Betty Owoo: Edible education

Folio

Bringing us closer to how and where our food is produced

Location
Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate

Objective
To provide young people and their immediate communities access to quality green space with satellite school sites for a food-focused education based on Edible Schoolyard principles.

Motivation
The project was born out of research into Newham’s existing foodscapes and green spaces, and speculating how these could be enhanced to improve the future health and wellbeing of young people in Newham.

Strategy
A new collection of buildings – including a school, community building and housing – are linked by a series of interwoven landscapes, and serve a wide sector of society with a food and agricultural based programme. A school sits as the centrepiece of the masterplan – a pristine, crystalline object in a hazy and varied landscape. The buildings will be linked by a garden wall.

Impact
At its heart, the project is about the value of urban green spaces, and the impact these can have on our health and wellbeing regardless of their scale.