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Nocturnal Garden I
Rhubarb Cultivation in Closed Highstreet Bartlett MLA Studio 8 Conny Yuen Tutors: Prof. CJ Lim & Eric Wong
Project Summary
The Nocturnal Garden Critical Thinking
Synopsis
An extension of the weather postcard, the discourse seeks to challenge conventional thinking of creating landscapes in the presence of sunlight only. We are changing our relationship with sunlight as there are growing evidence of global warming causing harm to our skin and health. Would it be a reasonable postulation us to escape the sun and exist only in the shade and darkness in the future?
The proposal is a temporary garden of Rhubarb cultivation in a dark environment, an augmentation of ‘nocturnal’ security and comfort. Rheum hybridum , the common garden rhubarb has a romantic dialogue with the British weather through its unique color and flavor; each crop takes around 8 weeks. Indoors force-growing of Rhubarb is the quick-fix strategy to revitalize the closed high street shops. Many businesses on the high streets have disappeared because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and sadly Cricklewood, London is no exception. This profit-sharing indo or allotment system re quires the collaboration of interested local inhabitants, shopkeepers / landlords and London Borough of Barnet. It starts with the small community group turning a closed shop into absolute darkness. The project also doubles as a recycling initiative – unwanted furniture in the community is collected and given a second life as planters. The popup planters take in new ‘certified healthy’ soil and incur minimal physical change/damage to the existing building fabric. While the produce from the garden may not bring huge financial profits or feed everyone in the borough, it is nonetheless a spiritual social celebration of resilience – it is a magic landscape of darkness and silence.
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Nocturnal Garden: Rhubarb Festival
· Stage 1 Forcing Cooperation · Starts in Late Nov · Collecting roots
· Stage 2 Rhubarb Harvesting ·To New Year · Collecting Rhubarb
·Stage 3 Public Engagement ·After Harvesting ·Renovation & Setup
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Project Site: Closed Shops in Highstreet Cricklewood For a sucessful rhubarb forcing, it is important to have a silent and dark spaces which help boost the forcing process and the status of antiphotosynthesis. And 2020 is a good time for it because of the emptied and quiet streets. There are so many closed shops and emptied office during this hard period of time. Why not try an Adaptive Reuse of those retailing spaces and give it some lives?
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Project Site: Highstreet Cricklewood Among the shops of Cricklewood and Willesden Green Garden mainstreets, there are some shops emptied for rental and they are in different status which are potential for creating the temporary nocturnal garden.
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1: 22.5 0
0.45
0.9
1.35
1.8
2.25m
9990 x 4530mm
Cricklewood Broadway London NW2
1:500 0
10
20
30
40
50m
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Planter Design: Recycling Unwanted Furnitures N Apart from using the closed shop as the site for planting Rhubarb, the design aims at re-using the old furnitures which are abandoned in both the residential and public areas of Cricklewood. It recycles the junk materials and also representing the local features of Cricklewood through the wide range of furniture styles.
Map of Closed Shops & Unwanted Furnitures
1:500 0
10
20
30
40
50m
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Macro-group: Sofa & Sets of Table Seats
Planter Design: Recycling Unwanted Furnitures N
In the site, the position of planters will be assigned according to the spatial arrangement and referring to the Forcing principle of the Rhubarb planting to ensure the planting quality.
Middle sizes: Electronic Devices & Storage
Small sizes: Seats & Side Table
1: 22.5 0
0.45
0.9
1.35
1.8
2.25m
9990 x 4530mm
21 Pre-Forcing Cleansing Work
In Progress & Preparation for Harvesting
Ground Furnitures plan
Section A-A'
A
A'
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Section B-B'
B
B'
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Circulation & Position of Root Crowns
750mm
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Ceiling Layer
Rhubarb Cultivation Design: Planters Arrangement Various of layers of planters are designed with different levels in order to maximize the usage of vertical spaces. Apart from the large furnitures, umbrellas and buckets with hooks and pulley system will be also a part of the rhubarb planters.
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750mm
N
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Discovering an emptied shop.
Clearance of the ruins. 113
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NOCTURNAL GARDEN
NOCTURNAL GARDEN 113
NOCTURNAL GARDEN
NOCT
NOCTURNA Renovating the Shopfront and exterior.
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NOCTURNAL GARDEN
Set
CTURNAL GARDEN Putting on the stage curtain.
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NOCTURNAL GARDEN 113
Starting the rhubarb transfer and replant.
NOCTURNAL GARDEN
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TURNAL GARDEN
AL GARDEN
tting up the Curtain and light-insulation.
Waiting for the magic. 113
NOCTURNAL GARDEN
From Highstreet to the shop Peeping into the darkness An opening on the thick curtain. It is just like a small hint for the public to getter closer to this magic in the dark.
Black Plastic Fibre as ZipDoor
Overview of Shopfront Section
Ceiling Woodframe & Curtains
5mm thick Wood board
Stage Curtain 2500mm
5mm thick Wood board
Plastic Curtain attached on wood with Velcro
Plastic curtain with 3mm Cotton fill
Defining access with blade razor
Sewing structures of Sandbags & Curtain 415mm
Acrylic Signage
Zip Door 850 x 1800 mm
Opening at eye-level
Straight Stitching with 5mm interval
Refining and adjusting the zip operation
1350mm
Polypropylene Sandbags (6) on the blended cotton curtain
5mm thick Wood board
Polypropylene Sandbag 330 x 780 mm x 6 pieces
150mm
600 x 1800 mm
330mm
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Rhubarb Cultivation Design: Planters Arrangement
Discovering an emptied shop.
Various of layers of planters are designed from the large furnitures, umbrellas and with different levels in order to maximize buckets with hooks and pulley system will the usage of vertical spaces. Apart be also a part of the rhubarb planters.
Setup of the ceiling and getting the unwanted furnitures.
Arranging the furnitures as the rhubarb roots are placed safely
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Clearance of the ruins.
Placing the huge black plastic sheet on the ground.
Starting the setup from the ceiling.
Strated to transfer the Rhubarb roots into the furniture planter as the setup progress goes on.
Setting up the site & refinement.
Make sure the temperature and humidity is alright.
Leave quietly and leave everything in dark.
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Planter Design: Vertical Planting & Mobile Planters Collection of Abandoned Furnitures Tiny/ Small Individuals
Ceiling Hooks & Bolts
Buckets (Preferably Plastic)
Bins
Laundry Racks
Medium Containers
Umbrellas
Wooden Chairs
Chair in cloths
Working Table
Large Containers
Storage & Shelves
Refigerator & Freezers
Sofa
Shelves
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Small sizes of containers and tiny details as fasteners are used in order to create a vertical forcing environment. Apart from piling up the seats and large furnitures, cabinets, umbrella and buckets are used to produce an easy-carrying planter with good mobility in the site.
False Ceiling & Ceiling Hooks Construction Details
Indoor Air-film 150mm Concrete Slab Heat Insulation material Wooden Finishing Non-reflective Indoor Air-film Toggle Bolt & Ceiling Hook ( ~23.5 kg)
Long Vertical Hook for mountain kit
Recycled Laundry Rack (Long Extension)
Angle Bar Nail 40mm
Angle Bar Nail 40mm
Methodology of Rhubarb Forcing: Preparation & Steps
Cold & Dark
Opposing to the Photosynthesis, the forcing in cold and dark stimulate the plant to strive for searching light.
Dormant
A process in a cold winter period to break its stable living and stimulate new growth.
1/ Collecting rhubarb roots which are ready for forcing.
Etiolation
L i g ht- exc l u d e d p l a nt w ill then desperately reach out in search of light, producing smooth, pale stems.
1/ Getting ready for Forcing
2/ Transferring to Forcer
3/ Suppliments & Harvesting
Start forcing in late November to January for best results. Dig a planting hole a little wider than the rhubarb crown in a prepared bed. Plant the crown with the growing tip approx 2.5 cm b elow the s u r fa c e o f t h e s o il . W i t h the fingers firm the soil well around the roots to get a good seal and to remove any pockets of air.
To warm the emerging shoots and to protect from frost and add a layer of straw or shredded newspaper. Cover the crown with an inverted dustbin or large pot making sure all light is excluded. A d a r k c o l o u re d b u c ket w ill be slightly warmer as it will absorb heat from the winter sun better.
Rhubarb are heavy feeders, and it has no way of absorbing nutrients it requires if the soil is too dry. Make sure to water and add supplemental nutrients for a much better chance to survive. It is the best to harvest within 7-8 weeks with the stem of 2030cm long.
3/ Pick up the whole root crown with its original soil.
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2/ Storing in a cool place during transportation.
5/ Make sure the temperature, humidity and the darkness.
Temperature 10-15°C Humidity 65-80%
4/ Transfer whole set of rhubarb into the forcing planter.
6/ Wait to see the magic in the Dark.
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Special thanks to Prof. CJ Lim & Eric Wong Bartlett MLA Studio 8