Project description

Nothing Wasted. The project concerns itself with what one does with an abundance that is considered waste, and how to turn that into something that is productive for society. According to WRAP the UK has thrown away approximately 6.4 million tons of edible food in 2018, despite this still 8.8% of UK households (4.7 million adults) experience food insecurity in the past month. And in households with children, this number is 11%. This represents a total of 2 million children who live in households that do not have access to a healthy and affordable diet. This is where the program of this project meets with 2 charities that are tackling this issue. Empty Kitchens Full Hearts provide free and healthy meals made from surplus food to people that need it and Earth in Common is a charity that generates community solidarity and wellbeing by growing food in urban areas, strengthens the local economy, and contributes to community wealth building and skill-training.

The project is based in Leith near the links where Earth in Common has a community croft on which they grow food, have markets and build community. The building which houses the learning hub and education centre was  formerly, a timber store house. The centre is located on John’s lane a street away from the croft surrounded by a block of flats and a variety of sheds/ warehouses turned into car garages. The project  is attentive to the varying environmental conditions required for cooking, storing, growing, and teaching. Timber is used extensively throughout the project for its low carbon properties as well as, looking at how standard timber sizes can inform the structural system in the program. The project narrates a communal effort to end food insecurity by teaching young people about food waste and its environmental impact and empowering communities to become food sovereign by growing their own food and ending food insecurity. 

Interior view of physical model; walkways
Physical model in full view. made from plaster, white card and balsa wood
Flatlay of existing building in elevation (plaster) detail study of the brick on arcade and elevation (plaster), roof truss (balsa)
Detail study of existing façade and proposed roof truss
wormseye view of primary and secondary structure underneath the first floor
Physical model in full view. made from plaster, white card and balsa wood
model new roof vs tectonic study model of one of the existing shed on site
New Roof structure vs tectonic study of existing shed on site
Section: through the ground and First floor, showing the spatial organisation
Detail Section of proposal displaying wall build up and construction layers. In perspective see people walking, one standing on a balcony, another working carrying baskets of material, another working in a workshop
Detail Section through workshop and teaching space
Tectonic Strategy

The programme contributes to the existing fabric of many community initiatives happening in Leith. In response to the brief and ethos of the project reclaimed timber is used to build the internal structure. The architecture demonstrates an alternative way to work with reclaimed timber on a larger scale. The limitations of using standard-sized timbers were overcome by using scarfing joints to span larger distances and using mass-production methods to create columns. Furthermore, to use the reclaimed timber the architecture accommodates by doubling the sizes and thickness of structural members to allow for structural redundancy and form a resilient structure. 

Spread showing an isometric drawing produced from an ESALA workshop: structural beams arranged in a tree like shape. On the left are isometrc drawings of scarfing joints expand
Left: Drawing from Abundance & Redundance workshop ESALA. Right: Scarfing joints study for project
Isometric of the proposal in context from a worms eye view zoomed in showing warehouse and main building
Worms eye isometric - zoomed in view
Exploded Axonometric of the propsal showing structural layers
Exploded Axonometric of the propsoal
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