Honorable Mention: HOOPLA

Within our design for an urban food hub, the primary goal was to give the family the power to become the farmer. With this in mind, the food hub becomes a center which deploys infrastructural modular units. These kits of parts are designed to be easily assembled by anyone, regardless of prior training, and they can be constructed in the yard to sustain the family through food production, water collection, and electricity generation. Their design is whimsical and thought-provoking, with heavy inspiration from toy joints, thereby taking steel construction and reimagining it at a scale that even a child could understand and take part in. The hub itself revolves around two main cores, one which stores and recycles the compact kits for use by the consumer and the other to process and store food. The community is strongly encouraged to participate in the goings-on of the hub, and its bustling environment is emphasized by the space frame which drapes over it. This serves both as structure and playscape, with slides, nets, and openings that begged to be explored, as well as moments where the playful environment pushes the boundary into the work environment.