Artist Impression: Will Lambert
The Growing Space at Cody Dock
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In collaboration with the University of Westminster students, we have created The Growing Space at Cody Dock, London’s community, and horticultural hub, giving students the opportunity to be involved in a complete construction cycle before they enter the architectural profession.
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The Growing Space is a 68 sqm Douglas Fir lightweight timber structure adding to a unique cluster of buildings making up Cody Dock’s thriving citizen community hub. With live projects like these students are given a learning platform to help them expand on their role as citizen architects.
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The Growing Space runs a dynamic programme to spread the Cody Dock charity’s reach, running therapeutic gardening for social prescribing and workshops for local schools as well as providing income through rental of the space.
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The architecture was developed as part of a collaborative process expressing a language of frames with cross bracing and dry construction, with all elements pre-cut with 3D-printed pegs reducing the construction time to 10 days. The base has six discreet pad foundations with paving slabs, wrapped with polycarbonate and the minimal structure reads as a glowing beacon around the site. The inverted roof creates a generous gutter for rainwater harvesting, which irrigates the propagated plants as part of the learning and growing cycle.
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Live Projects
Expanding architectural education, the students from the DS20 Masters Live Studio have benefited from executing a built project, from the conception to community engagement, briefing and design and making. Through the projects they are involved, in the complete construction cycle before they enter the architectural profession.
“Students gain direct, hands-on experience, enhancing and broadening their range of skills, and develop their confidence through engaging with stakeholders and construction professionals whilst leaving a legacy to the community Live projects create a tool for research, which requires architects to broaden their role, combining often separated roles of teaching, researching and practicing, providing a great opportunity to combine and benefit each field.
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They also provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between spatial, political, financial and social factors in connection with people’s lived urban experience. They introduce new ways of working collaboratively across sectors and take multidisciplinary skills within academia and use these live projects to create a dialogue with communities. Through this they have a positive impact on society and introduce students and staff to alternative practice as part of action research.” says Maria Kramer who is leading the Master Design Studio DS20 and set up the Live Design Practice: www.openstudiowestminster.org/live-design-practice/the-growing-space
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DS20 Studio Tutors: Maria Kramer and Corinna Dean
Students: Pranjal Bafna, Archie Brown, Galina Dimova, Adam
Din, Sean Hamilton, William Lambert, Manu Mohan Mohandas, Aya Nasr, Chris Painter, Megan Rees, Blessing Sulaiman, Lucy Turner,
Hamza Khan, Nicholas Kousoulou, Julia Wladysiak
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Partners: Nicholas Alexander, OfCA, Webb Yates Engineers
Sponsors: Rodeca, QHT
