architecture, planning, peopleA Way of Life
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Chicken dust bath shelter The project was used to test ideas about self build, material negotiations, and urban agriculture. It took life in dialogue with Commonwork, an educational charity and organic farm in Kent, who let us work with a group of disabled adults who regularly attend the centre. An initial exercise with the disabled group described the nature of the problem; a dust bath and shelter for the chickens. The group was enthusiastic about being asked to think about suitable solutions for themselves through drawing and modelling, and only required occasional prompting. Some basic decisions about the structure emerged. A walk to the chicken run helped everyone judge the scale of the structure and visualise the models. Finer details were worked out in dialogue with local craftsmen. The group got together to build Broken bricks from the nearby kiln were recycled to form a solid base. Everyone worked to crush them up, and build up supports for the roof structure was made in green willow, which would take shape as the willow dried out. The surface texture gives chickens footholds to climb to the top, a position they adopt naturally. In this process the chicken shit, will get trodden into the willow. chicken shit takes the place of manure in a tradition wattle and daub wall, which is water proof. In a manner of speaking, the chickens become their own self-builers of their own dust bath shelter. |
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 what: particapatory design and self build when: 2007 where: Commonwork Farm, Edenbridge, Kent collaboration: Celina Martinez, Alex Thomas, Commonwork Farm core group: Susan, Dot, Ken, Brian, John, Daniel, Kathy (tutor) |
