The Growing Space at Cody Dock

The Growing Space Live Project provides space for community horticultural activities. The Growing Space is a multi-nominated 68m2 Douglas fir lightweight timber structure which adds to the existing cluster of buildings making up Cody Dock’s community hub. It runs a programme to expand the charity’s reach, running gardening and workshops for local schools, as well as space for rent. The community hub was co-designed and co-built with students of MArch studio DS20 with Corinna Dean.

Cody Dock has been featured in David Attenborough’s BBC documentary Saving Our Wild Isles as an example of community-led urban biodiversity and green space regeneration. The programme highlights its role in habitat improvement, local resident engagement, and the use of citizen-science data to inform local planning.
Cody Dock is a regenerated historic dock on the tidal River Lea in East London that serves as a model of community-led urban and ecological restoration.

The architecture was developed as part of a collaborative process. It has a structure of frames with cross-bracing and dry construction with all elements pre-cut with 3D-printed pegs reducing the construction time to 10 days. The base has six pad foundations with paving slabs, wrapped in polycarbonate, allowing the activities within to permeate out. An inverted roof creates a gutter for rainwater harvesting, irrigating propagated plants.

The design process was a collaborative effort. We initially co-developed outline proposals from which we finalised the design in collaboration with our fantastic partners, including structural engineer Steve Webb, promoting knowledge exchange. The funding was obtained from the university’s own QHT fund. Cody Dock was an enthusiastic partner, with students learning about community-led regeneration and eco-restoration.