On April 25th 2014, at the final screening of the 4th LIXIL International University Architectural Competition in Tokyo, the team from the UC Berkeley's CED (College of Environment Design) won top honors for their proposal, Nest We Grow . The project was built in November 2014 at Memu Meadows in Taiki-cho, Hokkaido, Japan.
You can discover the students' thoughts about their recently completed project below:
"Our team’s proposed design, Nest We Grow, creates an holistic garden capable of connecting members of the community with the cyclical nature of food. We achieved this by designing spaces in the Nest to pragmatically respond to each element of the cycle, from planting, growing, harvesting, cooking and dining, to composting, which restarts the cycle".
"Using a 3 dimensional wood frame for the main structure we incorporated all of these elements into our Nest and created a productive garden typology. The Nest is capable of being replicated in size or scale and in many different contexts but with the same goal, to bring people closer to the production, consumption and decomposition of food".
"We were honored that the completion jury awarded first place to Nest We Grow. This set the stage for our summer in Japan where we became responsible for the project from the design phase to completion. In order to do so we worked closely with project architect Takumi Saikawa, of Kengo Kuma and associates, and Masato Araya of Oak Structural Design Office. With their help and expertise, along with many others, we were able to take our idealized vision of the Nest and turn it into a reality".
The design is a showcase for timber construction. According to the designers, the structure's wood frame "mimics the vertical spatial experience of a Japanese larch forest". This project translates into plenty of beams for hanging fish and produce and a central tea platform with a sunken fireplace.
Images by Shinkenchiku-sha
To find out more click on: http://ced.berkeley.edu/
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