BUFFALO, N.Y. — Blue Table Chocolates’ new space is as artisan as are its confectionary delights.

Buffalo-based Arch&Type partnered with Ben Johnson, owner of Blue Table Chocolates, to transform a 780-square-foot space into a new workshop and retail destination. 

"It was an interesting weaving of craftspeople including students from the University at Buffalo, my father, one of the workers in my firm who enjoys making furniture, contractors, outside fabricators for the metal work, the chocolate shop owner, and me," said Seth Amman, principal and founder of Arch&Type. "It was a fairly hectic process for such a small space."

"We had this almost jewelry store idea in mind so that he could really display some of the chocolates as something special," Amman added. "In choosing materials we incorporated white oak, raw brass, plaster wall with the iconic gold fixture flowing from the ceiling." 

The ceiling centerpiece was inspired by an image of golden, silky, and flowing un-tempered chocolate on Johnson's phone. The design team digitally modeled a ceiling comprised of CNC-milled, hand-assembled, painted pieces. This voluptuous surface, visible through the front window, invites customers into the space and draws their eyes toward the lime-washed walls and white oak millwork. Custom-made mirrored displays present the chocolate as art in a gallery, while a frameless plaster door with a brass base blend seamlessly into the walls, focusing attention on the workshop areas where community classes and production occur.

The custom millwork crafted by Mark Amman and Adam McCullough was a collaboration between Seth Amman's father, a skilled craftsman and chemist, and one of the firm’s designers, respectively. Student interns at the university's digital fabrication lab utilized robotic precision and handcraft to create the cascading golden ceiling. 

Amman, who teaches architecture at the University at Buffalo, said the ceiling was fabricated from 6-inch-thick 4 x 8 sheets of foam that were milled and laminated together at the university's well-equipped Digital Manufacturing Lab. The parts were sanded and coated with a couple of layers of plaster then sprayed with a fireproof coating followed by the application of a gold metallic paint. The pieces were assembled at the chocolate shop creating a focal point extending 6 feet to 8 feet wide and about 30 feet long.

Amman said the ceiling project would never have happened if it had gone out to bid. "With the budget we had and with the experience we wanted to create, we had to be quite resourceful. Fortunately, we had worked with owner on his original shop, and he was receptive to the idea allowing me to organize a team to not only create the ceiling, but cabinets, furniture and other elements for the space." 

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