The Chatham hemp workshop introduces the community to hemp through farming the material on site. The building is open to the public, allowing for free socialising, exercise and activities, in hopes to provide the Chatham community with an accessible public space. The hemp plant farm and workshop will show the possibilities of the plant and the process of harvesting the plant into wood – seeing the product from start to finish. Courses will be taught in the workshop that focus on creating modular systems including tables, seating, plant containers and storage using hemp shiv sheets, creating employable skills for the youth community. The modular systems created could be used to fit out empty lets in Chatham, provide seating in public spaces and greenery for the city centre, with access to repairs at the workshop. The whole space is built using the modular system, showing public how accessible and usable the material is. The space will profit through selling the hemp wood systems at an affordable price, as well as through renting out studio spaces to young creatives.
This project focuses on the people of Chatham through involving the youth community in hobby making, repairs and employable skill introduction to hemp wood-work.