Momma’s Grocery
Photos by Randy CrandonWe met Danielle Pattavina in early 2021 when they had a vision for an ideal neighborhood corner store - one that provided fresh, local produce, an incredible selection of natural wine, and soft serve ice cream (!). They wanted a shop that was vibrant, communal, and above all, accessible. The ice cream was the glue, the thing that would bring people into the shop regardless of age, ability, food/wine knowledge, or budget. So architecturally, the project became about accommodating this strong desire for ice cream to bring a diverse community together. There were two main architectural concepts in the project. The first is a super thick wall that creates space for the ice cream utilities out of view but close to the action (a machine that needs to be cleaned regularly and a hand washing station). The thick wall has arched openings that create a thoughtful transition from grocery to wine and lets the wine shop be more grotto-like while the produce area remains bright and cheery. The second concept - we popped a takeout window in the side wall to let more natural light inside, and also for neighborhood friends to stop by for ice cream. The window is low to the ground so kiddos and wheelchair users can see inside. We also modified the slopes around the entry door to meet the latest accessibility codes and added an automatic door opener so it's possible for anyone to get inside. The City of Cambridge provided a grant to help make these accessibility upgrades possible. We love these small projects with big dreams. People like Danielle make a difference in a community by bringing folks together. In this case, over soft serve!
The last image shows the space before we started work. The beautiful hardwood floors, brick walls, and tin ceiling that are in the space today were buried beneath layers of linoleum floor and acoustic ceiling tiles. Part of our job was simply uncovering what was already there. A good reminder to reuse when we can.