Victoria is known as the “garden city”, making it easy to grow vegetation. Most people in Victoria occupy apartments, meaning that green space isn’t always available nearby, especially in the downtown region. Two hosts live above the commercial space and maintain the communal garden, which is used for gardening and cooking workshops. The façade is pushed in to invite passerbys, and the brickwork above the glass is inspired by the original design of 576 Yates Street and the neighbouring heritage buildings. From the entrance, visitors are led through the rest area with the view of the garden, and then outside to the garden workshop area. From there, they are led through the garden towards the front kitchen, which is where cooking workshops are offered. The structure makes efficient use of the entire site by pushing the walls outward, and the central void is filled with pathways on both floors. This circulation can be seen in the other diagram, which also touches on green building methods, such as daylighting and slanted roofs for rainwater collection. The final parti shows the purpose of the paths, and that it is less about where they lead, but the immersive experience on the path itself.

This project was completed for ARCS3301   |   Studio I. 

March 2021.