Agency of Architecture
Let the garden grow
Does the land exist before the community or is it the community that makes the land. A question that we asked when creating this development.
Its one thing to provide housing and another to create architecture which is transformative. This scheme questions how we live and engage with nature. Its about empowering residence to make a difference and choose sustainable lifestyle. Allowing the land to be a source of inspiration and provide the platform to self sufficiency.
Project
Outline Planning on Green Belt
Location
Southend
It all starts with a piece of land the need to make changes. A development can be motivated by many reasons but our client was keen to explore the potential. To seek out something which was not conventional and established a mode for change. Our main objective lied on the principals of community and living off land. A way to empower people and show them the benefits of nurturing their environment. In order to really make change is to create a framework for prosperity, a system ingrained within the fabric of design. The housing even though important is part of a wider ecosystem we proposed. Its used as a form of utility to feed back into the land by incorporating ways to generate power. Introducing effective technology which can aid in diminishing the reliance the central grid. as solar panels, rainwater harvesting and air source heat pumps collectively aligned to not only feed into one dwelling but support others in unison.
Questioning how we live and the impact of buildings on our ecology is really the catalyst for change. Finding new solutions to future problems manifests solutions that may not at first be clear. The overall masterplan had distinctive markers in place which would define access, green space and housing location. Basically, entry was in place and a logical space for building orientation presented itself through an understanding of neighbouring properties. By appreciating local context, patterns can be discovered and new forms materialise. Each node in time is an indication of how people once lived but also ways we can change in modern society.
There is always careful consideration given to preserving nature but this needs to be paired with conscientious design. Its never enough to just assume saving trees will help to combat climate change. Instead, we wanted a robust scheme. Something which complimented the existing ecology but could also guarantee wider impact to the whole community. This meant minimising construction, excavation and providing land which could yield growth.
Our idea lead us towards allotments and planting beds. Which seems rudimentary but if used correctly would not only help to reduce pollution leading to long-term health issues but also educate residence on land management. Giving each household a portion of land would diminish the reliance on supermarket chains, alter diets and increase well-being.
The goal was never to just setup houses for the gain of individuals but to alter our perception of what can be achieved. Working symbiotically, as a living organism and appreciating the needs of many shaped objectives towards new standards of living.
