flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Manhattan’s Union Square gets its very own farmhouse

Mixed-Use

Manhattan’s Union Square gets its very own farmhouse

GrowNYC, a sustainability-focused nonprofit, commissioned ORE Design to create the community events center and learning space.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | August 17, 2017
Interior of the GrowNYC multifunctional area

Photo: AGP Amanda Gentle Photography

An unused space has been repurposed as a multifunctional community area, bringing GrowNYC’s fresh food markets, recycling resource locations, and local garden support under one roof.

GrowNYC, a sustainability-focused nonprofit, commissioned ORE Design to create the community events center and learning space, located near Union Square in Manhattan. Dubbed Farmhouse, the center includes a classroom forum, educational kitchen, and conference center. The rooms can be combined to operate as a fundraising venue.

Suspended acoustic baffles made from recycled water bottles translate the traditional geometry of the American farmhouse into an abstract ceiling motif that guides visitors throughout the environment. Reflective solar tubes illuminate a feature wall. An existing mechanical shaft in the center of the room was turned into a mirrored jewel box for a vertical hydroponic wall. The educational kitchen and large storage closets were built below an existing fire stair to create an additional projection surface. The result is a modern building with hints of classic American farmhouse architecture.

Related Stories

Mixed-Use | Sep 28, 2021

BIG designs new Farfetch HQ on the slopes of Leça River in Porto

The project is situated within the larger Fuse Valley site.

Mixed-Use | Aug 19, 2021

COVID-conscious, pandemic-ready skyscraper breaks ground in Miami

The project will be part of Miami Worldcenter.

Mixed-Use | Aug 4, 2021

Diamond Schmitt to lead design for Therme Canada | Ontario Place redevelopment

The project will be a year-round waterfront destination.

Mixed-Use | Jul 16, 2021

SOM to lead the design of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Village

The project is part of the updated Porta Romana railway yard master plan.

Mixed-Use | Jun 30, 2021

Design details released about new development in Seattle’s vibrant Belltown district

Connecting the building, called Archetype, to the street, neighborhood, and bay is a key imperative.

Mixed-Use | Jun 21, 2021

Design team of Gensler and Manning selected to design The River District

The mixed-use neighborhood will be built along the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

Mixed-Use | Jun 17, 2021

London’s former Old War Office building set to become hotel and residences

The building had been closed to the public for over a century.

Mixed-Use | Jun 14, 2021

SB Architects and LandDesign unveil design for Rivana at Innovation Station

The development is located 25 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021