WE COOK

Streaming through Kaizhou, Renmin Canal is the soul of the ecological new city. As a part of the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, it serves as the water resource for the surrounding farmland and brings harvest. The water, the land, and the food are closely connected.

During the Corona time, people have had enough of cooking alone at home for themselves; in the Post-Corona time, we are yearning for a joyous cooking together. Therefore, the proposal tries to provide an idyllic shared kitchen, serving as a public space for local residents, citizens and tourists, to exchange cooking skills, relieve homesickness and get happiness together.

Nestled on a hillside of the aqueduct, WE COOK brings a innovative yet familiar experience of cooking, by utilizing the crops nourished by the canal and combining the traditional cooking methods of earthen stoves. It challenges the traditional dark kitchen in the backside. By pushing cooking activities to the front, it becomes visible like performance on a stage, which serves as a trigger for continuous conversation. Design-wise, it starts with the Chinese character “田”( meaning: land) with four parts. They are organized in a centripetal layout, with view towards the aqueduct.

Infrastructures such as entrance lobby, food collection, meal preparation, garbage disposal, etc, are embedded into the height difference. The platforms and terraced seating area enable the space to be flexibly used as theater, lecture hall, etc. The recycling system produces biogas and fertilizer, fulfilling a sustainable cycle of food production and consumption. Operational-wise, it supports online reservations for kitchen/fresh vegetables delivery, creating job opportunities and income for local villagers.

In the hectic contemporary life, WE COOK invites people to a retreat for an idyllic and slow-pace moment , to fully enjoy the fun of cooking and eating, and get peace, beauty and joy.

Status

Kaizhou New City International Young Designer Competition

_Honorable Mention

Team

Shiqing Liu, Kai Fu Chung, Yan Lu