Hong Kong – Pavilia Farm is a newly built urban farm in a residential development intended to be a serene sanctuary in the bustling city. Designed by Norwegian architecture studio Snøhetta, the 'green lung' farm is surrounded by clubhouses that offer residents of one of the world’s busiest metropolises the type of Rurban balance that many urbanites crave, as we have observed in Equilibrium Cities.
The design of the first clubhouse, the Tea House, is centred on water, with an exterior waterfall created for its calming sound and an indoor swimming pool. There is also the Farm House, a communal kitchen and dining space where residents are encouraged to share produce grown on the farm. The large open dining area helps foster connection through food, letting residents interact daily and feel like a community. In Neo-collectivism we highlighted how urbanities are keen to get to know their neighbours, to treat their corner of the metropolis like a village and want the opportunity to slow down and dig into values of togetherness and spontaneity. A third clubhouse, the Sky House is expected to open later in 2023.
Strategic opportunity
For many city dwellers it is no longer acceptable that city living is all bustle. They expect balance and want to inhabit emotionally healthy spaces. Living in a busy city doesn’t mean sacrificing close community but is about finding the places that foster it