The Grow Dome is a community growing installation combining sustainable food growing, creative collaboration, and public engagement. Originally developed by CFINE in 2020, it has become a vibrant demonstration of biophilic design and community innovation, now permanently housed at the James Hutton Institute’s Hutton Hub.
History of the Grow Dome
- 2020: The Grow Dome was developed at CFINE, inspired by SPACE10’s open-source Growroom design, with funding from the Community Climate Asset Fund. Its purpose was to demonstrate accessible food growing while promoting wellbeing, climate awareness, and community resilience.
- 2022: First publicly exhibited at Aberdeen Performing Arts’ Wonderland Festival as part of ‘Nice Day, Isn’t It?’ an installation by Rebecca Dunn. She also composed the accompanying soundscape, inspired by community workshops on weather and resilience. The structure was fabricated in collaboration with Gray’s School of Art.
Visitors at The Grow Dome during Aberdeen Performing Arts' Wonderland
- 2023–2024: The Grow Dome featured at further community-focused events, including Climate Week North East 2023 at SNUG Community Garden and the Community Growing Takeover at Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre (2024).
- 2025: Donated to the James Hutton Institute for permanent installation in the Hutton Hub, continuing as a living showcase of sustainable, community-led growing.
Visiting the Grow Dome
- Informal visits to the Grow Dome are welcome anytime the Hutton Hub Café is open.
- Community groups, schools, and other organisations can arrange a visit in advance. For more information on this please email Rebecca Dunn, RDunn@cfine.org.
Find out more about Community Growing
Community GrowingCredits
The Grow Dome is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Credit for the original Growroom design: SPACE10 and architects Mads-Ulrik Husum and Sine Lindholm.
Listen to the Grow Dome's Soundscape
Listen hereRebecca Dunn, Community Growing Development Worker and Musician, composed a soundscape to accompany the Grow Dome's 2022 installation. The soundscape, titled ‘Nice Day, Isn’t It?’, was inspired by community workshops on weather and memories. Rebecca facilitated discussions at community gardens in Aberdeen about things you can see, hear or feel – like wind or sunshine – and invited participants to reflect on their experiences.
Thank you to the participating community gardens: Earth & Worms; St Fitticks Edible Garden and Peacock & The Worm community garden.