Can a future service station prevent food waste and combat food poverty in the North West of England?
The UK road network has the capacity to facilitate solutions by connecting existing systems. Current failing systems have resulted in food waste and poverty crises, particularly in light of the free school meal scandal 2020-2021. This project aims to find a joint solution by reclaiming industrial food waste and distributing meals to those in need surrounding the M58.
The program includes two sorting rooms to separate waste food into rotten food, packaging, animal feed and food for human consumption. This process involves vehicle interaction to move the products from the site; to biogas plants, recycling facilities and local pastoral farms. The edible food is then moved into the kitchen facility, cooked and served in the onsite restaurant or distributed into the surrounding impoverished community by a fleet of electric vehicles.
The site masterplan embodies the waste free program, utilising reed bed systems to process waste water, rainwater harvesting, an onsite laboratory for food innovation, bakery, polytunnels and parkland. Landscaping strategies, including a network of ponds, prevents pedestrians interacting with vehicles unsafely. The building form is distorted to aid HGV movement around and through the building to increasing visibility, reduce turning angles and increase efficiency.
The building reflects the agricultural site in form and appearance. The vernacular of agricultural barns is reflected in the low lying pitched volumes. The geometry of the surrounding landscape is reflected in the two tone cladding system. The ground floor gabion cladding represents the horizontal horizon line while the first floor timber cladding represents the verticality of trees within landscapes. The cladding materials are repurposed waste materials; recycled road stone aggregate (ground floor), red brick rubble (internal vehicle routes) and assorted reclaimed timber (1st floor and roof).
