CDE Studio 44

ULTIMATE SPINACH

Studio leaders: Danielle Peck & Samuel Hunter

Ultimate Spinach attempts to make visible, through architectural discourse and design, a food system in an urban environment. ‘Food Space’ is a broad term we use to describe all stages of the food cycle; production to distribution, preparation to consumption and waste – and describes both physical and socio-political frameworks.

Food systems are consistently and historically separated into rural and urban environments, and those of us that live in the latter, are never fully appreciative of the inherent order that is embedded within the holistic food network and the impacts of this on the broader environment, both local and global.

‘As the most ancient carrier of culture’ (Gohar, L.), food is contextual; it situates you in place and time. The studio exploits foods connection to place and uses this as a means to explore architectural authenticity and sustainability in the inner Melbourne suburbs, through the ultimate design of a hypothetical ‘Melbourne Food Institute’.

Food infrastructure, often relegated to the periphery of our cities, returns to the neighbourhood where we find ways to integrate it back into our day-to-day lives. Throughout the semester students explore ways that food program, form and provocation can re-assert community value, and answer the question, How Can We Live Better?

Danielle Peck is founding director of Architecture Associates, a design studio practice in Melbourne. Her experience includes a diverse range of project types including educational, cultural and residential work. She enjoys working across all scales and combines her passion for urban design with research projects in her current practice. Over the past 10 years, Danielle has led masters of architecture design studio's, taught Australian architectural history and Professional Practice at both RMIT University and The University of Melbourne.

Sam Hunter is a principal of Lyons, a large architecture office in Melbourne that practices nationally. He has undertaken design leadership roles across a wide range of university and community projects. Most recently he has led Lyons’ design team for Melbourne University's New Student Precinct, and the new Springvale Community Centre and Library. Sam has previously led the Lyons design studios at RMIT University, most recently teaching along-side Danielle at The University of Melbourne.

View the student projects here

Adam Legg & Christopher Ames

Image: Adam Legg & Christopher Ames

(click image to enlarge)

Architecture 2021_winter