RCA Grand Challenge Finalist: OffTheFarm Folks
Shortlisted Finalist – RCA Grand Challenge 2024/25
Featured on : Unbuilt Ideas, Archello, ArchiDiaries, and Rethinking the Future.
Off the Farm Folks is a mobile market initiative addressing gentrification in Stratford by empowering displaced vendors through rotating produce carts that deliver fresh local food into underused neighborhoods. The project reactivates public spaces and strengthens community ties while promoting social and economic resilience. It also incorporates sustainability by converting organic waste into biodegradable fruit packaging, creating a circular food system.
As a service designer and architect, I led the end-to-end research and service development, managing stakeholder collaboration, shaping the cart concept, and designing the user journey and waste flow to support sustainability goals.
Grand Challenge, RCA
Sustainable urban mobility
Circular food systems
Community-driven resilience
Stratford, Newham
Calvin Calica
Daksh Goel
Liangxin Chen
Shania Firdaus
Shaokai Chen
Service Designer
Challenge
Newham’s vibrant network of local markets and vendors faces increasing pressure from rapid gentrification, particularly around Stratford and the Olympic Village. Despite an influx of wealth through new developments, local farmers and market vendors remain disconnected from these economic opportunities, struggling to stay relevant and resilient.
Concept
Off the Farm Folks reimagines how local produce and communities interact by transforming underused urban spaces into hubs of commerce and connection. Our solution is a fleet of modular, mobile carts representing different Newham markets that rotate through Stratford and surrounding areas. These carts double as community spaces—blending food, storytelling, and cultural exchange.
By bringing the markets to people rather than waiting for them to come, Off the Farm Folks amplifies vendor visibility among new demographics, while also promoting a culture of shared ownership and mutual support.
Process
Field Research: Conducted on-site interviews with vendors and residents to understand pain points, aspirations, and spatial dynamics.
Co-Design Workshops: Engaged market sellers and local stakeholders in ideation sessions to co-develop cart functions and service flows.
Prototyping: Developed low-fidelity models of modular carts and mapped activation points across Stratford.
Community Testing: Gathered feedback on pilot interventions focused on increasing footfall and fostering social cohesion.
This model doesn’t just offer short-term economic gains—it builds systemic resilience. By providing flexible, community-powered infrastructure, Off the Farm Folks strengthens local food networks, aligns with broader policy goals around inclusive growth, and envisions a Newham where local identity thrives alongside urban change.
Conclusion
Off the Farm Folks builds resilience through sustainable practices, mobile market access, and community connection. By closing the food waste loop and bringing local vendors directly to neighborhoods, it fosters a circular economy and a more united, adaptable Newham.