Millwork is the key to decorative and theme-based architecture in the hospitality industry, especially for hotels and restaurants. Be it the owner, interior designer, or architect, they have relied on millwork designs owing to many benefits offered.
However, the conventional method of developing millwork drawings is making this task a little difficult. From design development to manufacturing, the entire cycle is long, complex and customized and the design essence gets lost sometimes. CAD drafting services for millwork drawings provide an error-free way to deliver cost effective millwork drawings and uplift hospitality millwork.
Why is millwork critical in hospitality industry?
1. Decorative and attractive interiors
Millwork adds a decorative element to your interior in the form of attractive doors, windows, transoms, sidelights, molding, trim, stair parts, and more. These elements not only beautify your interior but makes it more functional too.
2. Theme specific designs
Custom millwork gives you an option to have customized, theme-specific elements to compliment your design theme or mood chosen for a building that too with minimal alterations. They can become a focal point of your design while adding a personal & unique touch to it.
3. Opportunities for future renovation and changes
The best part about having millwork in your interior is that you can renovate and replace it with a new element anytime. You can easily replace a portion or complete element from the cabinets to doors, stair rails, and even molding sets to give your interior a fresh look.
4. Increased value
Custom millwork increases the value of any building, be it a hotel or a restaurant. The authenticity and uniqueness added to your interior make it more attractive and increase its value in the market.
5. Artistic angle
Having millwork added to a restaurant gives it an artistic view. It adds a wow factor to every piece of material that is a part of your interior by uplifting the look and feel of every single element.
Though the benefits of millwork in the hospitality industry are many, some challenges restrict its usability among the designers and manufacturers. Designers often face challenges in matching the millwork designs with the architecture plan. Also, passing the manufacturing detailing along with the design seems difficult to many. With such challenges, having perfect hospitality millwork can be a daunting task for designers.
CAD furniture modeling tools rescue designers and manufacturers from all these challenges efficiently and effectively. Here are 3 ways to perfect your next hospitality millwork:
3 Ways to perfect hospitality millwork
1. Customized yet uniform approach for every section at every chain or outlet
The best and the most-demanded thing about millwork is its ability to fit into the existing architectural plan. You can have custom millwork designed that best suits your interior. Any specific theme or trending customization can easily be introduced in a restaurant or hotel to attract visitors. This customization also gives you the ability to maintain uniformity in your interior at the space level. For example, you can have custom millwork for every section, chain, and outlet to bring consistency in interior designs. Custom design approach can be planned for:
- Pantry
- Kitchen areas
- Reception
- Seating arrangement
2. Use architectural drawings in CAD to develop millwork drawings
As we all know, the architecture of a building cannot be changed, but it does not restrict you from changing the look and feel of your interior. With minor changes in your millwork designs, you can efficiently bring the same effect as changing the architectural plan would have done. CAD experts use the base architectural plans to create millwork drawings. It is done to ensure the millwork perfectly matches the architectural plan, saving the stakeholders from spending time in unnecessary information repetition and manual processes.
Apart from saving architects, manufacturers, and designers from communication gaps, CAD platforms, when used to create millwork drawings, also help you improve productivity with its extended capabilities. Detailed 2D shop drawings created with BoMs as per design standards such as NKBA, NFC, and AWI ensure error-free custom millwork manufacturing. Also, a few plugins, such as the Woodwork plugin, are available in popular CAD platforms like AutoCAD that enable automated precision drafting of the millwork designs.
3. Ensure perfect manufacturing detailing as per manufacturers tooling capabilities
Millwork can be of several types, including furniture, crown molding, trimming, and more. A hotel or a restaurant dealing with one type of millwork will look for a dedicated set of manufacturing capabilities from the manufacturer. These capabilities depend on the millwork type and the architecture of the building.
Does this mean there has to be an expert manufacturer for every single millwork type/ The answer would be a NO!! With CAD platforms, one can have a common platform to initiate production for quality millwork (any type) furniture development. 2D shop drawings and 3D CAD models can easily be created as per the tooling capabilities of the manufacturer. The detailing in these millwork drawings may differ from client to client; however, the objective remains the same, i.e., to communicate the correct design intent across the stakeholders. Such drawings offer detailed design specifications in the form of special notes, instructions, precautions, and more to ensure quality and flawless interiors.
Conclusion
Architectural millwork is an emerging interior trend that is still evolving, especially in restaurants and hotels. It has become a popular way to refresh the look of your interior without changing much in the architecture. Perfect hospitality millwork increases the value of your interior while adding an artistic angle to it.
However, to initiate perfect millwork drawings, one must have the right tool and platform. CAD gives you the ability to create error-free, quality millwork drawings right out of your architectural drawings. Its automated tools and plugins help designers and manufacturers work in sync. Hence, if refreshing your restaurant/hotel look in your mind, do look for CAD-powered millwork designs for faster and quality interiors.
About the Author:
Usha B. Trivedi is an engineer and she contributes in-depth articles for mechanical and industrial equipment designs, furniture designs, and the fabrication sector. Her contributions are primarily focused on enabling engineering professionals, furniture manufacturers, and fabricators to optimize design outcomes through CAD and CAE tools.
