The second object is a white rectangular vessel housing a variety of hot food selections and greeting the entrance with its solid face.

The third element is a series of angled wood planks wrapping the mezzanine, enclosing a quiet eating oasis.

The materials on all three elements are kept raw with minimal treatment and cuts, to allow natural aging and support the urban foraging theme.

With the simplified menu and creative spatial organization, the consumer satisfaction and food quality improved dramatically, exceeding expectations.

With the simplified menu and creative spatial organization, the consumer satisfaction and food quality improved dramatically, exceeding expectations.

Reduced options decreased decision making time and increased food production speed. As a result, venue sales value grew, with a more efficient and manageable one hour lunch rush.

Reduced options decreased decision making time and increased food production speed. As a result, venue sales value grew, with a more efficient and manageable one hour lunch rush.

The key to sustainability is good design and efficiency; no amount of recycling equals using less from the beginning.

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