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Herb Garden Integrated with Water Filtration in a Community Café

Authors:
Jessica Tseng, Cesar Juarez
Herb Garden Integrated with Water Filtration in a Community Café

Project in-detail

The Living Wall, comprised of herb planters served by a roof-mounted water filtration system, transforms a compact café into an interactive community space focused on sustainability and user engagement.
5 key facts about this project
01
The Living Wall allows patrons to harvest fresh herbs for their drinks.
02
A roof-mounted water filtration system supports the sustainability of the Living Wall.
03
The café's compact design maximizes functionality within a limited footprint.
04
Flexible configurations encourage various social interactions among visitors.
05
The Moving Grounds concept promotes mobility and adaptability of the café space.

The café design emphasizes a strong connection with nature while providing a functional space for community activities. It is set within an urban environment and features the Living Wall, which acts as both a visual element and a practical divider. This innovative setup encourages visitors to interact with the café, contributing to an inviting and engaging atmosphere.

Living Wall

The Living Wall consists of individual planters filled with herbs, supported by a water collection and filtration system located on the roof. This feature promotes sustainability by allowing customers to pick fresh herbs for their beverages. Such interaction fosters a sense of belonging and attachment to the space, highlighting a growing trend in urban design that encourages community involvement.

Compact Layout

The café’s layout is designed to be compact yet fully functional. Essential equipment such as espresso machines, coffee brewers, and grinders are carefully arranged for easy access. The design minimizes excess built elements, creating a flexible environment that allows for various social interactions. Every area serves a specific purpose, enhancing the overall experience for users and making the space feel more open.

Flexible Design Philosophy

Minimizing built elements while maximizing impact is central to this design. The Living Wall integrates naturally with the surrounding environment, promoting interaction among patrons. This flexible approach encourages diverse uses of the space, allowing the café to adapt to different social needs. Users can experience it in various configurations, reinforcing the role of the café as a community hub.

Moving Grounds Concept

The Moving Grounds idea introduces mobility to the café, promoting activity and engagement. It draws on the social aspects of coffee culture by creating a dynamic atmosphere. This concept encourages the café to be more than just a place to grab a drink; it emphasizes interaction and relationship-building among visitors.

The combination of the Living Wall and flexible spaces fosters connections within the community. It serves as a functional aspect of the café, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and social involvement.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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