Salt & Honey: Hydroponic Research Centre
Technical Section
This project promotes food sustainability for Duddingston Village through hydroponic growing and education to bring people closer to nature and encourage for sustainable living in Edinburgh.
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The Hydroponic Research Centre proposes a new educational facility for Duddingston that intends to reconnect people with the elements of nature whilst growing enough produce that can sustain the local community. A new sustainable food system is embedded into a masterplan strategy to reconfigure the town into a growing hub. This project addresses the climate crisis and aims to lower Edinburgh’s dependency on global food systems to help achieve long-term sustainability and urban resilience.
The current health crisis of COVID-19, has outlined how the industrialised production of food has caused an over-reliance mass producers, bringing greater awareness to the benefits of sustainably sourced food and self-sufficiency. By generating a sustainable food strategy for Duddingston, the local community can gain greater exposure to the processes of food production which also prepares communities for future global crises.
This project expands on the existing growing initiatives within Duddingston, helping to reform the relationship urban dwellers have with nature by rediscovering the biophilic affiliations humans have with the natural world which promises long-term sustainability for mankind. With the site stretching over the boundary between nature and urbanity, the design also takes an approach to create a physical reconnection of the two landscapes.