Research

Phase 1 of MetaboliCity was a participatory design research project (October 2008 – September 2009) based at Central St. Martins in London, UK, facilitated by the design research group Loop.pH and funded by the Audi Design Foundation.

The research explored how designers can intervene sensitively within local urban food growing communities by providing a design thinking and crafting to help sustain these initiatives and catalyse larger positive changes in the surrounding environment. The aim of the research was to create, test and adapt tools and services for collaborative food growing in challenging city spaces. These include community workshops, urban grow-kits and an online collaborative network. A customizable urban grow-kit was tested at a selection of sites in London, UK and is part of a design-service system that integrates both traditional and hi-tech industrialized agricultural techniques into the fabric of the built environment whilst being rooted in an ecological systems thinking. A team of designers guided local participants through a set of envisioning, crafting, planting and documenting processes. Metabolicity is also the first applied design research project to test and adapt collaborative tools and processes that were developed as a part of the ‘Benchmarking Synergy Levels within Metadesign’, AHRC funded research project, at Goldsmiths, University of London (2005-2008). Metadesign is a systemic, inter-disciplinary and emergent design process aimed at transcending existing specialist boundaries to create more joined-up solutions for the benefit of society and nature.

Research Questions:

1. How can we grow food sustainability in urban spaces with limited resources, and how can design thinking facilitate such a production?
2. What is the role of the designer in agricultural initiatives? How can design be used to generate local participation and engagement with urban spaces?
3. How can a communication platform for experts and non-experts be created to share best practice, disseminate information and network with a wider community engaged with urban agriculture?
4. How do people experience the role of technology and innovation in the context of ecology and agriculture?

Download Research Papers:

You can download the latest research report below: "MetaboliCity: How can design support the cultivation of place in the city?"