CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
Audrey Snyder M.Arch Terminal Studio Project June 2011
PEOPLE
FOOD
PLACE
Table of Contents Thesis
4
Context
6
Design
12
Seasonal Transformations
24
Systems
34
Process
40
THESIS
The conventional food system creates separations of people, place, and time in our communities. Consumers and producers are separated by long distances and long supply chains. Interactions between people along this supply chain, become transactional and generic, when compared with those along shorter, local supply chains. Also generic is the built environment of this food system, in which one shopping center looks the same as another 1,000 miles away, neither taking note of nor helping to create a sense of place or community. At a grocery store, one might have a sense of being nowhere or of being everywhere, but not often a sense of being “here”. The food comes from somewhere unknown, and is indistinguishable from what could be found at stores elsewhere. It is my view that supporting local food systems can help repair these separations. A deeper sense of community can be formed by creating a space that celebrates local foods, is owned by the community, and transforms over the seasons to connect its inhabitants to local time and place. This space is the Center for Local Foods and is located in Reno, NV. Seasonal Transformation A sense of place and time can come from year-in, year-out observation of seasonal transformation. Snow falling on a field can remind us of the snow storm that happened last year, or make us consider the scene’s contrast from the summer. In this way, a place becomes a continuous stream of changes that mark important events and lend a specificity to “here” as opposed to “there”. Architecture can promote a sense of place and time as nature does. Drawing from nature, I wish to create architecture that dramatically transforms season to season. The transformations should not only mark the season, but functionally serve to make the building harmonize with its climate, and the agricultural cycle. Program Local food systems benefit communities in many ways. Locally grown produce often has a lower carbon foot-print than produce that has been trucked across the country or around the globe. Studies
4
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
have shown that the local economic impact of a dollar spent at a local retailer selling local products is two to three times that of a dollar spent at a national chain. A healthy local food system also creates more personalized contact between consumers, producers, merchants, and restaurants. The local food movement is gaining tractions in cities and town across the country. Driven by desire for fresh produce, organic produce, more sustainable lifestyles, and by desire for closer connections with farmers, consumers are increasingly joining CSAs, attending farmers markets, and even planting their own gardens. Reno, NV is no exception to the wave of interest in local food. Several summer farmer’s markets have “cropped” up in Reno and in surrounding cities and towns. A few farms have ditched the commodity model, and are now growing many varieties of fruits and vegetables which they sell primarily locally rather than growing only one or two crops sold to large distributors. My proposal is to create a permanent public market to support these farmers. Local food is about more than just physical proximity. It’s also about the cuisine and ingredients tied to a particular place. In Northern Nevada, “local” cuisine could mean American, Basque, Mexican, Shoshone, and possibly even Italian food. h further strengthen the local food system, knowledge of these cuisines, and local ingredients can be spread through education in a local foods culinary school. Synergies could be created with area restaurants and casinos to train staff for their numerous restaurants. Through the culinary school, the local food center would not just be a place for buying and selling of local food, but a catalyst for further growth of the local food system. Further differentiating itself from the conventional food system, the Center for Local Foods will be owned, not by some far away corporation, but by the people who live there. The center will include housing for 50 families and 75 students that will own the center cooperatively
5 JUNE 2011
CONTEXT
AGRICULTURAL CONTEXT
WHAT
WHO
A wide variety of foods are produced locally including staples, any type of vegetable typically available in large grocery stores, dairy products, and meat.
The Reno area has an established local food system including dozens of farms farmer’s markets, CSA’s, educational programs, and various local food-based businesses.
8
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
WHEN
WHERE
The typical growing season in Northern Nevada is from early spring to early fall. Recently, though, many farmers are trying to increase productivity by extending the growing season through the use of “hoop houses�, temporary green houselike structures that allow land to be used for production year-round.
A large number of small farms are located within Washoe Valley near Reno, many specializing in organic produce. Many larger farms, producing both organic and conventional crops, are located in adjacent rural communities.
9 JUNE 2011
URBAN CONTEXT
Downtown Reno is a busy, mixed use neighborhood of casinos, homes, theaters, parks, restaurants, and office buildings. Over the past decade, the downtown riverfront has been transformed with an improved river walk and riverside park, making downtown not just a destination for tourists, but for Reno residents of all walks of life. The Center for Local Foods, located on this river walk, will build upon the momentum of the city’s riverfront efforts, and serve as a civic anchor connecting the riverfront with the newly created Freight House Redevelopment District to its north.
10
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
65,000 residents
12
casinos I-80
60
10,000s
of employees
Civic/Cultural/Recreational Commercial
Residential
BUSDepot Bus N STATIO
Office
HT FRIEG E HOUS T IC DISTR
TRAIN
S
TRACK
Bu
2ND STREET
EET
WELLS AVE.
RIVER T IC DISTR
IA STR
100s
of cultural events
Hotel/Casino
VIRGIN
s
ile
2m
1 mile
restaurants
11 JUNE 2011
DESIGN
CONNECT
Site Plan Driving the site plan was the desire to make strategic urban connections to the baseball field to the north, the casino district to the west and the pedestrial pathway along the river front. The massing of the building is built-up toward the north to take advantage of solar exposure 14
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
ENCLOSE
RESPOND
Parti Taking into consideration the desired urban connections, and the goal of creating an enclosure for the market, the building parti is a pinwheeling courtyard scheme. To facilitate 4-season use, the courtyard is covered in an arching retractable roof.
15 JUNE 2011
16
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
6
5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
4
3
7 1
2
9
8
Ground Level Plan
MARKET COOP GROCERY STORAGE/LOADING CAFE HOUSING ENTRY RETAIL RETAIL VISTOR’S CENTER KITCHEN RESTAURANT SCHOOL ENTRY CULINARY SCHOOL
3
9 9
0 10
50
100 ft
17 JUNE 2011
2nd Level Plan
3rd-6th Level Plan 18
0 20
100
200 ft
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
West Elevation
South Elevation 0 10
50
100 ft
19 JUNE 2011
East West Section 20
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
0 3
15
30 ft
21 JUNE 2011
CULINARY SCHOOL
Wall Section
22
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
The primary public space in the culinary school, a restaurant, is located along the Truckee River. The outdoor seating area is integrated with the river walk, and the double height dining area is overlooked by the school’s commons.
The Culinary School is organized around a central light-well spine that brings light to center of the deep floor plate, aids in natural ventilation, and directs circulation.
23 JUNE 2011
SEASONAL TRANSFORMATIONS
Over the course of the year, or even a day, the climate in Northern Nevada can swing from very hot to very cold, but is often quite pleasant. To accommodate extreme conditions, as well as allow for as much outdoor learning, shopping, and living as possible, the building transforms in various ways to permit or restrict air flow and sunlight.
RETRACTABLE FABRIC ROOF The most significant transformation in the Center For Local Foods, happens in the roof over the market. Large strips of the arching roof are covered in retractable fabric that can be closed in the winter, opened during temperate weather and left partially open in the hot summer to provide shade, but allow for air movement.
26
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
27 JUNE 2011
BI-FOLD SHADES AND PANELS Bi-fold shades on western facing windows and on balconies block afternoon sun, provide private outdoor space for residents , and create an activated facade that changes given the weather conditions.
28
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
29 JUNE 2011
INDOOR/OUTDOOR ROOMS Large sliding doors on the dorm tower and select housing units allow for indoor outdoor living, maximise natural ventilation, and promote community oriented spaces.
30
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
31 JUNE 2011
HINGING ENTRY WALL Swinging panels in the entry door walls allow free sight and movement when open, and close to offer security at night and enclosure during the coldest months and days of the year.
32
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
33 JUNE 2011
SYSTEMS
HVAC & WATER CHILLERS SUPPLIED WITH WATER FROM GREY WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM CHILLERS SUPPLIED WITH WATER FROM GREY WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM
SOLAR COLLECTORS PROVIDE DOMESTIC HOT WATER SOLAR COLLECTORS PROVIDE DOMESTIC HOT WATER
HEAT PUMPS WITHIN UNTS HEAT PUMPS WITHIN UNTS
36
BYPASS VALVE AND CONTROLS MINIMIZE USE OF BOILER AND CHILLER BY MOVING BYPASS VALVE AND ENERGY BETWEEN CONTROLS MINIMIZE OVERHEATED AND USE OF BOILER AND UNDERHEATED ZONES CHILLER BY MOVING ENERGY BETWEEN OVERHEATED AND UNDERHEATED ZONES
RAIN AND SNOWMELT IS COLLECTED FOR USE IN IRRIGATION AND COOLING GREY WATER FILTERED FOR USE IN IRRIGATION AND COOLING GREY WATER FILTERED FOR USE IN IRRIGATION AND COOLING
RAIN AND SNOWMELT IS COLLECTED FOR USE IN IRRIGATION AND COOLING
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
WINDOW SCOOP DIRECTS AIR DOWN LIGHT-WELL TO VENTILATE KITCHENS
HEAT RECOVERY AT STOVE HOODS AND OTHER EQUPMENT PREHEATS BOILER WATER
37 JUNE 2011
ENERGY
38
To understand the effects of different conservations measures on energy use, the building was modeled and analyzed using Autodesk Labs Vasari. The results show that by using various widely available technologies that energy use could be reduced by 50%.
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
STRUCTURE
39 JUNE 2011
PROCESS
MASSING STUDIES
42
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
43 JUNE 2011
MARKET ROOF STUDIES
44
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
45 JUNE 2011
TRANSFORMATION STUDIES
46
CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS
47 JUNE 2011
Audrey Snyder e: audreysnyder@gmail.com p: (775) 287-2563 w: audreysnyder.squarespace.com