On Friday the EatWoodGreen project which is on the first floor library balcony outside the children's library, overlooking the High Road had an opening, showing people the project and with the architect talking about how it had been built - which was a lot more complicated than it appears. The project is to be a growing and education space, particularly for schools but also with after school and holiday gardening clubs, and shows how a lot can be done in just a small patch of ground or even a window box. It's organized by Black Rootz and Ubele Initiative and connected to the Wolves Lane Centre where lots more growing and learning projects take place.
The architects explained some of the challenges involved in adapting this part of the building to make this work. The distribution of the raised beds had to take account of the load-bearing capacity of the balcony (which is the roof of the main book stack/ reading room), and allow for wheled access, seated gardening, different sizes of people (children and adults). This is all on top of a frame spread across the balcony to hold the metal balustrade safely - because it wasn't safe to drill into the balcony to fix it firmly - which is part of the reason tfor the colourful timber floor which covers this essential structure.
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