The Veggery
The Veggery is a free to use community greenhouse, learning space and urban growing project located on St Giles Terrace, within the Barbican Estate. Designed by Studio Folk Architects in collaboration with fabrication partners Raskl, the project was selected as the winning design in the Seeds in the City competition, organised by the London Festival of Architecture and Culture Mile BID in 2026.
Designed as a welcoming space for students, residents and visitors, The Veggery brings together food growing, sustainability, education and community. The proposal creates a visual dialogue between domestic garden ‘architecture’ and the iconic architectural language of the Barbican Estate, to provide a place to learn, meet, grow and share ideas.
Collaborators:
Clients: Culture Mile BID & London Festival of Architecture (NLA)
Fabricators: RASKL
Photography: Gemma Sandell & Mike Massaro
Co-Design
The project builds on the City of London School for Girls' self-initiated urban farming initiative, piloted in 2026 with students and staff and supported by St Giles Cripplegate Church and the City of London Corporation. The programme aims to create opportunities for hands-on learning about biodiversity, climate resilience and healthy food systems.
Drawing inspiration from the stained glass windows of St Giles Cripplegate Church, the Veggery features six murals, designed by students at the City of London School for Girls as part of a Co-Design workshop led by Studio Folk in March 2026.
Ceramics Workshop with Charlotte Moore Studio
In July, The Veggery hosted six ceramics workshops led by London based architectural ceramicist Charlotte Moore. Participants were invited to create imaginary plant forms inspired by the architectural features of the Veggery, learning ceramic sculpting techniques in the process.
Planting Day
On Friday 3 July, The Veggery hosted a planting day with students from the City of London School for Girls, local businesses and residents, and the Barbican Horticultural society.
Collaboration and Fabrication
The Veggery has been delivered in partnership with fabrication partners Raskl. Through a collaborative process, the structure was designed as a lightweight system that minimises material use wherever possible. It was largely prefabricated off-site and assembled on St Giles Terrace. The structure was carefully designed for rapid assembly using hand tools, minimising both disruption and time on site.
“Seeds in the City’ is a brilliant example of how creative placemaking and urban greening can come together to transform spaces in meaningful and lasting ways. Through our Public Realm Vision & Strategy, Culture Mile BID is committed to creating a greener, more welcoming and more connected City — and this project captures that ambition perfectly.”
- Andrew Smith, Chair of Culture Mile BID -