I visited Kew Gardens in order to further my research for project 05. I was particularly interested in finding out more about Kew Gardens seed collection and the Millenium seed bank. Seed collection is particularly relevant to my work for project 05 due to the client being involved with this research.
From my visit I found out that the seed collection at Kew Gardens ‘represents the greatest concentration of living seed and plant diversity on earth.’ The seeds are collected by Kew Gardens through global partnerships and field research and subsequently stored at The Millennium Seed Bank on their site in Sussex. The facility where the seeds are stored on their site is a ‘world class automated state of the art research facility’ which is flood, bomb and radiation proof in order to protect the seeds. The storage for the seeds requires them to be stored in chambers which are -20 degrees.
The work Kew Gardens does on collecting and storing seeds is crucial; plants are becoming extinct which will create huge repercussions on the future ecosystem. By collecting the seeds, this in essence is an insurance policy. The indispensable nature of this work at Kew Gardens is the reason I have chosen it as the focus of my work for project 05.
As well as furthering my knowledge on seed collection, I visited the part of the site where Lion Gate Lodge is located. This property is a potential site for project 05. The property is located on Kew Gardens site and therefore has excellent proximity to other amenities on the site. Lion gate lodge is also the only property on the site to be rented out and therefore offered a unique option. The property can be seen in the picture below.
The third most significant aspect of Kew Gardens in relation to project 05 was the Temperate House. Walking through this building furthered prior design ideas due to the feelings evoked and how I aspire to recreate these feelings for the client. The tranquility felt in the space left no room for distraction which enabled me to feel undisturbed. This therefore created an optimal work environment which I hope to recreate in some form for the client. The Temperate house can be seen in the pictures below.