THE EPPING FOREST LAND AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT HUB

The Epping Forest Wildlife and Land Management Hub The proposal is a transformation of the existing Epping Forest Office site and inclusion of keystone species gardening the landscape, serving as a hub for research and wildlife management run by the Epping Forest Council. The book Cornerstone’s by Benedict McDonald inspires the proposals design for nature, and critical ambition to challenge the future of suburbia and the role of wildlife as ecosystem engineers. Epping Forest’s water network and typography of the landscape is utilised to attract semi wild animals that roam the forest. Researchers and farmers in charge - monitor, study, care for and manage the ecological behaviour of animals on site. The proposal encourages members of the community to engage with and learn about the animals and how to care for them through collaborations with nearby educational institutions. The administrative buildings will be replaced and existing structures and programs will be restored to their original use. Lightweight, elevated platforms overlooking the fields are made up of collaborative research environments, with offices and presentation rooms to share data. The design also includes an educational space, consisting of workshops and classrooms amongst a courtyard arrangement, allowing for good connectivity to the natural environment, further encouraging interactions amongst a shared wild garden.