Tom Birch

Towards an Urban Pastoral

This project proposes a solution to society’s growing disconnect from the natural world as our lives shift towards a more technology-mediated, interior and solitary existence.

Nottingham, and in particular the River Leen, is leading the way in reversing this disconnect through a series of nature recovery networks, linking urban and rural areas. However, a dilemma arises when the City is faced with the ever-present pressures of urban expansion and population increase. How can the construction of 16,450 new homes by 2026 fit into this nature recovery agenda?

Towards an Urban Pastoral aims to resolve this dilemma, drawing on the pre-enclosure, pastoral philosophies of temporary withdrawal, communion with others and a sensitivity to the aesthetic and affective properties of the landscape to create a sustainable garden community model, inhabiting the industrial hinterlands along the River Leen.

In line with Unit 4A’s ethos, the project weaves together various poetic narratives concerning the notions of private and collective dwelling as well as responding to the temporal qualities of flooding, culminating in the design of a community hub and series of private and co-houses.