The Growing Space – ADC

Masters Architecture students at the University of Westminster have completed a lightweight, prefabricated timber structure that forms part of a therapeutic gardening project in east London.

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Edmund Sumner

Designed by the Live Design Studio for Masters Architecture students at the University of Westminster, The Growing Space forms part of the bustling citizen community hub at London’s Cody Dock. Constructed from Douglas Fir, the lightweight timber structure provides a space for horticultural activities. Led by tutors Maria Kramer and Corinna Dean, the 68-square-metre project is intended as a learning platform for students to expand their role as citizen architects.

Constructed in only ten days, the single-storey structure comprises a series of prefabricated, cross-braced timber sections held together using 3D-printed pegs. The inverted roof incorporates a generous gutter for rainwater harvesting, which irrigates the propagated plants as part of the learning and growing cycle. Polycarbonate-clad walls and roof panels provide high levels of daylighting and a strong visual connection between inside and outside. At night the building becomes a glowing beacon.

The 17 students who took part in the project gained a wide range of experience from concept development and community engagement to designing and making. Live projects create a tool for research, which requires architects to broaden their role, combining frequently separated roles of ‘teaching’, ‘researching’ and ‘practicing’, commented University of Westminster’s School of Architecture. Live projects also provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between spatial, political, financial and social factors in connection with our lived urban experience.

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