GARDENS BY THE THAMES: FOREST IN THE CITY|CITY IN THE FOREST

Over the past year AI software have been gaining popularity; such as, Midjourney or ChatGPT. Using AI to help create and develop a narrative, the project is an expression of old meeting new, where new technologies like Midjourney reinvent derelict buildings. Gardens by the Thames speculates on an alternative future of construction and material usage, in order to highlight a new path away from materials with high embodied carbon,encouraging the usage of alternative energy sources, circular economy, sustainable material sourcing and retrofitting as an approach to existing buildings. Based in East India Docks, on a former shipbuilding site, the project is reusing the existing buildings and structures and aims to rewild the East India Basin. Gardens by the Thames is composed of 5 main areas: a factory that produces carbon neutral Biomachines, a centre for material research and innovation, a series of gardens and crafting workshops, a wellness centre, and a forest over wetlands. Helping to develop the community in the area by offering workshops and public spaces, the proposal aims to become an educational and research tool for environmental awareness. The architecture balances urban and nature, engaging existing buildings, proving accessible roofscape and creating interactive landscapes that contain pockets of nature within the urban environment.