Rural city

Concept

The initial idea of the Rural city project was to make the role of the garden directly related to the art taught in the school, since the theme is Art Garden, so that it would not be just an artificial addition to the art school because it is requred by the program. On the other hand, the question of multisensory experience arises - the next iteration was the decision that garden is made up of edible plants. The topic of the school was a profession that, in the opinion of the author, is still considered a craft and does not occupy a deserved position in the field of art – culinary art.

The role of the school for visitors

Given that Chicago is a city known for a large number of foreign nationals, and that food is a strong cultural designation, the four kitchens are kitchens of different states, from four different continents. Serbia - Europe, Mexico - North America, Nigeria - Africa, China - Asia, are countries that have a large diaspora in Chicago, or at least the largest from a particular continent, while the number of citizens from Australia and South America is much smaller, and therefore these continents are not included. This project promotes a sense of belonging, closeness and togetherness in a foreign country.

In order for the school not to be elitist, the fifth kitchen is a charity kitchen. In this way, empathy is promoted, considering that, despite the fact that it seems to us that life in the 21st century is much easier than before, the problem of world hunger is still huge. A large percentage of the food is easily thrown away, so the idea is to use leftovers from "national" kitchens to prepare delicious meals for the poor. This surpasses ordinary charity kitchen with cheap and unimaginative meals, since it is prepared by professors and students who are trained as top chefs.

Organization and program

The intent behind the organization was to see the newly designed complex as a natural extension of Washington Park. The whole set is of a rural character but again compact in shape, with pavilion-arranged kitchens and tasting areas, resembling an expo. The ground floor is intended for school and production space, while the first floor is student accomodation and administration, in order to clearly separate the movement of regular users and visitors.

Edible plants are zoned by species - fruits, vegetables, cereals, spices - near the "national" kitchens in which they are most often used, and next to the tasting rooms there are vertical green walls - pockets with additional types of plants needed for a particular kitchen. Communications are raised from the ground in order to use as much space as possible as arable land - certain types of plants are grown under the path, for which sunlight is not crucial for survival. Ornamental plants are in the gardens on the residential floor, and there is also a windbreak - zoned in relation to the dominant wind direction of Chicago, also known as Windy city. In order to not only defend against the wind, but also to use its potential, there is also a windmill for grinding flour within the servant space, near the grain zone. On the first floor next to the windmill, following the example of the old mills, there is a common space for relaxation.

The school teaches the cuisines of 4 nations as subjects, so the "national" kitchens are showrooms, similar to the classic classrooms, for 4 students and professors. Charity is a kitchen where students can join forces to practice what they have learned and express their creativity in creating unusual meals. Kitchens and tasting rooms can be transformed from open, semi-open to closed structures, depending on the seasons and the needs of users. This is achieved by glass panels, while the corridor, which is open most of the time, in winter is covered with canvases. Due to the harsh winter in Chicago and the good thermal insulation power of snow, igloos are added behind the kitchens, which become winter gardens - hydroponics are grown in them.

Sustainability

When it was decided that the project would be actively involved in food recycling, as a natural step after that, research followed on how to make the whole complex sustainable. For a start, wood was chosen as a natural material, which also has exceptional aesthetic characteristics - a logical solution for the pavilion's transformable complex.

There are two types of roofs and they are actively used:

1) Gable roofs with solar panels

2) Roofs designed for rainwater collection, whose two main horizontal collectors is framing of the central corridor of the first floor. Further, the water is drained by gutters to the underground tank, and is used for irrigation and technical water.

Visitor toilets are also part of the recycling cycle. Raised from the ground, like a field toilet with a place for collection. After the use of toilet, sawdust is sprinkled, which kills the bad smell and helps composting. After six to nine months, the compost is usable and accessible from the back of the cabins - which is why the cabins are not mirrored like standard ones, but all facing the same side, allowing external access to the compost collection containers.

The use of wind power by windmill has already been mentioned, as well as the maximum use of weather conditions and space for gardens (igloos and vertical farming).