Union Street Urban Orchard Publication is Out


In the summer of 2010 during the bi-annual London Festival of Architecture, the Union Street Urban Orchard sprung into bloom on what had previously been a disused site in Bankside.

In the summer of 2010 during the bi-annual London Festival of Architecture, the Union Street Urban Orchard sprung into bloom on what had previously been a disused site in Bankside. The Institute was very proud to contribute to this innovative community project by Architecture Foundation with Nest, wood pavilion designed by the Wood Program at the Aalto University in Finland. Now the project is documented in a new book called "The Union Street Urban Orchard: A Case Study of Creative Interim Use."

The book offers an insight into how the urban community garden was created, including essays from those who made it happen, DIY tips, recipes and foreword by the respected broadcaster and writer Jon Snow. The vivid publication aims to inspire people to grow their own food and think creatively about disused spaces within the city.

The Orchard was created in collaboration by a number of organisations and community groups such as Bankside Open Spaces Trust and ProjectARKs. Events at the Orchard included urban food growing workshops, a plant adaptation scheme and outdoor screenings.

Nest offered Orchard's visitors a place to meet, relax and explore the garden throughout the summer. The pavilion was the result of an architectural competition organised by the Finnish Institute in London and the Wood Program at the Department of Architecture at Aalto University. It was designed and built by an international group of the Wood Program's students and in-house architects.

You can order the book here.