Powerhouse is an exploration of the thematic concept of growth which intertwines the programs of gym and wildflower nursery.

Specifically, both programs have become a house for some form of growth, however in a form which can be considered clinical or cold once examined. Thus, powerhouse aims to challenge the contradictions which can be highlighted within the use of these two functions. The idea of a gym being a place for physical growth through exercise and a maintenance of a healthy lifestyle is directly contradictory to it’s setting. A place which is often cold, metallic and harsh seems inappropriate to it’s given purpose. Similarly, the wildflower nursery initiates growth of wildflowers through systematic horticulture. These seemingly “wild” flowers, never once touch the soil, and are grown and sold in pots.

Why do these contradictions of growth exist? Because society has deemed it acceptable and the most efficient way to achieve growth. It is much easier to growth physically through the employment of these machines, and much easier to breed and grow wildflowers in captivity than in the wild. Initially my design was intended to revoke these ideas, an create an environment which challenged the foundations of how we interact with these spaces. However as the project developed, I’ve utilised the systematic and clinical nature of the programs into the architecture, and created a building which stands as a reminder and a bold statement of the existences of these realities.