80 Plots
University for the Creative Arts
2021
During the construction of the Olympic Park, lying east of Fish Island, a significantly popular Manor Gardens Allotments were destroyed. This once offered 80 plots that provided food for over 150 families. It was a treasured area that aided in forming the close-knit community. A place of unity and liminality for all people. A community was formed simply through a common interest: a love of the land.
Due to the restraints in the urban density of residential developments in the city of London, this proposal will provide rentable private garden space to those who live without. The gardens are constructed through a factory-style process by applying the users desires, such as adding user-selected plants, then either deconstructed or stored after a day of use. The used garden plots are stored in a perfectly suited environment within a structure that sits above the existing building.
123 garden plots can be used simultaniously. 100 used garden plots can be stored. An unlimited amount of garden configurations can be achieved.
Fish Island and Hackney Wick were once places of marshland and agriculture. The start of the industrialisation of Fish Island dates back to the 18th century when the Hertford Union Canal was constructed, allowing access for industrial transport. Further down the line, industrialisation and urbanisation took over London’s vernacular. The past marshland areas have redeveloped to include residential blocks, landscaping, office space and industries providing opportunity. Although this brings many benefits, we are provided with a problem of space due to urban density. This means that residents living in most areas of London cannot have their own private garden; this affects mental and physical wellbeing. In newer urban areas arises the problem of community engagement, where people are less likely to socialise with others in their residential blocks. Overall, this change has had deep implications on the human-nature relationship.
The human species has not only constructed private indoor garden spaces but has also altered and domesticated the natural environment.
The main components of the construction can be seen in the exploded axonometric. This includes areas of garden storage such as the ‘used garden’ storage space which hovers above the building, inspired by the Blur Building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and the tightly packed ‘empty garden’ storage tucked in the ground floor. The large greenhouse construction on the river side of the building protects the plants being tended to by the gardeners, and weaving rails can be seen which transports the garden plot through the fabrication process. The large intricate structure plotted at the rear of the site guides the completed garden plots onto their correct level, ready for use. Water pumps can be seen sat in the canal and a smaller greenhouse within the building is there to house the seedlings before being moved into the larger greenhouse.