REED week

The REED WEEK program has been transformed into a participative worksite in Ghent, organized by Futurefarmers and executed by a professional reed contractor. 

Although the boat didn't make it to Brussels and is not yet ready to be in the water, the thatching work is still ongoing. If you're interested in getting involved and working hands-on, you’re welcome to join in Ghent.

THE BOAT - https://inthebellyofthecity.futurefarmers.com/journal/about#boat

In the Belly of the City is floating platform that moves along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal between Halle and Brussels. It is a public sculpture, a living lab and a functional food transport vessel. In the Belly of the City transports organic food produced (by a network of farmers in the Pajottenland) and hosts a constellation of artists on board. In the Belly of the City is both an artwork and a tool – a call to action to reconsider our food systems, reimagine food production and activate pathways between farmers and consumers which literally and figuratively a platform for bringing this conversation into the public sphere.

THE REED

The roof of the platform will be made from reed, demonstrating a bio-based, low-tech, open-source building solution. 

Reed has been used for centuries as a building material and as insulation. 

Reed beds are an important habitat for various animals including birds, insects and amphibians. Reed plantations are also used for water purification and protecting the banks of waterways and lakes from erosion. But from time to time it has to be cut because it grows rampantly. In this sense, it is a residual flow that can be used for thatching or as an insulating carrier for plaster (clay or lime).