Together at the Table: Fostering Community through Commensality

Emma Straw // Advisor: Sarah Lippmann 

Fostering Community through Commensality

Across cultures, kingdoms, and continents, the act of eating and drinking together – also known as commensality – has been a through-line of our history, revealing that the communal meal is and has been a central pillar of the human experience. Today, that pillar is eroding: the loss of third places, technology-driven isolation, and critical social pressures are stripping away settings and opportunities for social activity.

Commonplace is a community-cultivating remedy – a former factory reimagined with an atrium, interior cobblestone walkway, and thoughtfully designed spaces that include an all-day café and bar, marketplace, floral studio, teaching kitchen, workshop rooms, rooftop garden, and communal dining room – encouraging people to eat, drink, make, and be together.