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Adventure Farm

Part 1 Project 2008
Robert Hankey
 London South Bank University | UK
“Eco-design” is all too often about efficiency... to influence change in society we must explore new directions, not just make existing problems less bad. The Adventure Farm aims to be one such pioneer; an experimental community hub in a wider programme of urban open-spaces. Both programatically and formally, it juxtaposes terraced educational gardens with faceted climbing walls in an effort to engage people in their environment - inspiring an appreciation of physicality, materiality and process. This aim, in my mind, is the most important goal in the move away from our throw-away culture and toward social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The kit-of-parts design in which wall construction is independant of structure enables a celebration of materiality, texture and colour. This vibrant patchwork recognises the impermanance of design; it embraces change and experimentation


Robert Hankeys' project is a response to the challenge of designing an innovative ecology-institute for a brownfield railway viaduct site in Faringdon - it also creates a memorable new view of St Pauls Cathedral.

Some may say that this is not architecture in the traditional sense however the project proposes a new urban environment blurring the boundaries between architecture and landscape. A new structure straddles the viaduct bearing allotments and terraced gardens that bring light and air deep into the section.

This kind of environmental architecture is relatively simple in terms of form but acknowledges a slow and qualitative design approach. It rejects simple formulaic arguements about costs and carbon foot print recognising the complexities of life cycle.

Gardening on top of the viaduct with a view to St Pauls or climbing down the side of the section past new kinds of live/work spaces acknowledging both rest and play as important aspects of urban space.

Boundaries are blurred and merged between different kinds of activities and new kinds of social and architectural space emerge.

Tutor(s)
Ms Mary Jane Rooney
2008
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” (Marcel Proust)
CPUL’s (a concept championed by Andre Viljoen) are not only a means of growing (usually organic) food within the confines of a city - urban/peri-urban agriculture - their intention is to link city centres (and there inhabitants) to the ‘natural’ countrysi
Cities need an injection of reality - fruit does not grow on supermarket shelves! Can a shift in global food production/distribution be the binding force that gives us direction and pulls us through the ensuing environmental crisis
With the uncertain future of food production/distribution, could we see similarly drastic measures as during World War II or in Cuba following the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Site analysis summary provides both opportunities and constraints for the design process
Urban horticulture is not a new thing but it needs a shake-up to change the publics pre-conceived ideas. Through its design and materiality my proposal aims at doing this.
The combination of a community farm with a climbing centre ensures continuous activity and a mix of users enriching the experience and generating the opportunity for unexpected developments
From the underlying railway-cutting a triangulated substructure creates a faceted ground plain from which the simple modular construction of the landscape is built.
The wall construction is independant of the structure and can be freely interchanged, enabling a celebration of materiality, texture and colour. This patchwork recognises the imperminance of design; it embraces change and experimentation.
The close-up of the plan shows the three cross-routes to the site and the internal street that is created in the centre. The small plans show how the intevention is layred - with very little construction above the ground floor.
The terraced landscape in intertwined with facets of climbing wall which utilise the depth of the railway cutting and the existing spaces below ground level.
Detaiils of the covered market/climbing area and of the connection to Clekenwell Green
Detail of the roof make-up and an example of the wall construction in the library - a Trombe wall space heats in winter with the low sun angle, and aids cross ventilation in summer
Development models explore terracing and landscape form. Final sectional model examines spacial arrangements
View looking south toward St Pauls from the Adventure Farm’s library roof. The undulating internal street is surrounded by education roof-gardens, creating a multi-leveled outdoor environment.
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