Nature – of which we are a part – has become disenfranchised from Edgware. Station Road, its beating heart, is a grey mass of concrete, tarmac, fences, and litter. History has been lost in Edgware’s urban development. Communities are visible, but also hidden and disconnected. As a response to this problem, Edgy Collective unveiled three design installation using natural and reclaimed materials, underscoring the importance of reusing resources and enhancing sustainability.

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1. Create a Buzz at ‘Edge’ Station

 

Insect populations are declining dramatically and without them there is no life. This installation celebrated nature’s unsung heroes with a larger than life totem to invertebrates, creating a home as well as doubling up as alternative wayfinding outside Edgware Station.

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2. Plant Life at Garden City

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This installation turned Garden City into an actual garden city. It created opportunities for play and rest, and transformed this dead zone into a living space, bursting with life and colour through specially created planters. 

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3. Break Bread at Bakery Path

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A breadportal welcomed visitors with warm leavened thoughts, greenery and place-poetry. It directed visitors to a nearby green and blue space, with a short stop to take a mossy selfie!

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Guided by ‘form follows materials,’ the project embraced reclaimed elements, celebrating imperfections through a wabi-sabi lens. Victorian Douglas Fir beams and pine joists from century-old army barracks became outdoor furniture and a timber frame structure. Salvaged plywood hoarding formed an insect totem at Edgware station, while bamboo poles, metal pipes, ceramic insulators, and old instruments created an analogue sound instrument in the Garden City music closet. Hessian & Jute sacks were transformed into container planters, emphasising sustainable repurposing.

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Deeply influenced by community, historical, and spatial research, the project's designs are hyper-local and contextual, uniquely tailored to Edgware. A rich community festival program fosters engagement, promoting stewardship of shared spaces. A project manifesto in place poetry anchors interventions, integrating with physical installations. Edgware's history is showcased through the Alternative Map Of Edgware, fostering community identity and connecting with nature in urban settings.

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Research and Design

Edgy Collective: Adrienne Lau, Daniella Levene and Leila Taheri 

Technical Design, Fabrication and Installation

Rosie Strickland and The Loop

Lettering Artist

Jackaline Chow

Mural Artist

Julia Elmore

Sound Design

Thomas Grandjean

Photography

Luke O'donovan, Adrienne Lau