Thomas Daniel Henson

The Greenery Project, Nocton Hall

Within the next 50 years, Lincolnshire will become submerged due to rising tides brought on by climate change due to its low lying land. Lincolnshire is the agricultural hub of Lincolnshire in which it grows 30% of the UK’s vegetables and 12% of total production. With a threat of rising tides, and global warming bringing about harsher weather during growing seasons could induce a national food shortage. Something drastic needs to change to avert this humanitarian disaster. 

The Tyndall Centre is a coalition of UK universities who provide research to promote innovation in tackling climate change. They are also the client for “The Greenery” project, which will delve deeper into research of the local climate and control farming. Located within the ruinous Nocton hall, 8-miles south of Lincoln, the setting is ideal being surrounded by the Lincolnshire countryside. In its former life was a RAF hospital, being abandoned since the early 1990’s; it was hollowed out by a fire in 2004 and has been left destitute ever since, falling into further disrepair.  

The Greenery project aims to restore and strengthen the limestone facades that remain to preserve its Grade II listed bones. In which the project will have 3 main floors, with a ground floor mezzanine, spanning 6 insertion buildings. Being sat upon stilts the main platform intervention is made from a limecrete aggregate from the existing structures fallen debris and reinforced with steel rods. The 6 insertions are: a reception, central staircase, climate office, greenhouse, accommodation and a conference lecture theatre. These will each be made from sustainably sourced Siberian larch timber frame structures that will sit upon the limecrete platform. The exteriors of the structures are horizontally timber clad due to them facing the existing walls so the users will not be able to see.   

The users of the site will be traveling academics who will partake in research within the office space, as well as undertake lectures in the theatre, allowing 30 people at any one time. Commuting academics can also stay in one of 10 ensuite rooms that are situated in the accommodation block; that has a private mezzanine lounge and salad bar. A weather antenna is also situated in the climate office, allowing live monitoring of how the climate is recorded and compared to other stations. Due to the climatic risks to agriculture, the greenhouse insertion has an aeroponic and hydroponic farm that is fed by a rainwater collection reservoir in the basement level. Vertical farming gains 175% more yield than traditional horizontal farming, hence why research into this field is a necessary strategy for the next 50 years. Leafy greens, vegetables and fruit produced will feed the greenhouse’ sustainable shop for public visitors, as well as the salad bar refreshment space in the accommodation block. Which means that there will be a 0-waste policy in place.  

In addition, the site aims to be sustainable through providing rainwater collection, along with power from its helical wind turbine that protrudes through the staircase insertion, as well as the clad materials will be reclaimed. East to west internal walls shall be clad in steel, bronze or copper because of the solar orientation being able to illuminate them at certain points of the day. Green walls are present to promote biophilia in the site, depicting a sense of reclamation of the ruin. A summary aim of the Greenery is to “Research, Educate, Secure”; which means that acting now will secure our future from a climatic and humanitarian disaster. 

Designed by Thomas Daniel Henson.