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Completed in 2020 in Gooik, Belgium. Images by Filip Dujardin. The countryside education centre Paddenbroek close to Lombergveld/Kesterheide (next to the old tram bed) focuses on the relationship between nature,.
Jo Taillieu Architecten has transformed a former fruit farm in the Belgian village of Gooik into an educational centre featuring refurbished agricultural buildings enclosed within a greenhouse-like structure.
The Paddenbroek Education Centre was established by the municipality of Gooik to educate visitors about the countryside, in particular the surrounding Pajottenland region.
The facility s mission is both educational and ecological and focuses on the relationship between nature, agriculture, tourism, recreation and regional identity.
Above: a fruit farm in Belgium has been transformed into an educational centre. Top image: it is encased by a greenhouse-like structure
Jo Taillieu Architecten was approached to oversee the renovation and extension of a derelict fruit farm to create a series of multifunctional spaces that can be used for recreational activities.
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Researchers point out that proto-greenhouses arose to fulfill the desire of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (42 BC to 37 AD) to eat cucumbers every day of the year. Since it was impossible to grow the vegetable on the island of Capri in winter, his gardeners developed beds mounted on wheels that they would move into the sun when possible, while on winter days they would place them under translucent covers made of Selenite (a type of gypsum with a glassy appearance). But the production of large-scale greenhouses only became possible after the Industrial Revolution with the availability of mass-produced glass sheets. Since then, they have been used to grow food and flowers, forming a microclimate suitable for plant species even in places with severe climates. But in some cases, these artificial growing conditions can also form interesting living spaces. The recent Lacaton & Vassal awards rekindled this interest. How is it possible to create greenhouses that can be good for both huma