Quarantine With Green

Instructor | Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik

Pandemic is not an equalizer. It rather exploits vulnerable preconditions- be it physical, mental, spatial, economic, and urban. Pandemic created a large population of people who were required to quarantine and lockdown cities. Many people lost their jobs, and could no longer afford food to eat. Such food insecurities pervaded in the U.S. that one in five households are considered food insecure. This project proposes using greenhouses as a quarantine space and means of production. During quarantine, people stay during greenhouses where they can use their time and energy to produce some food for leisure, their own consumption, or their neighbors who are food insecure.

The chosen site is an abandoned church in Gary, Indiana. It is located at the heart of downtown. The city of Gary has preconditions: a shrinking city. The population has shrunk to half of its peak since the 1960s. The population decline means less revenue for the city while an increase in vacant and blighted properties, the maintenance cost of infrastructure, and public health costs. Within these vicious cycles of urban decline, the City Methodist Church still stands and is remembered as a place of the community although its architecture is ruined.

This project proposes to install greenhouses within the existing church envelope to provide quarantine spaces during the pandemic. People will quarantine alone but participate in a shared project of urban farming. Post pandemic, the shared memory of farming will become a foundation to establish an urban farming school where different stages of the plant life cycle will be arranged in relation to the cycles of human habitation. When the abandoned church is activated again, the project can be a turning point for the city of Gary to fight against the urban decline.

The chosen site is an abandoned church in Gary, Indiana. It is located at the heart of downtown. The city of Gary has preconditions: a shrinking city. The population has shrunk to half of its peak since the 1960s. The population decline led to reduce revenue for the city while an increase in vacant and blighted properties, the costs of infrastructure, maintenance, and public health. Within these vicious cycles of urban decline, the City Methodist Church stands in ruin, but remembered as a place of the community.

Genesis Convention Center

Parking Lot

21st Century Charter School of Gary City Methodist Church Gary Gary Housing Authority

Food Distribution Center

Gary Southshore Railcats

Gary City hall

City of Gary

Lake County, Indiana

Area: 148.28km2

Population: 80,294

State of Indiana

Those isolation units will change its spatial programs to support food production postCovid. Moreover, they will extend and reshape to support other serving purposes, such as laboratories and classrooms.

Pre-fabricated space frame allows the quick and easy construction of structure independent from the existing chruch structure. Greenhouses will be mounted on the frame.

1. Germination Room

Germination / Seeding (2-3 weeks)

Maximum Sunlight required (24 hours, 70-80% humidity, in relatively high temperature (22-28 celsius).

2. Budding Room

Roots and stems grow and require 12-18 hours of sun exposure every day, in diffused sunlight. Ideal temperature range between 20-24 celsius. Because the stage requires relatively dry and good air circulation, high tunnel greenhouse module is preferred.

3. Inflorescence Room

Inflorescence / Fertilization (6 weeks)

Reduce the sun exposure (less than 12 hours), Required relatively high temperature (28 celsius). Fertilization is necessary.

4. Shared Workspace

Temperate environment for the community to gather. Provide high sceiling and easy access.

5. Cafe Lounge

Semi-outdoor environment where seating and tables are provided.

6. Farmer’s Market

Those vegetables and plants grown in the greenhouses and nearby farms could be sold in the farmer’s market in the courtyard.