PERMEABLE OASIS - Tingchu King
Artist Statement
PERMEABLE OASIS - Hybrid Space between Existing /Inserted Programs -
This thesis will introduce a new agricultural environment in an existing urban educational facility located in a New York food desert. The integration of two programs is to expand the students’ and neighborhoods to diet diversity and promote a healthy diet by blurring the boundary between them to create a didactic symbiotic relationship.
This thesis proposes the insertion of a secondary farming program in an existing underused urban space and blurs the boundary between them to create a didactic symbiotic relationship. Therefore, an environment of curiosity and learning can emerge in this designed space. The project will introduce a new agricultural environment in an existing urban educational facility located in a New York food desert. The integration of two programs is to expand the students’ and neighborhood to diet diversity and promote inclination to re-establish people’s connection to a healthy diet.
This thesis will introduce a new agricultural environment in an existing urban educational facility located in a New York food desert. The integration of two programs is to expand the students’ and neighborhoods to diet diversity and promote a healthy diet by blurring the boundary between them to create a didactic symbiotic relationship.
This thesis proposes the insertion of a secondary farming program in an existing underused urban space and blurs the boundary between them to create a didactic symbiotic relationship. Therefore, an environment of curiosity and learning can emerge in this designed space. The project will introduce a new agricultural environment in an existing urban educational facility located in a New York food desert. The integration of two programs is to expand the students’ and neighborhood to diet diversity and promote inclination to re-establish people’s connection to a healthy diet.
Abstract
Nowadays, urban living and food industries are gradually taking over the control of one of the most critical activities in people's lives - diet. Modern people tend to consume available, manufactured products in their busy daily schedule. Due to the absence of fresh food markets in low-income urban areas the phenomenon of food deserts has emerged. From the data, it is obvious that New Yorkers' demand for fresh food and vegetables is not being met, and as a consequence, people are neglecting the interlocked and intricate connection between dietary diversity and health.
This didactic proposal intends to reconnect the critical relationship between people and healthy eating habits in urban food deserts by coupling two typically independent programs and introducing a hybrid space where the two blur and a symbiotic relationship can occur. Michael Pollan reveals the danger of decoupling the human diet from whole food under industrialization in his book "omnivore's dilemma." Therefore, this proposal consists of the introduction of a rooftop farming facility such as Brooklyn Grange, a program that is currently emerging in many areas in the New York metropolitan, over an existing underused educational facility in a food desert. Both school and farm will cohabitate in the same building while maintaining the ability to operate independently. The symbiotic relationship between the two will be supported through the introduction of a hybrid space where the farming components will infiltrate the school environment and become part of the teaching and learning exchanges. The dissolving insertions will facilitate the dialogue about food education while simultaneously promoting and introducing rooftop farms to the community.
In conclusion, this proposal will explore how interior design can be deployed as a device to support an agriculture teaching environment that serves as an intermediary between urban farming, existing school programs, and community. By understanding and experiencing cultivating, harvesting, students and people will become educated about food and farming knowledge, further expand their diet diversity and relieve food deserts to their community.
This didactic proposal intends to reconnect the critical relationship between people and healthy eating habits in urban food deserts by coupling two typically independent programs and introducing a hybrid space where the two blur and a symbiotic relationship can occur. Michael Pollan reveals the danger of decoupling the human diet from whole food under industrialization in his book "omnivore's dilemma." Therefore, this proposal consists of the introduction of a rooftop farming facility such as Brooklyn Grange, a program that is currently emerging in many areas in the New York metropolitan, over an existing underused educational facility in a food desert. Both school and farm will cohabitate in the same building while maintaining the ability to operate independently. The symbiotic relationship between the two will be supported through the introduction of a hybrid space where the farming components will infiltrate the school environment and become part of the teaching and learning exchanges. The dissolving insertions will facilitate the dialogue about food education while simultaneously promoting and introducing rooftop farms to the community.
In conclusion, this proposal will explore how interior design can be deployed as a device to support an agriculture teaching environment that serves as an intermediary between urban farming, existing school programs, and community. By understanding and experiencing cultivating, harvesting, students and people will become educated about food and farming knowledge, further expand their diet diversity and relieve food deserts to their community.