Community Garden in Abergavenny

The biggest design challenge for this project was to create an environment that shelters the user while giving him a sensorial experience related to the weather of Abergavenny. The idea is to create a series of gardens that while feeling enclosed are provided with openings that let light and rain get in. While many might see the rainy weather of this town as a negative aspect when it comes to growing crops it is just ideal. To create these gardens I opted for a modular structural system which slowly developed into the “big idea” of this design.

The modular system implies that a unit, in this case, a 4.8 x 4.8 x 4.8 cube made of timber, would be repeated to create a grid. Some of the walls of a unit would become a space where vertical plant growth would take place giving the spaces inside multiple functions. The most significant place in this design is the eating/ growing space.

The materiality of this design turned out to be one of the biggest challenges. I knew that timber would be most fitting for this design but that comes with various challenges. It is not resistant to water damage and is less insulating than others. The design intends to take the viewer on a journey through a structure that would tell the story of food production. This is achieved through a very permeable circulation route. From its growth to collection and processing the user learns how to grow and take care of crops while enjoying a unique atmosphere.