Perspective Section A'A
Interior View
Perspective Section A'A
EBBSFLEET, KENT
ebbsfleet's apple farm hall
11 / 06 / 2023
THE BRIEF
The brief was to propose community hall which will attract more people to the area, which now is just an unknown and dormitory’ suburb to the city. It needed further development in order to become a place that people will want to visit.
THE SITE
The site is an abandoned chalk quarry lake in an area of disused industrial workings in Ebbsfleet Valley which a new town and redevelopment area next to Northfleet in Kent, South East England. Only an hour away from London, via train. Ebbsfleet’s landscape made up of quarries and lakes making it a place with huge potential for further development.
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APPROACH AND PROPOSAL
The proposal aims to reconnect people with nature as an antidote to the intensity of a city life and to also create a small but strong community that has similar interests. My vision is to create a community hall in Ebbsfleet, Kent that promotes a healthier, more natural and organic lifestyle. Inspired by a traditional courtyard building, my proposal references and celebrates Kent’s long history of apple production. The proposal is a cross-programmed facility; housing a Community Hall, a Cider Brewery, a Greenhouse and a Cider Tasting Cafe, all situated in an Apple Orchard Farm.
SCHEDULE OF ACCOMODATION
The proposal consists of six different volumes. There are two small kiosk buildings that indicate the entrance to Ebbsfleet’s Farm Hall. They accommodate the reception and the weigh and pay station designed for families and individuals who visit the farm for apple picking, they also have a pop-up structure, so that they can occasionally extend and sell apples and fresh juices, inspired by roadside fruit stands.
The Community Hall is a flexible building which will house community-based programs (from yoga classes to health and wellness programs and cooking workshops) supporting people of all ages to lead active and healthy lifestyles.
The Cider Brewery accommodates all the needed stations for cider’s beer brewing process from collecting and washing farm’s apples to filtering their juice until cider beer’s bottling. Its concept was based on the idea of making an organic cider beer using resources from Ebbsfleet’s Apple Farm, as well as helping the self-sustainability of the Community’s Farm. It is placed next the Hall and connected through a small building, creating a direct connection between the production and the consumption of Apple Farm’s cider beer.
The Greenhouse will house programs that will offer horticultural therapy for people with mental health problems by showing them the healing power of gardening. It will also have programs that will show people, from kids to seniors, how to improve their physical and mental health by building a better relationship with food. Good food is essential to leading a healthy and happy life and that’s why the greenhouse will provide organic home gardening lessons to the community and teach people more about the seasonal vegetable and fruit growing.
Finally, there is a Cider Tasting Pop-Up Café. The idea is that people will be able to sit outside during spring and summer, have a great view of the Blue Lake and enjoy the natural surroundings while drinking Ebbsfleet’s Apple Farm Hall organic juices and beer.