la panadería #11

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2023
interactive media art show, brooklyn, NY
pine, balsa wood, clay, vinyl, acrylic, PLA, acetate, foam, LED, essential oils
16x20x11”

inspired by the vibrant panaderías in san antonio, tx, la panadería #11 is an interactive miniature diorama of an imagined panadería that contains some of my favorite features. whether it's the smell of brewed coffee, freshly baked conchas, the music, or obligatory spurs fan merch, la panadería #11 emulates what it feels like to be home. 

using a mix of physical computation and both traditional and digital fabrication techniques, this project allows viewers to engage with a few of its technical elements, inviting them to be part of the space: a dial to swing open the door and be welcomed, a radio dial to change the music station you can listen to through the headphones provided plugged directly into the space, and a switch to start the brew of coffee that triggers a small diffuser that releases a custom essential oil blend consisting of coffee and sweetness.

the inspiration

i love the sensation of walking into a panadería on a saturday morning to grab some pan dulce to-go on the way home from the breakfast taco drive-thru. each one has its quirks and personality, but some things remain constant throughout. for this work, i wanted to isolate and highlight the details that always stand out to me when i am in these spaces, the things that always remind me i’m home.

using both traditional and digital fabrication techniques, i was able to design and build the physical diorama and all its interior objects. then, using physical computation elements, i was able to integrate and invite interaction with the piece and stimulate the senses. 

the research 

i wasn’t able to head home during the duration of this project, so i did some research locally and visited a highly recommended panadería: guadalupana bakery in bushwick. they had an amazing selection of sweet breads and i left with more than enough for this project!

the interior layout of this bakery didn’t feel like the ones back home, and how could it? nyc is cramped and square footage is sacred. in san antonio, there is space to spread out and some decorations are region specific. so i kept the interior design aspect of research separate from my local outting and mostly worked from memory with it. 

i took note of the colors, the smells, and the sounds. 

how can i emulate what i feel when i am in this space?




the process


for this project, i went with a 1:12 scale, which is a common scale so that if i needed to order anything pre-made, it would be relatively easier to find and have shipped in time for my deadline. once i had my sketch, i was able to to create a cardboard prototype of the space so i could then play around with the interior elements and layout. once that was figured out, i could then plan for placement of any wiring for electronics and access points for troubleshooting. 

i then started with what i knew: fabrication. i took the pastries i bought from the bakery and scanned them using the photogrammetry app photocatch and a small seamless box. 


then i polished them up a bit in blender and arranged them to be 3D printed in 1:12 scale. along with the pastries, i designed a table for two in fusion 360 and sourced this folding chair design that i scaled up a bit, this cash register, this coffee maker, and this CD player. i printed four of each pastry and then created silicone molds using some plastic cups i had and cast the mini pastries in resin.


 
to finish these pastries, i spray painted a base primer coat then hand-painted each with acrylic paints. for some other pastries that i could not find in real life locally to scan, i recruited some help from cleo, shreeya, and callie and their sculpey skills to make things like elephant ears and the little pig cookies. assemblilng the pastry trays and stringing together the papel picado could not have been done without the help from julian, kilian, and ganling.  



other interior items were made with a mix of digital fabrication and traditional fabrication techniques. 

the electronics in this project were tough to integrate because at first, the power supply needed to come from multiple sources for certain components. even with a transistor to convert 12v to 5v so that i could power the LEDs and an arduino uno together, i needed another power supply to power another board to accommodate the monitor pins. i later fixed this issue with a higher amperage input.

the final physical computation elements and their outputs are:

• arduino uno
  
• arduino nano
  
• potentiometer --> servo to swing door open
  
• blinking LED open sign
  
• radio dial --> changes music station
  
• VS1053 codec --> to store .mp3 files
  
• on/off switch --> diffuser with essential oils
• 12v LED strips --> lighting for ceiling and pastry display

breadboard prototype integrating the open sign LED, door servo, hacked diffuser, and small monitor
once i got my prototypes and code working, i reached out to one of my mentors and friends, gayil nalls, to collaborate on a custom essential oil blend for the diffuser. the final blend consisted of: coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, spiced cider, and pumpkin.


integration was next, and for fabrication i had help from my friend kaitlyn to put things together and apply some finishing details while i soldered away to finalize the electronics.



there is one plug you connect to an outlet and everything turns on! pretty self-contained and relatively easy to transport! 

thank you robert, cleo, shreeya, kaitlyn, julian, kilian, ganling, gayil, pedro, bianca, lily, henrique, phil, and to everyone else who helped along the way, either in-person or online, i am forever grateful <3

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