Hulme Community Garden Centre

Year | 2012

Location | Hulme, Manchester, UK

Clients | Hulme Community Garden Centre

The shade house is a collaborative project for Hulme Community Garden Centre who are a not for profit organisation. It is designed and built by the Live Project team with help of the HCGC volunteers in the space of 5 weeks.

The project is the first stage of a large redevelopment of the neighbouring car park which will eventually double the Garden Centre’s site.

The structure provides shade for plants in the extended sales area, and creates a link with the existing community gardens. It is built using reclaimed materials and waste products found in the area as continuing works are carried out in the car park.

The curved timber structure is situated adjacent to the main road and it attracts attention to the garden centre by contrasting with the dense hedge-line of the existing Garden Centre. Views through the structure are encouraged through the permeable bamboo cladding whilst providing shady conditions for the plants

The gabions encourage biodiversity and habitats for wildlife, yet are filled with waste and natural materials. The gabions have been incorporated into the design to function as both foundations and a display space for plants and aquatics. Future experimental work with gabions has been encouraged through a bespoke ‘how to’ leaflet which was issued to the client in combination with a projected master plan. The plan aims to merge with the master plan proposal by Urbed using gabion displays to form a natural circulation path towards the new shop.

The overall build cost is £157.50 most of which was used to buy fixings as all of the materials were reclaimed.

Credits

Mentor:

John Sampson