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 | Jan 8, 2016
Aedas’ Shanghai project named the world’s best mixed-use architecture
Mapletree Business City Shanghai and VivoCity Shanghai took home a crown at the International Property Awards
High-rise Construction | Jan 7, 2016
Zaha Hadid designs a tower of 'stacked vases' in Melbourne
The structure is supported by sets of curved columns that taper to four different base heights.
Mixed-Use | Dec 23, 2015
'Tree-covered mountains' planned for urban Shanghai
Heatherwick Studio unveiled a 300,000-sm mixed-use project in the Chinese city’s main arts district.
Mixed-Use | Nov 16, 2015
Italian architect designs vertical forest with prefab units by BuroHappold
Cantilevered planters will host cedar trees and other plants hundreds of feet above ground.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 7, 2015
BIG designs lush, terraced mixed-use building in Sweden
Cascading glass and wooden cubes create a form similar to Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway rock formation.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 1, 2015
Wiel Arets unveils twin, 558-foot mixed-use towers in Bahrain’s capital
The development, Bahrain Bay Tower, will consist of two residential towers connected “by a plinth of retail, office, parking, and public park space.”
Cultural Facilities | Sep 24, 2015
Bakpak Architects' 'pottery courtyard' concept in Poland incorporates local heritage
The multifunctional building proposed for Rzeszow, Poland, looks like it was handcrafted on a potter’s wheel.
Mixed-Use | Aug 26, 2015
Innovation districts + tech clusters: How the ‘open innovation’ era is revitalizing urban cores
In the race for highly coveted tech companies and startups, cities, institutions, and developers are teaming to form innovation hot pockets.
High-rise Construction | Aug 7, 2015
Tribute tower to cricket world champs will be Sri Lanka’s tallest
The 1996 Iconic Tower will be a tribute to the country’s cricket team, which won the World Cup in 1996.
High-rise Construction | Aug 4, 2015
Construction of Vietnam’s tallest building commences in Ho Chi Minh City
A 1,509-foot skyscraper broke ground on the banks of the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.