Jaimini Patel
Jaimini Patel
Autopoietic
In Progress
Curation and commissioning for Oxford University Development. Jaimini Patel is Begbroke Innovation District's first artist-in-residence. Appointed in the autumn of 2023 by Oxford University Development, Patel has been exploring the site through self-sustaining systems and permaculture.
Over the course of the residency Patel has led a variety of creative workshops and events, from a deep listening exercise with farmers to a collaborative permaculture research project with Oxford Brookes students from the Digital Craft in Architecture MA programme.
Patel’s research and time onsite led her to the practice of Hügelkultur – a self-watering, self-tilling, and self-fertilising system, an ancient no-dig growing technique used by many indigenous cultures worldwide. This zero-waste method uses material that would be discarded, such as logs, branches, cardboard, leaf litter and food scraps. The decomposing wood releases water and nutrients, acting as a sponge and ensuring resilience to both flood and drought. Hügels (from the German ‘hill’ or ‘mound’) can be self-sustaining for up to two decades.
“We were delighted to build our first test hügel for the Cherwell Collective with BFA/MFA students from The Ruskin School of Art. It was a welcome opportunity to test our research. We put down a layer of oak, then branches and garden waste from the allotment, followed by compost and topsoil with a layer of woodchip to finish. We planted, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), Gooseberry Hinnonmäki Röd (Ribes uva-crispa), Blackcurrant Ben Sarek (Ribes nigrum), Purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis), Purple Cone flower (Echinacea purpurea), Pineappe sage (Salvia elegans), Thyme (Thymus Jekka), Dyer’s Chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria) and Giant Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). The planting scheme includes insect-attracting flowers, berries, herbs and plants for making dyes. Nitrogen-fixing Yarrow is particularly useful because, in the first year of the hügel, the wood will draw nitrogen away from the plants as it rots before it starts to release nitrogen.
It was amazing how quickly the hügel got built. The experience helped us think about the particulars for our future builds – how the wood is stacked, what kind of shape works best, how wide and high to make them, the proportions of the waste used, and the maturity of the plants. We learnt a lot! It was a wonderful day and we look forward to seeing how the plants do. We are keen to continue learning together, to see how the Cherwell Collective uses the hügel – what they will plant and how this will change as the hügel matures.” - Jaimini Patel
Autopoietic is a slow work that will continue to develop over the coming years.
Company
Jaimini Patel, Sarah Alun-Jones, Hawkins/Brown, OKRA, Zetteler, Cherwell Collective, Digital Craft in Architecture (MA) Students from Oxford Brookes and BFA/MFA students from The Ruskin School of Art.
Place
Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke Innovation District for Oxford University Development
Photography
Yesenia Thibault Picazo and Company,Place
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