ROSIE'S REDESIGNED SPACES
FINAL MAJOR PROJECT
PODS OF PLENTY
A river to table farm, kitchen and restaurant
Set in the Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, in an old Armoury.
When designing this site we had to take into account the benefits to the Chatham community, we also had to take into account circular economy.
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This project revolves around the idea of Aquaponic Farming in pods, this is where vegetables are grown in water above fish, the fish waste benefits the veg with nutrients and the plants filter out the negative nitrates for the fish, posing as a much more sustainable form of fish and veg farming. This project also includes vertical farming for veg an an alternative farming solution.
The visitors experience
As a visitor of the Pods of Plenty, your visit will be an experience. the image to the right shows the view you see as soon as you walk through the door. The first part of the experience is walking past the seeding and breeding area, where you see the first stages of farming, where fish are bred and vegetables seeds are rooted. The next part of the experience takes you over the aquaponic pods, this is where you have the opportunity to pick you own veg to buy and take home, it is also where you see the main part of the farming, where fish and veg grow to the point of harvest, this journey also takes you past the vertical growers where more veg is grown, as seen in the image above. The next part of the experience takes you to the open kitchen and dining area, this is where you can see the produce grown at the location turned into a delicious buffet which you can sit down and enjoy. For the final part of the experience the visitors are encouraged to take their plates and any food waste left to be scraped into compost bins on your exit, seeing the produce from beginning to end.
Circular Economy
Taking into account circular economy, the benefits of the community had to be taken into account.
This location is also an educational site for many of the surrounding schools, they can come in, help out and learn about the process and importance of aquaponic farming.
The compost produced at the site from its own produce waste is not only used to help seed the vegetables at the beginning of the farming process but its is also sold to locals and schools, alongside vegetables seeds, to help promote growing your own veg and having a healthy relationship with fresh food. Any extra veg and fish will be sold to local stores so there is no waste and also benefiting the locals stores by having local ethical produce.
This location also offers the opportunity for any locals to donate some of their time to come and learn and help with the farming, this also offers a social opportunity for the locals to get together in a social educational setting.
The Floor Plan Design
The landscape of the location is designed in curved stepped formations, as seen in the floor plan to the right, partly inspired by rice fields and the natural occurrence of meanders in rivers. Some parts of the landscape are deep enough that they can be intentionally flooded with the tide, this was to embrace the river location which sits on the west side of the building. The flooding parts of the landscape surround the Aquaponic Pods, some of the pods are designed to rise and fall with the tide, this effects the circulation of the visitors on the pods depending on the time of day.
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