A temporary installation transforms a Sydney street into a kerb-side garden.
February 6th, 2012
Edible Outdoor Rooms is a great example of how changing the cityscape can be a matter of simple gestures.
The team at Sam Crawford Architects have created this temporary outdoor installation in Foster Street in Sydney’s Surry Hills – an inner-city pocket where most of the action takes place behind doors, rather than out on the street.
Gaging interest from surrounding bars, cafés and offices for wider footpaths, more trees and outdoor seating in the area to bring the local community outside, Sam Crawford Architects approached the Council to suggest widening the footpaths of the area and creating a one-way street, seeing it as an “improvement to the street and improvement to business,” says Sam Crawford, Director, Sam Crawford Architects.
“We’re interested in the make up of the city and the processes that go into making the city,” Crawford explains. “Our work is mostly residential but we took this on as a self-directed project.”
Although Council was unable to provide the necessary funding for a large-scale project, Sam Crawford Architects were able to obtain a grant, and – with the help of other members of the surrounding area, plus a lot of time and supplies – created a series of 3 parklets, each containing planter boxes filled with an assortment of edible greenery.
These outdoor spaces encourage community engagement, as well as providing a place to sit and relax. Currently approved for 3 months with a view to extending the project for a year, Edible Outdoor Rooms shows the potential of taking small steps to re-think the way we use our city spaces.
“I would love to see more of this in the city, and there are plenty of other people who would too,” Crawford says.
“We’d like to become more active in the city as a practice, and we’ve figured that the only way to do it is just to do it. It’s a great way to get involved.”
Sam Crawford Architects
samcrawfordarchitects.com.au
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainable Industries Awards are a showcase of the state’s business leaders, companies and technologies setting new benchmarks in environmental performance.
“Previous winners include a sustainable farming co-operative, a water-efficient ginger processing company, a world leader in developing advanced battery technologies and an ecologically driven supermarket chain.
“The EPA Sustainable Industries Awards sit perfectly with three of the Queensland Government’s Toward Q2 Tomorrow’s Queensland ambitions – strong, smart and green – by building on our strengths and protecting our lifestyle and environment.”
Entries are now open and close 27 February 2009. Apply here
Challenge the way you think about cities with “The Art of City Making: How Imagination and Creativity Play Their Part” as part of the City of Sydney’s CityTalks 2011. This live discussion will feature guest speaker Charles Landry, an urbanist and passionate defender of the role imagination and creativity plays in developing cities and invigorating […]
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Continuing our new series on the design enthusiasts who work in all sorts of different roles across the industry, we speak to Rogerseller’s Claire Drummond.
Leading the field in terms of ergonomics, this high-end office furniture from Buro is also designed with the evolving needs of the modern workplace in mind.