The Concrete Garden
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erz Ltd (website) Download Original
The first demonstration project associated with the ‘Sow and Grow Everywhere’ strategy, which aims to create a step change in community food growing across the Glasgow Metropolitan Region
The project demonstrates one strand of the strategy: bringing derelict and vacant land into interim use for food growing. A modular system has been designed which provides the essential infrastructure for growing and which can be assembled on site and is easily demountable.
The modular system is made from recycled waste timber (post use scaffolding boards). It creates a strong sense of place and human scale in what are often incoherent and exposed environments.
The project aims to increase awareness and engagement with food and food growing to encourage more informed choices in diet and the purchasing and sourcing of food.
The Concrete Garden demonstrates the intention to bring derelict and vacant land into interim use for food growing. This is essentially a recycling of ‘waste’ land. The sites are also embedded within urban neighbourhoods and travel to the site by users is on foot.
The main water supply for the site is collected from the roof of the shelter structure and stored in recycled whiskey barrels. This is to minimise the use of any mains water and also has benefits in terms of sustainable urban drainage.
Data
- Begun: Mar 2010
- Completed: May 2010
- Floor area: 684m2
- Sector: Landscape design
- Total cost: £15,000
- Procurement: Negotiated/ intermediate labour market
- Address: The Concrete Garden, 150 Balmore Road, Glasgow, G22 6LJ, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: erz Ltd
- Client: St Mathews Church and Community Growing Group
- Structural engineer: Woolgar Hunter
- Main contractor: Glasgow Wood Recycling
- Partner: Glasgow City Council