The core driver of the project is looking at food as a cultural exchange. The opportunity to trade stories, advice, understanding and more through the experience of cooking and dining. The building should be able to facilitate this exchange in all forms it takes, whether it be on a more intimate scale or on a larger, festival scale. Our histories are so commonly mirrored in the food we make, creating a space in which we can celebrate all food we can end up preserving and recording history that would otherwise be forgotten.

Another aspect of appreciating food is understanding the process of its creation. The space will need to be a meeting of food appreciation and education, appreciation can come from dining and experiential practices involving food. The educational aspect touches more on the production of food and the processes that go into the experiential side, behind the scenes.

The core of this building should be the dining experience, the ability to bring together communities and people who would have otherwise not met through the means of food. Community meals are usually reserved for areas with an already strong sense of such. By creating this place in Thornwood the aim would be to create a more cohesive community from the many separate groups amongst its demographic.

Urban Building Key

1 – Dining Hall
2 – Shop
3 – Class Kitchens
4 – Office
5 – Classrooms
6 – Workspaces
7 – Bar
8 – Vertical farm