Community Center (Community Grocery Network)

This food depot and network supplies local produce to residents and reconnects the community.

The Community Grocery Network is a similar idea to the neighbourhood corner shop. The corner shop was originally a small shop in residential areas where people could purchase daily perishable items such as the daily newspaper, bread, and milk. However the corner shop has been priced out by escalating land costs and larger supermarkets, and unfortunately with the disappearance of the corner shop there has been a loss of local convenience. Instead of walking up the road, we now jump into cars and go to the supermarket for these types of purchases.

The Community Grocery Network is a design for a low-carbon, local food distribution network for Rowville in 2032. The design makes the assumption that by 2032 a rail link has been created to service Rowville and neighbouring suburbs.  The system is easily accessed by the local community and consists of a local food depot that acts as the area’s distribution hub. Orders are received at the depot then dispatched to smaller community centres within neighbourhoods. Residents can order what they need online; the centre fills the order, prioritising local food; the orders are then dropped off at the community centre by an efficient vehicle. The vehicle is also able to take recyclable waste such as compost back to the depot, where it is turned into compost and then delivered to local growers.  The community centres also carry last-minute goods such as milk, and provide additional services such as a community gardens and meeting facilities for the local community.  The Community Grocery Network has added benefits for an ageing population, assisting the elderly to stay independent in their own homes and still have access to fresh food.

Designer

Luke Chaberka, Rebecca Hobson, Rory Grogan, Jorge Andre

Domain

Systems & Services

Studio Leader

Mark Strachan

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