Ronniela Castelo
KELP WORKS
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.
Surrounded by monuments of culture and history, Par Docks has been left to be a desolate and abandoned place with much potential. Seaweed, with all its possibilities, can be a beacon which seams Par back into its community and roots. Clothing marks an essential aspect of life and often overlooked with hundreds of years of history behind it and many techniques to be learnt. The wider grounds of Cornwall have been hailed as a sustainability hub with ranging sources of sustainable fashion coming from its roots. Within Par itself, its community houses markets and churches where fabric is displayed, sold and used.
Kelp Fabric Vault aims to use seaweed to produce natural yarns and develop intricate and colourful clothing and tapestries using natural dyes.
The proposal begins with a seaweed nursery, allowing visitors to see the root and source of the fabrics that is being made and transported out of the factory rather than this being a mystery. Kelp Fabric Vault is proudly open of the process that takes place within its walls. It opens up into workshops and studios where designers and those eager to learn are welcomed and encouraged to create. The proposal also incorporates the use of beeswax, making use of the local bees, into the fabric by offering a chance for visitors to use ‘Batik’ techniques to naturally dye and create art using the seaweed fabric.
Key words: Brick, Clay, Fibres, Seaweed, Breathing
Website: https://ronnielacastelo.myportfolio.com
Instagram: @ronniela.arch
Bamboo Barn
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
St. Ives is a place rooted in culture and history of fishing, welcoming visitors and has had many years of experience of accommodating incoming ships and cargoes. The aim of the project is to provide a space where chosen cargoes can be accommodated and placed in sustainable and correct environmental conditions without disrupting the busy harbour and allowing for disassembly to occur to ease the transition between places. Phase One contained the cargoes which are rice, cocoa beans, local Cornish beer and a cheese. The concept of Phase One is based on indigenous buildings based in East Asia where they make use of bamboo to create a functional and versatile small space that is sustainable.
This was carried on into Phase Two, where the fish cargo was introduced and the role of bamboo within the design transformed into an active part of the building as well as bringing protection from the rough seas and temperamental weather.
Key Words: Timber, Seaweed, Care, Optimism, Openness
