JOANNA VAUGHAN
The Experimentarium
Seaweed is a natural product with incredible properties that is starting to be utilised increasingly in today’s climate; with local offshore farms beginning to sprout up in Cornwall, the Par Horticultural Seaweed Centre is both a processing plant for horticultural seaweed products and a community space for locals and tourists alike. While distributing these amazing products across the country it was also important to ensure that the project also gave back to the community, with spaces for events, a beautiful garden to enjoy and tourist attractions to experience; bringing people together in Cornwall and providing a new route for income in one of the most impoverished counties in England. Each “wing” of the dock represents the two areas of both ‘production’ and ‘community,’ combining in their use and processing of seaweed.
The Experimentarium was concieved as a answer to problems communities were dealing with during the pandemic. Cornwall represents one of the most underfunded areas of the UK and as a result there were periods of the pandemic which hit the community hard. This project introduced ways of taking a renewable, up-and-coming resource: seaweed, and using it in a holistic way to not only help run the site but to provide a series of products which would alleviate the stress of the pandemic on the community. By creating structure that housed the technology and space for seaweed harvesting, processing, machining and delivery the site is able to grow and deliver a range of products based on necessity. During the pandemic, the site can produce products such as agar jelly (used in laboratories to develop biological samples) and bioplastics (which have applications from storing antibacterial gel in a covid-safe way to packaging food to be delivered to hospitals, schools and homes.)
Instagram: @jo_vaughan_archi
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joanna-vaughan-088220217
E-mail: joanna.vaughan00@outlook.com
Mariner's Retreat
Introduced in the heart of Reading Town, Hogmanay, the Scottish celebration of New Years, brings a large infusion of culture and festivity to the local area. Cock-a-Leekie soup, being an integral cuisine of the Scottish, accompanies the festivities. The influx of Hogmanay culture, introduced by the arrival of the Soup Facility, will indulge Reading in a host of traditions that seek to bring people together to celebrate the New Year and the fresh start that follows midnight. On New Year’s Eve in Reading, the public are invited to join in the activities, including; farming the ingredients for the soup, trying the soup, setting Juniper branches alight at midnight, Ceilidh dancing, drinking homemade Gin, and the chance to watch as the chefs produce the soup from raw ingredients on site.
Cock a Leekie , Scotland, Timber, Homemade, Feathers, New years
This project represents a marriage between historical maritime technology and today’s need for sustainably transported goods. Situated on the harbour wall of Watchet Marina, the Retreat constitutes a store for imported goods, a viewing deck and accommodation for crew members. Aligning with principles of sustainability the project is a temporary timber structure, making efficient use of locally sourced materials and labour and is powered through a combination of wave and solar power; integrating the structure with the site.
