PROTOTYPING FARMS
A Farm Atlas: Sonning Farm & IRIF
Prototyping Farms explores the relationship between agriculture, research, landscape and architecture, using Sonning Farm as the primary site of investigation within the wider Integrated Research & Innovation Farm (IRIF) context.
This collective atlas brings together site analysis, research, precedent studies and architectural observations to build a shared understanding of the farm. Through mapping, visual documentation and critical analysis, it aims to identify the relationships, challenges and opportunities that can inform future architectural thinking.
Three core field locations across Berkshire providing empirical data on soil structure, building microclimates, and agricultural land utility.
Sonning Farm
Tanners Farm
Hall Farm
Sonning, Berkshire — Primary research hub focused on arable crop rotation, robotic tillage trials, and hydrologic soil monitoring.
Shinfield, Berkshire — Dedicated livestock grazing parcels, silvopasture integration tests, and ecological corridor mapping.
Reading, Berkshire — University campus enclave supporting controlled environmental agriculture, seed banks, and urban forestry.
Navigate the four core axes of the architectural monograph, from field site empirical studies to overarching spatial syntheses.
Farm Atlas
Research
Synthesis
Sources
Detailed spatial mapping, field survey locations, and agricultural landscape typologies across research territories.
Empirical field data evaluating building microclimates, soil compositions, and architectural crop infrastructure.
Cross-disciplinary theoretical framework connecting agricultural ecology with future architectural design strategies.
Comprehensive bibliographic catalog, historical land archives, and foundational primary survey documentation.
The Farm Atlas brings together individual investigations to develop a collective understanding of the relationships between agriculture, research, landscape and architecture.
PROTOTYPING FARMS Archive
Collaborative research publication by University of Reading MArch Architecture 2026/27. All diagrams, maps, and field surveys pending group input and peer review. Sources and credits archived.