The Productive Field

  • TYPE: Teaching, Research

  • METHODOLOGY: Fieldwork, Photography, Drawing

  • MATERIALS: Paper

  • LOCATION: Loughrea / Dublin, Ireland

  • YEAR: 2023

BothAnd Group takes on the role of ‘Architects in Residence’ in the School of Architecture TUD, Building and Environment Sem. 1 2023/ 2024 to work with students and staff providing a forum to reflect upon the role of design in advancing regenerative food systems in rural territories. This open elective investigates what sensibilities and toolkits can architects and designers adopt to build on our existing disciplinary knowledge, and make ourselves effective for the transformation of food systems.

Course content includes lectures and discussion-based seminars led by the architects-in-residence and integrates readings, guest lectures and student research to reflect on how designers can make effective contributions to agricultural landscapes in this decade.

A field visit to a farm in Galway was  integral to the course and will form the basis of course output: a hybrid drawing combining field notes, sketches, photography, aerial drone analysis and Actor-Network Theory diagrams. While this course is for audit only (not assessed), we expected students to build upon ongoing research into the intersection of design and food systems.

Hinterland is a group of three individuals - Enda McEvoy, Claire Davey and Fergal Anderson, all with specific skill sets—a chef, a producer, and a farmer—bringing together extensive experience in community building,sustainability, regenerative agriculture, business, organisations, and net-working. The group is an innovative social enterprise that aims to meet the goals of Ireland’s Food Vision 2030.

Hinterland believe that true food system transformation needs to be locally led. In the coming years, Hinterland aim to engage in consultancy around sustainable food systems, organise and deliver education and training projects in local communities, and explore innovative transfor- mational pathways through pilot projects. They aim to create jobs in sustainable food production, distribution, and consumption.

As part of this open elective, we have produced and published a reader ‘The Productive Field: Design + The Food System’ and made it available to all participating students. This print included general information about the course, detailed semester schedule, coordinators’ / guests’ involved, students engagement / assignment, proposed lectures series, required readings. It was printed in a small quantity by Anglo printers Ltd.

  • GUEST COLLABORATORS: Office of Living Things, Eastie Farm, Jane Mah Mutton, Hinterland

  • PARTICIPATING STUDENTS: Cliodhna Hodgers, Alex Mc Guinness, Seonadh Ganley, Ellen Sweeney, Aoife Burke, Cormac Stott, Oisin Fee, Isobel Walsh, Ryan Rafter, David Boyle , Ashley Igwe, Dylan Daniels, Catherine White

  • GRAPHIC DESIGN: BothAnd Group

  • PHOTOS: BothAnd Group

  • SUPPORTERS: TU Dublin, Building Change ‘SABE Architects in Residence’