Germinator is a public sprouting cabinet, a self-irrigating system made up of low-heat terracotta pieces where seeds germinate. Easy to use and low cost, Germinator invites citizens to learn about and participate in the germination and cultivation of quality seeds. The seeds produced here will go on to be used as a food source for the community, encouraging self-sufficient food supplies, which in turn reduces dependency on human-made energy sources.

The seed is an age-old symbol of change and renewal – from ancient Egyptians’ germination of seeds in the coffins of the deceased as an expression of life springing from death, to the Persian New Year (Nowruz) ritual of spring renewal through germinating lentils. In this tradition, Germinator is a symbol of a new beginning for the way in which human beings interact with their environment, and a new era of how human beings can choose to grow and source their food.

It affirms modes of commoning around a nutrient-dense genetic heritage, and architecture’s role in generating self-sufficient food security systems.