The VertiCity Eco Campus

Frenchay has a rich agriculture and community-based history. Situated on a land saturated with red pennant stone, the site naturally becomes a grounds for fertile soil and farming. So much so, that during the 1700’s, it was mandated that all houses built were to to include an allotment.

Regular tea parties and flower festivals became regular occassions where the community would conenct. Today, annual flower festivals continue to unite Frenchay, however regular communal meet-ups have become something of the past.

The Manifesto for this project in Bristol encapsulates a vision deeply rooted in Frenchay’s agricultural history while steering towards a future centred on sustainability, and modularity. Therefore, this project will serve two purposes: First is becoming a hub for the locals to congregate and unite via farming, reviving Frenchay’s lost history. Second: produce a structure capable of being modular and adaptable over time to cater to the community’s young population, who may require a change in typology in the coming future.

The Site - Frenchay Village

Site Context

The South Gloucestershire Council, in 2007, provided a Supplementary Planning Document that set out the main features contributing to the appearance of the Conservation Area.

Despite the perpetual grassland degradation within Frenchay, the Council implemented strategies for key areas that were to be conserved. Most notably, the eight historic parks and gardens preserved the site’s history associated with flower festivals.

The project site sat in the heart of Frenchay Hospital in 2007. Today, the hospital has been demolished, making space for modern development. The rapid change in land use could suggest how the site may have still maintained a culture of health and well-being, especially with the Rehabilitation Centre sitting adjacent to the project site.

Conservation

Manifesto

Recognising the intrinsic time-sensitive nature of plant growth and harvesting, I looked to design a vertical farm as the development’s focal point, harnessing time-sensitive activities to promote social cohesion and connectivity within the community.

Reimagining the building’s typology through future-proof design was central to my project, allowing for a building that would serve the generation of tomorrow.

With a new development now tied to a historic village, my vision was to deliver a hub that merged elements from Old Frenchay, yet celebrated New Frenchay’s fresh identity through contemporary design.