I drew on from my inspiration of the sensory map by Kat McLean mentioned in my blog here: https://amyma.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2023/03/16/why-sensory-design/
Sensory map by Kat McLean
From this, I took upon myself to draw up some spice and herb maps of Deptford by analysing the location of all the restaurant in Deptford and noting down what spices they each used in their cuisines. For example, a Caribbean restaurant that had jerk chicken on their menu, through research, would use the spices of paprika, cumin, all spice etc. This was then visualised on a map illustration. I focused on 11 spices, and individually extracted their shape, to map my own spice pods. A very literal representation.
My own experimentation: analysing spices used in Deptford restaurants
This went on to shape my spice pods, creating organic forms, that people can dine inside and spices can hydroponically grow within the biomes.
Exploring the Tate Modern exhibition, I found the installations to be immersive; using colours or absence of colours with the contrast of neon hues and the dark to accent the lights, as well as suspending the lights. Yayoi Kusama uses different types of materiality such as having water below the path, reflecting the lights and providing a zen feeling with a connection to nature.
Infinity mirrored room – filled with the brilliance of light, created 2012
“Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become one with your environment.”
Yayoi Kusama
I would like to incorporate this materiality into my project to aid the immersive experience, such that, to use the hydroponic system integrated within the structure and allowing the growth of food to surround my spice pods, so the user can visually connect with the food ingredients and see/feel the texture of the plants.
The use of vibrant colours dotted around the space is also an element to consider for my project. To signify areas of functions in my space, and for the user to make a visual connection to their experience with accented colours.
There was a sense of unity in her installations, as though we were one with the environment. This is the true intention of immersiveness I would like to achieve with my project.
My initial design process starts with observations from the site, and I can depict and decipher the features and personality of Deptford through this. This involves going through photographs and picking out patterns that stand out to me, then drawing this on paper, extracting each scene and linking them together. Finding the connections this way allows me to visibly see what I can focus on in my projects that is a feature of Deptford. I noticed there was a pattern of many restaurants and food stalls of various types of cultures that existed in Deptford. Jerk chicken linking to the Caribbean demographic in Deptford, Pho and chinese with links to the asian culture. This was a feature that made Deptford so colourful and rich to me, which is something I want to extrapolate and explore further.
Mindmap for the pop-up
A mindmap collates all my ideas and keywords I have to consider for my project. It reminds me I have to encompass all these key elements in my design, and the function will follow. It also strengthens the purpose and allows me to design with purpose/intent. It hones in my ideas, and allows me to expand on them and create new branches which enhances my design. For example, growing mediums is a feature I have to consider to grow fresh produce, and I can explore the types of growing mediums in this mind map. The ones with more depth and branches is a clear indicator of the one I should explore.
Developing sketches
Developing these sketches is an evolution from my initial observations, mindmaps and conceptual sketches. I realised I have to simplify the idea to fit the criteria of the pop-up so I minimized the form to a circle, and focused my design in the interior. Sketching shapes, I was drawn to the organic form and began drawing curved lines. The circle reminded me of the cycle of food: growing, eating, composting, re-growth. I then began to sketch the function inside. To add complexity to the structure, I sketched exterior ideas and naturally began drawing these organic columns. This visual instinctively shouted out the word “Cultivator” to me. The connotations of food growing and agriculture, created the link. I then googled and found it was a machinery with teeth, which resembled the columns I drew. I then re-worked the columns to look similar to a cultivator. The exploration of sketching allowed me to stumble upon new ideas and trust my instincts when I was having a creative block.
“Don’t think, just do”
Top Gun, Maverick
Technical Drawing First Floor Plan
This then lead me to technical drawings, before I could construct my model. I did this simultaneously as this was a great way to see how I could work my design to scale realistically. Technical drawings in AutoCAD always allows flexibility in my decisions before I finalize them and I can visualise more easily how my space will function. It requires problem solving, and a lot of adjustments, but I still find it a great way for me to come up with a design that delivers my purpose.
I attended the talk event at the RIBA discussing the project, Hackney School of Food by Surman Weston, for the “Building Stories – Celebrating the Stephen Lawrence Prize 2022 winner” talk on the 22nd of March. The project was awarded the annual prestigious Stephen Lawrence Prize, recognising the best project with a construction budget of less than £1 million.
The live event was hosted at the RIBA, by RIBA Role Model Satwinder Samra and had guests’ speakers from the founding Architects themselves, Tom Surman and Percy Weston, to Henry Dimbleby MBE, the founding partner of Hackney School of Food and the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. The headmisstress of the school and the lead teacher at the food school who runs the lessons also sat down and talked through the impact the school has had on the children.
The talk was very insightful into the success of this kind of project involving children and food. For one, the building took over an existing caretaker house that was empty on the premise. The headteacher of the school spoke about that many vacant buildings exist on school premises, so to re-utilize this space brought the school to life. The project brought the community together during construction as they gathered volunteers from the area, teachers and those who were furloughed to dig up the overgrown garden, clear tree stumps and rejuvenate the land. “The heart and soul was given into the project” by the community says the headteacher which continued as it was built. A foundation of love was developed from the beginning, and the project is a reminder of the strong teamwork that was put into it.
“This truly noteworthy scheme provides a service unlike any other to the community; an inspiring place to teach children to grow, cook and eat food.”
RIBA
The project was an effort to tackle childhood obesity, especially in a deprived area such as Hackney. This motivation links with my project and demographic in Lewisham, Deptford tackling unhealthy eating and diets and it all starts with children. The ethos of growing, curating your own diet from fresh produce whilst teaching children in an interactive and positive environment directly correlates with my main project and aims. Seeing the success of this type of project strengthens the direction I want to advance in.
The project incorporates an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, a mural outside which potentially I can add into my project as there is an abundance of graffiti and murals in Deptford that add colour to the area and a playful environment for the children at school where they could draw and be inspired. Utilizing the outdoor learning space, the architects covered the teaching and dining area with a canopy. This is a feature I should consider for my project and think about multi-use.
Surman weston decided to strip out all the walls and floors to create one big room, which meant they were working with half the square footage intended so they had to really consider functionality and each sq m of space. This is something to consider for my project as space is a restricting factor in my existing building, and problem solving is the way to go. By exposing the roof insulation and beams, it opens up the space and also educates the children on the make-up and history of the building. It allows them to become curious and think about the structure.
The cooking units are adjustable to accommodate all heights of children that attend the classes. There was an understanding from the lead teacher that the kids were more encouraged to eat the healthy food if they are growing it themselves. The growing beds also broke up in height, from front to the end of the garden so children of all ages could comfortably work at their own height.
Rainwater is collected at a agricultural bin from the roof where the children can collect this water source with their watering cans to water their produce. The teacher spoke about the kids surrounding the bin and having fun in taking part of this process of collecting and watering. It teaches kids about water conservation, re-cycling and the cycle of water. A watering system should be embedded into my project of some sort, and the method should be considered that is beneficial to the children’s learning and experience.
Overall, the affects of this project seemed transformative to the children’s behavior. It allowed them to show love to the landscape in creative lessons that influences everything that they do. They take this information and bring it into their daily lives and other lessons such as P.E., food tech, design and science. Generational teaching will extend further than the children themselves. This project has strengthened my project objective and importance it plays in Deptford.
References
RIBA (2023) Building stories – celebrating the stephen lawrence prize 2022 winner, Eventbrite. Available at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-stories-celebrating-the-stephen-lawrence-prize-2022-winner-tickets-539230381587 (Accessed: April 19, 2023).
Surman Weston (2020) Hackney School of Food, Surman Weston. Available at: http://surmanweston.com/projects/hackney-school-of-food/ (Accessed: April 19, 2023).
Hackney School of Food. Available at: https://www.hackneyschooloffood.com/ (Accessed: April 19, 2023).
Mike Nelson’s intent appeared to create immersive works and utilising our senses to the highest. Within his work there seems to be an abstract narrative, and a spatial aspect as well as a psychological effect on our senses. Going through his exhibition, there was an internal conflict, of seeing and feeling one thing whilst my mind was overriding, and my consciousness was kicking in.
I, Imposter, 2011, Various materials
A lot of his transported me into another dimension, creating a space without context and informing our own situation from it. For instance, the photography room built within the sand hut was painted in red light, creating a very ominous environment straight from a horror movie. Through the light, and bringing in menacing ambiguous chemistry equipment with hanging photographs, the random combination together made an uncomfortable environment to be in. As if it was once inhabited by a menacing character. This control Mike Nelson has over the audience’s feelings, like myself, by working with our senses, is something to consider when designing for my own project. What environment do I want to convey for children? How can I achieve this with the combination of the senses? The ambiguity in his work allows us to actively seek connection and search for meaning. Which means we are doing the work for him; he allows us to be the storytellers from our own point of view.
The darkroom, 2011
His work had a distinct smell of old and used materials. It created a sense of eeriness and disorientating at times. I believe it also controlled the direction of travel, avoiding or being curious where the smell led towards. For my project I wish to incorporate the sense of smell in my design, so it informs how the user interacts within my space.
Nelson’s room full of his sculptures ‘The Asset Strippers’ came of my interest as they first appeared to be agriculture equipment. I instantly began to think about their purpose and how they move when they are activated. However, the sculptures are fictional, being constructed from parts of industrial and agricultural machines. He attained these through online auctions from company liquidators. This means they stood as a reflection of the loss of British industry. I was reminded of the labourers who once operated them and the reduced amount of these bustling industries. It brought the question of the value of these labourers and the industry as most things are mass produced and automated. This connotation relates to my work as I am focusing on the act of growing and cooking food. I wish to develop a link to the methods and importance of cultivating food and the connection between people and farming in my design.
The Asset Strippers, 2019
His work is also influenced by science fiction. He is inspired by a novel from Stainslaw Lem where it states language is distorted and morphed to create new words that describe things that will exist in the future. Applying this concept to his own work, he ponders over the human desire to predict and control the future, when we are only constrained to work in the present. With my project focusing on hydroponics, I wish to consider the futuristic and science aspect of growing food to sustain for the future. Possibly exaggerating the concept in my design to emphasise the futureproofing of growing local produce.
I also liked the idea of the rooms connecting, such that one door led to you being positioned on one side of the bar, where the other door led to the other side so that you were serving the other person. Nelson cleverly designed the corridor, doors and rooms to be connected, disorientating the user of the space so that they lose a sense of purpose and function of the room. The control allows a manipulation of space being used which I would like to use in my project. Controlling the roles placed in the space through the configuration of the doors, passageways and interior.
From reading the excerption of the book ‘The Senses: Design Beyond Vision’, it discusses the importance of the senses and the impact of incorporating this into design. For my project, sensory design could enforce children to learn about nutrition and the act of growing food as it embeds information into their memories. Senses is a great way for teaching and learning as ‘the senses mix with memory’ (Ellen Lupton, 2018). The book explains the ‘brain fires neurons, prunes synapses and forges pathways. Thus, meaning and memory take place’ regardless of our sensory abilities and capabilities. The senses target our smell, passive and active touch, vision, hearing and kinaesthesia which is placement and movement of our body. The sensory experience activates a curiosity and a hunger to learn and remember. Especially for my target audience of children this is important as they are still in the stage of growing and developing, so this ingrained experience may become a core memory and shape their future, not just becoming a memory but also creating a future narrative on cooking. The book also discusses that ‘senses are unique to every person’ hence the experience will be unique to each person in every encounter and ‘inclusive’ so it has the potential to bring everyone together. Broccoli may be more bitter to the other child or cilantro may test like soap for someone else, therefore it is necessary to involve everyone in a sensory design so every child can undergo their own experience, enjoyment of the space and their own conclusion on cultivating, cooking and eating different types of food.
Also, senses trigger and amplify other senses. So sensory design for my project should involve eating, touching, smell and this can increase the attachment and connotations with food and the cycle of food. It will enforce children to understand the process of food production from the very beginning to the end. Sensory design ‘increases health and well-being’ therefore children will build a healthy association to food and incorporate it healthily in their diets.
Scentscape 06.2015 – City of Singapore, 2015 – Kate McLean
The book also discusses how a graphic designer created a sensory map of Singapore and celebrates the quality of a location. The designer used experiential and observational data from over 200 residents who went around Singapore with her on ‘smell walks’. The smells of curry, jasmine and Manila rope were left suspended in the humid air of the island and she then mapped these distinctive smells, visualising their trajectories. “Using humans as sensors is a method that aggregates personal insight…. It is about the acceptance of the subjective as worthy and useful data.” I wish to somehow utilize my own senses and map the scents of Deptford’s food smells which could dictate the design of my space.
References:
Lupton, E. and Lipps, A. (2018) Why sensory design?, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Available at: https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2018/04/03/why-sensory-design/#:~:text=Sensory%20design%20activates%20touch,%20sound,regardless%20of%20our%20sensory%20abilities. (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Kate McLean, “Smellmap: Amsterdam — Olfactory Art and Smell Visualization,” Leonardo, 50, no. 1 (2017): 92–93, doi.org/10.1162/LEON_a_01225.
Lupton, E. and Lipps, A. (2018) The senses: Design beyond vision. New York: Copper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
A garden floats on the surface of a fish tank and uses fish waste as a natural fertiliser for the plants. The innovative arrangement of the fish tank means it is a natural filtration system as the garden absorbs nitrate pollutants in the water, meaning the tank’s water does not require changing. There is a sustainable balance and relationship between the garden, fish and the water tank that involves a cycle that feeds into each other; a recycling principle. It is referenced as a microcosm for the human concern of waste management and maintaining freshwater in a domestic scale. This principle is something I would like to adopt in my pop-up design, combining a system like this in a finite space.
Figure 2 – Hydroponic vertical farm by Sasaki in Shanghai
The proposed hydroponic vertical farm uses the same concept as the floating garden on a larger scale. The water is sourced from a rainwater collection tank, and the nutrients are gathered from the waste of the aquaponics room. This system solidifies the idea of using fish water and rainwater for my hydroponic pop-up to act as a natural filtration system so it can sustain itself.
Figure 3 – Farmshop by Something & Son in Dalston
This farmshop was a temporary space, holding a coffee shop as well as an aquaponic and hydroponic farm, which has closed down in 2011. It was an experimenting space for avid farmers and hobbyists to congregate and discuss about growing. This temporary project provided a space for growing, which relates to my pop-up’s purpose, and shows aquaponics and hydroponics can go hand in hand. The idea of growing is an activity that brings people together and creates a series of conversation in the act of doing and caring for food cultivation which would be beneficial for the community of Deptford.
Figure 4 – Growing Pavilion by Pascal Leboucq at Dutch Design Week
The growing pavilion was a temporary pop-up structure having panels grown from mushroom mycelium supported by a timber frame. The mycelium is rooted in the panels, providing strength and is covered in a bio-based coating. The floors are made from a type of reed, and the interior and exterior benches from agricultural waste. The mushrooms growing in the panels were harvested daily in front of an audience and then cooked at a food truck nearby. The act of having a growing media, outside acting as a barrier between the interior and exterior, and it being a controlled growing, inspires me with my project of having a control with growing with the plant produce between some sort of netting structure. The idea of manipulating the balance of growth with a netting structure, so the plants can grow in between, or around is something to consider. Also the produce being harvested in front of an audience allows the pop-up to become a growing installation and contributes itself to the food cycle.
Figure 5 – Woods of Net by Tezuka Architects, Japan
This pavilion is for a net artist Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam and it contains a hand knitted net by the artist himself. It is designed for children to crawl in, explore, roll around and jump onto the net. The intention was to design a space as soft as the woods surrounding the pavilion so that the boundary between outside and inside disappears. The space attracts people like a campfire where the children play in the net like fire and parent site around like laying wood. This idea has inspired me to use netting in tension for my pop-up, as it is partially transparent, allowing the boundary of inside and out to be blurred, and creates a supportive structure for the hydroponic plants to grow on and around. It also is reminiscent of food packaging, and nods to the containment of food even at the early stage of growing.
Figure 6 – Cultivator
The cultivator is the name for my pop-up as I was heavily inspired by the piece of agricultural equipment used for secondary tillage. It refers to the name of the teeths that pierce the soil and drag through it linearly. It also refers to the machine that uses a rotary motion of disks to achieve the same result. The pop-up takes a form of a circle, a simple shape however it symbolises the rotatary shape or motion of the equipment and the structural columns represent the teeth.
Figure 7 – Doctor Who’s Tardis interior, 2005
The Tardis interior was made to be more organic because it was said the tardis was grown rather than constructed. The same principle with the cultivation of food for my pop-up. I decided to create structural columns surrounding my pop-up as the hydroponic towers were not structurally sound to support the pop-up by itself. These columns were to mimick the teeth of the cultivator machine however I created a more organic form to fit with the organic growing purpose of my pop-up, which reminded me of the organic shape of the columns of the tardis. There is a central stem and core associated with a plant or vegetable, and this is a similar interior structure to my pop-up with a central place for the seeds, harvesting and water pump tank.
References
Fairs, M. (2009) Floating Garden by Benjamin Graindorge, Dezeen. Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2009/06/24/floating-garden-by-benjamin-graindorge/ (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Gibson, E. (2017) Sasaki designs Hydroponic Vertical Farm for Shanghai, Dezeen. Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/04/26/sasaki-architecture-hydroponic-vertical-farm-sunqiao-urban-agricultural-district-shanghai-china/ (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Hawkins, D. (2011) Farm: Shop – east london’s radical experiment in food growing and Community Building, The Ecologist. Available at: https://theecologist.org/2011/jan/14/farm-shop-east-londons-radical-experiment-food-growing-and-community-building (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Pownall, A. (2019) Pavilion grown from mycelium acts as pop-up performance space, Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/29/growing-pavilion-mycelium-dutch-design-week/ (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Basulto, D. (2009) Woods of Net / Tezuka Architects, ArchDaily. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/39223/woods-of-net-tezuka-architects (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
The Doctor Who Site (no date) Series one TARDIS interior, The Doctor Who Site Series One TARDIS Interior. Available at: https://thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/tardis/interior/series-1-interior/ (Accessed: March 16, 2023).
Nest We Grow is a project built by a team of students from UC Berkeley College of Environment Design for an architectural competition in Tokyo in which they won. Their proposal was to a holistic garden to connect the community with the cyclic nature of food. The space holds elements of the cycle such as planting, growing, harvesting, cooking and dining to composting and the cycle repeats. It is capable of being replicated in different sizes and scales. The nature of the project bringing people closer to the production, consumption and decomposition of food is an aspect to consider for my pop-up installation as I wish to consider the idea of no food waste and this ties in with the food cycle. Also, the idea of it being replicated relates to the theme of a temporary pop structure and it being easy to put up again.
Design District Canteen, Greenwich Peninsula, London, 2021
Designed by selgasano, this transparent structure serves as a food market and welcomes locals and visitors by its light filled and vibrant yellow interior. It is constructed from light metal, clear ETFE membrane shell, and poly-carbonate panels. There is a food market on the ground floor and seating on the top floor and a spine that runs in the middle where stalls are displayed on either side. The core includes a lamp that illuminates the structure at night acting like a lantern. This structure serves the purpose of being a food hub which is directly associated with my Unit 2 premise. It feels light and airy whilst providing a shelter for all food stalls and eating to be done in one place. It invites people in, with it’s grand aesthetic and space making it feel welcoming.
Brazil Pavilion Milan World Expo 2015, Atelier Marko Brajovic
This Expo in Brazil wanted to capture the essence of efficient global food production through flexibility and fluidity. This design creates an element of porosity that communicates the idea of erasing boundaries necessary for achieving balance (Grozdanic, 2015). It has a netting pavilion, to create a breezy atmosphere and exposing the vegetation beneath. I believe that this can aid me in my project as the use of netting for me has connotations to food packaging and holding food, and with its appearance of it providing visibility, there can be an increase of food and human connection.
kitchain, MOOV, switzerland, 2009
The project was for a competition held by a performing and visual arts festival in Switzerland and the program was looking for a way to intensify the social gathering aspect of the event. This proposal focused on the ritual of cooking and eating as a detonator for socialization and idea exchange. It implements an open system which transforms the entire space into an open kitchen. The modular table system was inspired by the flexibility of camping equipment and becomes a place to eat, to cook and to relax. This project is a great inspiration to my own as it considers all aspects of communal dining and encourages this simply through the seating arrangement. It feels continuous and unbroken, creating a sense of togetherness.
References:
Valenzuela, K. (2015) Nest we grow / Kengo Kuma & Associates + College of Environmental Design UC Berkeley, ArchDaily. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/592660/nest-we-grow-college-of-environmental-design-uc-berkeley-kengo-kuma-and-associates (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
Ieva, V. (2015) UC Berkeley students designed a wooden community food hub with the help of Kengo Kuma, Archilovers. Archilovers.com. Available at: https://www.archilovers.com/stories/7103/uc-berkeley-students-designed-a-wooden-community-food-hub-with-the-help-of-kengo-kuma.html (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
Brasserie 2050ADCN. Available at: https://www.adcn.nl/archives/brasserie-2050#:~:text=Brasserie%202050%20is%20the%20restaurant,Design (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
Zeitoun, L. (2022) Selgascano uplifts London’s Design District with transparent, yellow-toned food market, designboom. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/selgascano-design-district-canteen-london-10-25-2022/ (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
Grozdanic, L. (2015) Brazil’s Porous World Expo Pavilion erases boundaries with net-like …, Inhabitat. Available at: https://inhabitat.com/brazils-porous-world-expo-pavilion-erases-boundaries-with-net-like-ramps-and-walls/ (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
Louro, A. (2012) Moov + benedetta maxia: Kitchain, designboom. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/readers/moov-benedetta-maxia-kitchain-4/ (Accessed: February 24, 2023)
