Prep Book Dec. Final

8/3/2019 Prep Book Dec. Final

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C O N T E N T S Contents

0.0 CONTENTS

1.0 THESIS STATEMENT

2.0 GLOSSARY

3.0 RESEARCH

4.0 PROGRAM

5.0 SITE

6.0 PRELIMINARY PARTI STUD

8.0 PRECEDENTS

9.0 REFERENCES


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today, our

are MOVING in

FOOD CULTURES

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS


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Food cultures in America are moving in oppositedirections. On the one hand our accessibility tofood has reached utter globalization - there isno product that cant be shipped to our door.

At the same time, masses of people are onceagain growing, cooking, and consuming foodlocally. Call it a new agrarian movement, fueledby people who want to eat food from placesnearby, slurping it down with it a side of history,arts and ethics.

I contend that what these new agrarians needis a toolkit , an architectural approach toreconnecting food and culture, which will allowthem to knit together a food system that isenlightened, joyful, and economically viable.In the process they might create a new rural

architectural typology that will allow this typeof food system to compete in a globalizedmarketplace, by allowing farmers to personalizeproducts, infusing them with a culture of art,design, and lifestyle that cant be reproducedby industrial systems.

My contention argues for an infrastructuraltoolkit that increases the farmers culturalconnectivity and nancial viability - one thatsituates itself in between the ancient needto be grounded in place by the physical actof growing food, and the contemporary need to be mobile and agile in order toreach customers and avoid the risk ofirrelevance.

I will explore this position through the designof the toolkit itself and its home base: a re-purposed poultry farm in Belfast, Maine.

The home facility will take over the existingagricultural structures for all on-farmprocesses, providing space for production,preparation, packaging, and storage. Theprimary architectural product of this Thesisis the toolkit- a rolling kitchen/stage/retail/ educational workshop that connects peoplewith food culture by facilitating participatoryevents, the processing and sales of products,and information exchange.

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T H E S I S S T A T E M E N T

STATIONARY SPACE

C U L T U R E

A G

R I

THESISCONTENTION


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G L O S S A R Y

culturecultural | adjective (oxford)1 of or relating to the ideas, customs, and so-cial behavior of a society : the cultural diversity of the worlds peoples.2 of or relating to the arts and to intellectualachievements : a cultural festival.

+ The collected decisions, practices, arts, and language of groups and individuals, shaped by time, tradition, community and place.cultivate. grow. raise.

vernacularvernacular | noun (oxford)1 (usu. the vernacular) the language or dialectspoken by the ordinary people in a particularcountry or region2 [with adj. ] the terminology used by peoplebelonging to a speci ed group or engaging ina specialized activity: gardening vernacular.3 architecture concerned with domestic andfunctional rather than monumental buildings

+ everyday ordinary language approach native design nonprofessional folk informal local popular plebeian

mobility

mobility | noun1 the ability to move or be moved freely andeasily : this exercise helps retain mobility in thedamaged joints.2 the ability to move between different levels insociety or employment : industrialization wouldopen up increasing chances of social mobility.

+ state of motion ability moving freedomfreely easily place agility exibility ambulatory

uid migratory liquid motile nomadic portable roving wandering

sustainability sustainable | adjective (oxford)1 able to be maintained at a certain rate orlevel (development, exploitation, or agriculture)conserving an ecological balance by avoidingdepletion of natural resources. (oxford)2 a : of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that theresource is not depleted or permanentlydamaged, i.e. techniques, agriculture. b : of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods i.e. society.

Sustainability | noun (wikipedia)3 The capacity to endure. For humans, sus-tainability is the long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which has environmental, economic,and social dimensions, and encompassesthe concept of stewardship, the responsiblemanagement of resource use.

+ workable livable maintainablesupportable adaptable

stewardshipstew-ard | noun (webster)1 a person employed to manage anothersproperty.2 a person whose responsibility it is to takecare of something : farmers pride themselves

on being stewards of the countryside.

stew-ard-ship | noun (Wikipedia)2 an ethic that embodies responsible planningand management of resources. The conceptof stewardship has been applied in diverserealms, including with respect to environment,economics, health, property, information,and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability.

community com-mu-ni-ty | noun (oxford)1 a group of people living together in oneplace, esp. one practicing common ownership all the people living in a particular area orplace : local communities. a particular area or place considered to -gether with its inhabitants : a rural community. the people of a district or country consid -ered collectively, esp. in the context of socialvalues and responsibilities; society denoting a worker or resource designed toserve the people of a particular area : commu-nity food services.2 a group of people having a religion, race,profession, or other particular characteristic incommon3 a feeling of fellowship with others, as a resultof sharing common attitudes, interests, andgoals a similarity or identity : chefs who shared acommunity of interests. joint ownership or liability : a commitment tothe community of goods.

+ association, center, commonality, collec-tive, inhabitants, zone, locale, commonwealth,

neighborhood, people, public, residents, terri-tory, turf, citizenry

adaptability adaptable | adjective (oxford)1 able to adjust to new conditions2 able to be modi ed for a new use or pur -pose : a workforce with adaptable skills.

+ ability to changet the circumstances

suitable t versatile plastic pliant malleable modi able adjustable alterable

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Key Words


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G L O S S A R Y

New Agrarians This entire thesis project aims to support thenew agrarianism movement - a movement thatis not easily de ned by one body of thought.

According to Wendell Berry, It is not so much a philosophy as a practice, an attitude, a loyalty and a passion all based in close connectionwith the land. It results in a sound local economy

in which producers and consumers are neighbors and in which nature herself becomesthe standard for work and production. 1

To essayist Dave Walbert, a new agrarian issomeone who believes that there is and must

be a future for rural places as rural places and as a fully integrated part of the 21st-century world. A future, that is, in which rural places

neither wither away nor become so urbanized that they lose their rural characteryet onethat is truly a future, not a hidebound extensionof the past for its own sake. 2

According to Courtney Whiten of the QuiviraCoalition, the New Agrarians are a force:Across the nation, a new agrarian movement,centered on food and land health, is growing

into a dynamic force. Led by youth (includingthe young-at-heart) and their mentors, this

burgeoning movement is tackling some of

the most daunting challenges of our time:food security, land restoration, conservation,climate adaptation, and sustainable prosperity.In the process, they are overturning traditional

paradigms of conservation and agriculture .3

To Eric Fryfogle, Agrarianism, broadly conceived, reaches beyond food production

and rural living to include a wide constellationof ideas, loyalties, sentiments, and hopes. It is

a temperament and a moral orientation as well as a suite of economic practices, all arising out of the insistent truth that people everywhere are

part of the land community, just as dependent as other life on the lands fertility and just asshaped by its mysteries and possibilities.4

According to emeritus professor of agricultureand economics John Ikerd, the prime motivesof the new agrarians are to counter the effec ts of industrialized capitalism: resource entropy andsocial entropy. From his perspective, the only way to counter resource entropy is to return

agriculture to a reliance on the sun, not on fossil fuels and other extracted minerals. The only way to counter social entropy is to use culture

and law to protect families, neighborhoods, and communities from intrusion by the one-sided incentives of globalizing capitalism. 5

My interpretation is a hybrid of them all: New Agrarians and the New Agrarian movementrepresent a growing body of like-mindedpeople who believe in the cultivation of ruralspaces and communities as a healthy way of living, and as an important counter balanceto the growing trends towards globalizingcapitalism.

Contemporary / Progressive FarmersContemporary farmers, or progressive farmers,as a whole, are a crucial part of the newagrarian movement. They are the current cropof innovative growers who are distinguished bytheir ability to see the growing of food as partof a larger system which includes processing,selling, transporting, storing, eating, sharing,preparing, and disposing. Contemporaryfarming is often associated with small farms,organic farms, and young farmers, who arelearning from a very small cadre of older farmerswho began after WW2; and today they aredriving American farming to be more than justabout chemical-free and/or ef cient methodsof food production to re-locate/re-identify/re-associate food and culture on a broader scale.

Small Farm The United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) de nes a small farm as a farm with lessthan $50,000 in total farm sales. Accordingto their 2010 report on local food systems,it is these small farms that produce most of the products associated with the local foodmovement, particularly those located in theNortheast and West Coast. (Medium farms arede ned as having total farm sales of $50,000to $499,000, and large farms selling more than$500,000 in total sales annually). For this thesisargument, I focus on the small farm in orderto develop an architectural product to aid in itseconomic strength and viability.

Mobile Commercial Kitchen A space used to process and prepare foodsfor legal public sale and consumption.Commercial Kitchens must adhere to strictregulatory regime, administered by the USFDA and the State Health Departments. Accessto commercial kitchens is important becauseit allows small farmers to add value to theircrops, and compete with large-scale industrialfarms by adding value to their crops whichcan be sold at retail as opposed to wholesalecommodity prices.

A mobile commercial kitchen is any commercial

kitchen that is free to move where it is neededmost or can function the best. Extremely usefulfor small farms to rent for short periods of time, who dont have the money to invest in acommercial kitchen of their own.

Local Food Movement A collection of individuals, organizations,communities, and policy apparatuses looselyaf liated in sharing a goal of increasing andstrengthening the ties between eaters and theirplace, often synonymous with small farms.collaborative effort to build more locally based,

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Phrases

1. McFadden, Steven. Introduction. The Call of the Land: an Agrarian Primer for the 21st Century.Nashville, IN: NorLightsPress, 2011. 33. Print.

2. Walbert, David. Whats a New Agrarian? TheNew Agrarian. 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. .

3. White, Courtney. Quivira Coalition: 10th An- niversary Conference. Quivira Coalition. Web. 10Oct. 2011. .

4. Freyfogle, Eric T. The New Agrarianism: Land,Culture, and the Community of Life. Washington,DC: Island, 2001. Print.

5. Carlson, Allan C. Agrarianism Reborn: On theCurious Return of the Small Family Farm. Intercolle-

giate Review 43:1 (2008). First Principles Journal. 03Feb. 2009. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. .


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agro-capitalismWe are slowly waking up from our long belief that large-scale, factory farms are a viablesolution for providing for us all the sustenancewe need. Since the early 1800s, industryand progress have completely reshaped ourfarming landscapes and practices, and untilrecently, we have been largely unaware of the negative implications of these increasinglyhuge, monopolizing industries. Over the pastfew years, countless media releases such asFood Inc, the Omnivores Delimma, and KingCorn have been exposing this unhealthy foodculture that weve found ourselves in, whichhas kick-started a growing culture of informedconsumers. Now, people are realizing that bypurchasing that particular chicken breast, thatcorn, and those potatoes for tomorrow nightsdinner, they are supporting negative agricultural

practices, environmental degradation, GMOs,deadly pesticide use, unfair labor, and majorissues of food justice.

And so, America is undergoing a renaissance inits understanding of food, culture, landscape,and commerce. A new generation of informedfarmers and eaters, otherwise known as theNew Agrarians, are driving a shift towardswidespread public support of local, sustainablefood systems.

local food movementand the rise of thesmall farm

These new agrarians represent a growing

movement of progressive small farmers, who,with their customers, are building an alternativeto bland foods from everywhere, availablealways. Where grocery stores pitch processed,industrialized commodity food-like productsfrom nowhere, these new agrarians serve upwhole, healthy foods, which come from peoplewith faces, places and real stories. Pe ople youcan meet and talk with, who are more than acog in an enormous global machine. It is thisnew generation of farmers and eaters whoare not just farmers and not just consumers.People are becoming co-producers of thefood itself and other things too. Storytellers.Knitters. Musicians. Dancers. These peopleare liberating food from its Cartesian, industrialsilos and reinventing the dense web of social

connections and practices that once wasfood. In short these new agrarians seek tore-connect culture and agriculture, and in turnremake the food system into one that is infusedwith meaning and justice.

JOEL SALATIN Author of

Everything I Want toDo is Illegal

A farm in in teres t of i ty in thefarm - - i tsupply ing

l iv ing org phi losophvi ta l i ty oufarmer i s t rac t the b

SEVERINE VONTSCHARNER FLEMMINGDirector of the Greenhorns.

Bioneers, 2011The moveski l l s thaf rom bicyects to c re

inc luded i locovores ,

KATE HOMELSpirit of the Young Farmer

{Bioneers}. October 14

This movefrus t ra t iont ion , but change th

ac t ion , i sthe [Amer


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standing out in acrowded marketplaceWith omnipresent agri-industrial products,small farmers need to set themselves apartin a marketplace. Although small farms andfactory farms may both be selling a tomato, thepurchase of one my support unfair labor andexcessive pesticide use, while the other maysupport a living wage and a positive story.

I will be exploring the use of entrepreneurialventures as a marketing tool. By using art,design & architecture along with music,

exhibition, and performance, farmers havethe oportunity to reveal the story of food in animaginative way. Value added products canbecome unique specialty items, resulting in thesale of something that you simply cannot getanywhere else.

telling the story of foodIdeally, in our information age, consumers areable to make informed decisions about whatproducts they buy, which, most commonly,is one that stands out and affects them atsome level. It is important that the architecturereinforces a program that capitalizes on theconnection between consumer and product,giving the product speci c value that is uniqueto the vendor and that speaks to the consumer.

Take Jones soda for example. The back of t heirlabel reads:

You gotta make a living somehow: wechose the beverage world. Good old sodawith a twist. No hidden meanings, no billiondollar ad campaigns. At Jones, we want youto buy a lot of soda and recycle the bottles.

The labels are kinda like our minds -- alwayschanging. Run with the little guy... createsome change. www.jonessoda.com

Their campeign is simple. No games - justsoda. Furthermore, by allowing people to sendin black-and-white photos, Jones invites thepublic to participate in the art of the package.

The image is almost always different. Here,those who drink Jones help to shape theidentity of the brand.

This project will explore what it means to marketnot only a product, but an idea of a lifestyle a ndthe story of food by integrating that story intothe architectural design at multiple scales. Thisway, the entire project can become an enginefor information, so that each architecturalpiece is designed to reinforce a message. Itis important to look at each designed elementas a way reinforce the brand, all the way fromthe treatment of the existing buildings on siteto the packaging of even the smallest product,and even to the design of speci c program andevents.

4.. Photographer: Kelsie Crawford Location: Battle Creek, MIDate Submitted: November 9, 2007 Category: People - groups

http://www.jonessoda.com/gallery/index.php

3. Photographer: Matthew LeonffuLocation: Westminster, CADate Submitted: July 13, 2008Category: People - groups


2. Photographer: eric utak Location: cheektowaga, NY Date Submitted: May 11, 2008Category: Music


1. Jones soda even offers label customization for special events, and lets you choose the avors.Prime example of a specialty item. http://quintain -

marketing.com/customize-the-soda-bottles-at-your- next-event/

2 3 4

1

The architecture, program, and products allneed to embody the spirit of the project in orderto become a uni ed marketing engine. Rice toRiches is a gourmet rice pudding restaurantand store in Nolita, New York. Everything fromsignage, food containers, and facade assumesthe oblong shape of a grain of rice. Throughgraphic, product, and architectural design,they have found a way to playfully markettheir product - something as simple as rice -from head to toe. Deliberate consideration isgiven to each and every element, and all seek to explain the primary why? of the project.Design considerations such as this have theability create fodder for this new agrarianmovement by exploring ways in which eachpiece contributes to the information andmarketing vehicle as a whole.

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mobility/agility The contemporary need for mobility affects thethesis project spatially, programmatically, andas part of the planning/development processfor marketing products.

physical mobility: Agriculture, at the very core of human existance,was developed over 10,000 years ago. Of all the human activities, there is no practicethat is more grounded in place than the actof farming. So, how can farming practices

thrive in a contemporary environment that isso fast-paced that an architecture that doesnot embrace the idea of mobility, or at leastadaptability, runs the risk of irrelevance? Weare in an age where the idea of permanency isno longer wed to architecture. Modern life andmobility dine at the same table.

We are surrounded by modern nomads. Now,more than ever, we are able to stay in theultimate place of choice.

InentoenberuWtoco

MOBILITY(nomads)NECESSITY

STATIONARY(agruculture)

PROGRESS(industrial rev,

cultural advancement)

EXTREM(physically, techCHOICE

1


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programmatic mobility: The beauty of mobile architecture is that thearchitect is invited to take on the role of eventplanner. When collaboration, marketing, sub-event and advertising efforts all come togetherin order to pique the public interest, the resultis a fully planned event, realized througharchitectural means.

The project seeks to employ a design that canopen and close speci c elements for speci cuses depending on the time of day and functionrequired - to construct and deconstruct spaceas needed. When packed up, these elementsmay overlap and tuck into one another, in orderto be easily transported or to make roomfor other programmatic space. In this way,the design as a tool-kit is like a swiss armyknife2 - a collection of smaller tools that can beeither present or hidden, which can complete amultitude of tasks.

The design of a multi-purpose space callsfor an architecture that is not tied to xedcon gurations and pre-determined locations- an architecture that allows for change, builtwith ux in mind.

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+ everything is packaged for travel+ fragile items are safe+ size compacts | easily transportable

+ penetrable+ inviting | interactive+ educational | informative

1


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now, more than ever, we feel ADVENTUROUS. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . we have the abi l i ty to

in the ULTIMATE P

These shing villages only exist for a fewmonths in the wintertime. A culture that hasstemmed from need ( sh=sustinance), thetemporary village celebrates a culture of itsown with yearly festivities. And after the icemelts, the village can no longer exists in thesame capacity until the following year.

From 1986-1995, architect Eduard Bohtlingk developed the design prototype for a road-ready, mobile holiday home. What resultedresult is not an ordinary caravan, even thoughit can be easily and legally towed accordingto B-road requirements. However, when itarrives at a destination, the walls can folddown, increaseing the interior space three-fold in a matter of seconds. The space insidehas a exible layout, and houses all of theessentials for living: storage, benches, up tofour beds, a fridge, stove, and sink, and even ashower and toilet. In 1996 it was awarded thePublics Choice Dutch Design Prize, and since2002, has become a part of the traveling Vitraexhibition, Living in Motion.

King Corn lmmakers Ian Cheney and CurtEllis have developed a creative way to relieveagriculture from its earthly bonds. Albeit ona small scale, they are able to provide freshfood for a 20-member CSA. Food is deliveredfresh to the subscribers door via the mobilefarm itself. Using green-roof technology,lightweight soil and heirloom seeds ... theyplanted between the wheel wells with arugulaand tomatoes, parked the truck on a Brooklynstreet, and waited for sun and rain t o work theircharms. When the rst sprouts came up, Truck Farm was born. 3 Now, more than a dozentruck farms have sprouted up around thecountry, adding to the growing eet of mobilefood vendors and farmers in America.

Bacuarouclmuppe

TRUCK FARM The MA RKI ES, NETHERLAN DS BICE FISHING VILLAGES

2. Image Credit: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/ travel-outdoors/its-a-truck-its-a-farm-and-now-its-

going-to-be-a-movie.html

3. www.truck-farm.com

1. Image Credit: http://celebrratecanada.wordpress.com/category/snow/page/2/

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encouraginginformation exchange

/ feedback loopsCritical to the agility and pro tability of the smallfarmer as producer is the use of feedback loops for information exchange with theconsumers. Most farmers depend on theirrecords for information needed to completethe supply for the consumers demand. Thissupply and demand process functions on theprinciple that consumers vote with their dollar.

But in this system, consumers are only able tovote for what is already on the market. Builtinto the program of my contention is the outletfor the public to voice demands that might notyet be on the market.

The mobile unit acts as a tool for gatheringinformation about the customers and marketingenvironment, and brings this information back to the base of operations. Outlets for t he publicto provide feedback should be integrated intothe architecture, products and processeswherever possible.

But what exactly does this information exchangelook like? How does it work? The best way togive and receive information depends on the

context, and may include a combination of analog and digital tools. Some methods thatencourage the the public to provide feedback might include nancial discount at the mobilemarket to those who complete a survey, orother creative incentives to those who helpto develop a product or idea. In this way,the public takes on the role of co-developer,instead of just the receiver of products.

participatory cultureof food / publicengagementBy giving the public a behind the scenes and,whenever possible, participatory view of theprocesses of small farms and food production,we are able to use natural curiosity to engagethe public by revealing the know-how of foodoperations. By lifting the veil and inviting thepublic eye, otherwise mundane farm and foodoperations become interesting and informative

when exposed in public.

This project will explore how best to spark thecuriosity and interest of the public by playingwith spaces of conceal and reveal. In this way,even the passerby gets a behind-the-scenesglimpse into the story of the food. Architecturecan facilitate public engagement on a range of levels - from the sneak peak for the passerbyto the larger public events, such as cookingworkshops, harvest/planting festivals, andcommunity dances which wed the publicto the culture of food on small farms. In thismanner, we are telling the story of the farm andthe food, spreading information, encouraging aparticipatory culture of food, while inviting thecommunity to become an integral part of this

story.

This reveal of behind the scenes processescan be a powerful tool. Polobolus, a popularmodern dance company, has recentlydeveloped an entirely new classi cation of dance that incorporates this idea of conceal andreveal. The dance, shadowland, uses a seriesof ood lights and screens to create complexshadows with the dancers bodies, resulting in

a dance production made up of beautiful andimaginative shapes and movements that tella narrative. For the audience, the thrill is thediscovery of how the shapes are made; themost popular seats are the ones that allow aview behind the scenes, and the aud ience is letin on the creative secret.


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rural food cultures/ provisioninglandscapesBelfast, ME

The chosen agricultural site for the project is a50 acre parcel located just outside the suburbsof Belfast, ME; 1.5 miles from the centerof town. The site was chosen for multiplereasons, including the proximity to an urbancenter in the middle of Waldo County, one of the most agriculturally progressive counties in

New England.

Within 25 miles there is a wealth of progressivesmall farmers, eaters, artists, and thinkerswho have been attracted to the area since the1960s because of its beauty, distance frommetropolitan centers, and its strong supportnetwork for land-based lifestyles.

This community centers around Belfast andnearby Unity, Maine, home of the Maine OrganicFarmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA),which for 40 years has been supporting andpromoting people who are immersed in blendingtraditional and modern, non-industrial methodsof food production and consumption. MOFGA hosts The Common Ground Fair 1, which

welcomes over 40,000 people to the county tocelebrate rural living each September. This hasbecome a major market for local farmers, andan annual community-wide celebration of new-agrarianism.

Belfast is home to the Belfast Co-op, onethe oldest community-owned natural foodstores in the country. It is a reliable customerof local farms, and serves as a nexus for theco-producers in the county, balancing the

rural setting of MOFGAs headquarters. TheCo-op has been a magnet that has broughtprogressive, food-minded people to thecommunity, and a healthy community of local-food inspired restaurants have sprung uparound it.

These institutions are invaluable resources fornew and old farmers alike, as both customersand promoters of a food system that is re-localizing quickly. The result is an area with anabundance of fresh, delicious food, grown fa irlyand joyfully.

Historical Signi cance As most small New-England towns did,Belfast thrived as an agricultural communityafter it was settled in the 1770s. The 1850smarked a transition to shipbuilding 2, and thecity produced hundreds of schooners out of lumber that was shipped down the PenobscottRiver from the Maine woods. In the early1900s, shipbuilding was phased out to makeway for new industry.

With the invention of the refrigerator camethe booming seafood industry, and the localeconomy quickly shifted to harvesting lobster,sardines, and a few saltwater sh packageand ship down to Massachusetts and New

York markets. After seafood came the shoemanufacturing industry, and after the 1950scame a huge shift towards the poultry industry.Belfast then adopted the title Broiler Capital of the World and large scale processors helped

drive the local economy for the next 20 years.Every year in July, thousands ocked to the cityto feast on barbecued chicken on Broiler Day.When the recession rolled around, the chickenindustry collapsed.

Before the recession hit, however, the town

of Belfast re-routed its main artery (Route 1)around the entire city in order to cross over anew bridge. When the recession came around,the ourishing city took a huge hit, and manyblamed it on the re-routing of the road. Ittook a long time for Belfast to bounce back,but nally in the 1980s, a rebirth began whenartists, students, and farmers started to moveback into the area. In hindsight, the re-routingof Route 1 helped to preserve the citys specialqualities, and today the city ourishes with avibrant artistic and agrarian community.

Local Traditions / Implications Although the identity of Belfast shifted focusseveral times, it always maintained a culture of craftsmanship, boat building, and agriculture.

Many times, boat builders would also buildhouses, and there is a particular attention todetail and ef cient use of space in the citysarchitecture.

The tradition of contra dancing3, or folk dancing, is commonplace in agricultural New-England cultures. Today, particularly in Belfast,there has been a re-birth of this tradition, andthe young and young at heart ock from allover the state to participate. Historically, these

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1. 2010 Common Ground poster. Artwork by JohnBunker.


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FroNew

recen busi

Organic Farms

Total FarmsTotal farms:2.2 million

1 dot - 200 farms

vs.

70101

Certi ed organic farms,by zip code: 10,159

Belf

Pockets of IncreasedOrganic Production

There is a signi cant difference between thetwo maps, especially when you zoom in toNew England.

Areas in the Northeast and Northwest havemany small organic farms that sell producedirectly to consumers. Large organic farms,which some critics call agribusiness, have

ourished in California. The largest organicmarkets by far are for vegetables, fruit and

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BELFAST, maine

Coordinates: 4425-33-N 690-42-W

Country UNITED STATESState MAINE

County WALDO

Incorporated (town) June 29, 1773Incorporated (city) 1853

AREA Total 38.4 sq mi (99.3 km2) Land 34.0 sq mi (88.2 km2) Water 4.3 sq mi (11.2 km2)

Elevation 85 ft (26 m)Population (2010) : Total 6,668

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environment

Passagassawakeag River 16-mile river // runs South and East to its estuary in Belfast Bay

Projected si tetwo hillside elds (SW and NE facing slopes), dense woods on steep slopes on West. Existing Buildings

along main road

Belfast Co-Housing and Ecovil lageFuture home of 36 co-housing units with shared elds, forests, and amenities.

Public Landing MarinaProvides fuel, moorings, slips, amenities & services

FootbridgeConnects the active downtown center with the less-pedestrian-friendly North Shore.

Belfast Reserviors & Hiking Trai lsNetwork of trails along resivoir Number One and Number Two, from the ocean to the Ecovillage Site and

beyond.

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contour lines at 10 ft. intervals

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zones

Downtown Bel fas tWhere art galleries and studios abound, as well as a polethora of stores, eateries, and bars.

Front St . Shipyard(currently under construction, in the place of the old sardine/seafood processing facility)

Business Park Only two food producers: Ducktrap River (salmon) and Maine Maratime Products (whole-

sale seafood distributio)

Commercial Sprawleasily accessable off of ft. 1 exit ramps; Belfasts only avor of anywhere USA.

Waterfront ParksBelfast Common and Herritage Park are both feature generous lawns sloping towards the water.

Belfas t Co-opCommunity owned market and deli/cafe: Social center of the town. Only co-op in the area, providing a

market space for larger local farms in Central Maine

Waldo County YMCA Extremely active, community gardens on site.

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C H

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R E S E A R

C H

industrial

civic

commercial


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transportation

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroadweekend excursions and rail-bikes - long term plans for bike trail along tracks

B&ML Upper Bridge Stat ion Temporary parking and loading area for B&ML., and for rail bike excursions

Projected si tesituated inbetween secondary road to west and tertiary road, railroad, and waterfront access to east

Regional RoadsEast: Augusta // North: Monroe, Bangor // West: Searsport, Ellsworth // South: Campden, Portland

Rt. 1 BypassRt. 1 bypasses the downtown area and divides urban from rural

Public Landing MarinaProvides fuel, moorings, slips, amenities & services

Belfast Municipal Airport Average 27 aircraft operations per day // 60% local general, 20% transient general, 20% air taxi

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C H

railroad

urban center

suburban


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client The program of the thesis focuses on thedesign development for a small entrepreneurialfarming business on a re-purposed agriculturalsite in Belfast, Maine. However, as a toolkit forencouraging a movement, my clients, in a broadsense, are the farmers that take a stand against thecorporate controlled foodscapes that are currentlythe predominant food production system. I hopeto develop the mobile piece of the contention asa prototype that can be adapted to a number of situations and locations.

IF IT DOESNT EXIST,INVENT IT

LET THE PIGHAVE HIS PIGNESSYOU ARE YOUR OWNFOOD CULTURE

Joel SalatinSelf-described Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-lunatic-Farmer, Joel Salatinhas developed an intensiverotational grazing system

that keeps animals on freshpasture. His systems areenvironmentally sound,ethical, and pro tableand have inspired anentire generation who aresearching for a better wayto farm. Joel is intenselylocal- if someone asks himto ship food to them, hellrefuse and ask them to nda local farmer.

Eliot ColemanEliot Coleman, author,inventor, farmer and deve loper,is probably one of the mostpro table small farmers inthe country today. He is

constantly inventing new toolsand developing better farmingmethods, aimed at increasingthe ef ciency and pro tabilityof the farm. Although he livesin a remote part of Maine, Eliotstill manages to be everywhere- in the informed decisionsof the farm manager and inthe inspiration behind thedevelopment of a new dibbler.

Wendell Berry The grandfather of the newagrarian movement, Wendell Berryhas penned dozens of non ction,

ction, poetry books and articleswhich take as core themes

rural life, traditional farming andcommunities, the pleasures of good food and connection toplace. His perspective rejectsindustrialized food and life, andembraces values like deltiy,frugality and peace. Berry farmsin the Ohio river valley on theKentucky side and his perspectiveon the world is born from his placebut is relevant to almost everyonein todays world.

the new faces of food This project has the potential to join several keyplayers who are leading the way in the local foodmovement:

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with implications in:makers traditionintimate knowledge of materialsdeep connection with ecologyself-reliance of using your own productsbeauty of natural patterns/grain as decorationregenerative material that sequesters carbon/

regulates temperature/captures runoff/buildshabitat/etc.

ASSEMBLY/DISASSEMBLY OF S PACE

REMOVABLE NODE IS ABLE TO SLIDE IN & OUT (when node is present, structure is stronger and ableto take on more programmatic/structural load)

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE

Joinery In this thesis project, joinery serves as both aphysical mechanism for creating space and asa metaphorical idea of the joining of otherwiseseparate elements. It is the idea of theintersection - the intersection between culture+ agriculture, mobility + locality, rural + urban,construction + deconstruction of space - thatacts as the Modus Operandi of the project.

This joinery re ects and supports the ultimate joinery I seek to encourage- that of community-through my architecture. Community is in factthe joinery of separate individuals into a coherentwhole, and by highlighting the physical act of

joinery in my project I hope to encourage this joinery of individuals into a mutually supportiveand well-functioning whole.

personal agendaSustainability. It is my belief that sustainable architecture isa relationship in which the built environment,natural environment, and the culturalenvironment all bene t from one another, withsolutions that teach lessons of ec ology, culture,and economics. It is imperative to me thatthis belief is infused into my work as much aspossible. Community Involvement/ Handcrafted Architecture

At this point in my architectural education, Ihave a deep interest in architectural programand processes that serve and strengthencommunities. More and more, we learn,communicate, produce, and build throughindustrial devices. I believe that architecturethat supports local knowledge and materialsby using a hands-on approach and increasedpublic involvement is equally important totechnical and globalized progress, and can ful lland regenerate a community in a qualitativeway that the industrialization and prefabricationof architecture cannot do. At the heart of mypersonal agenda and this thesis is the desire toexplore a ground up, participatory architecturethat balances out the increasing tendency fortop-down, industrial design solutions. Many

of the projects I am interested in call for aparadigm sift, where solutions cannot be foundon a shelf.

Post-Thesis GoalsIt is important that this thesis project maintainsa level of practicality and buildability, as I intendto complete the construction of the mobile unitas a prototype after design completion in thespring.

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P R O G R A M

program The proposed program addresses theneeds of the client - a start-up business as a

contemporary small farm that will be operatingon-site. As a crucial part of the new agrarianmovement, these farmers are increasing theamount of tasks they address in-house, all theway from the stewardship of the land to theprocessing/packaging/storing of the product,and eventually the sale - all with the aim of telling a narrative and enforcing an idea alongthe way.

My client will see the production of food all theway from start to nish - t he complete loopfrom growth to sale of a product, while givingand receiving information whenever possible inorder to encourage the new agrarian movementand to re-locate/re-identify/re-associate foodand culture on a broader scale.

It is very exciting to be able to develop abusiness proposal in conjunction with thedesign proposal - both have the ability to informone another and make the project stronger asa whole. From this point on, the farm refersto the program within the site; the farmerrefers to the client running the business, andthe mobile unit refers to the rolling market/ event/kitchen space.

What: An on-farm processing facility with adetachable mobile component that housesan integrated commercial kitchen, retail andperformance space.

How it Works: Allows farmers to go to markets,give and get information from the community(feedback loop), create value added products,host concerts and cultural events, display andmarket products and story/movement, hostworkshops and hands-on experiences.

PROGRAMFUNCTION

CLIENT

SITE

AGENDA

M O B I L

E K I T C

H E N

E X H I B I T

I O N S P A

C E

P E R F O

R M A N

C E S P A

C E

G R E E N

H O U S

E

P E R E

N N I A L

C R O P

S : p e r

m a n e n

t

A N N U

A L C R

O P S :

f l e x i b l e

W O R K

S H O P

S P A C

E

S T A T I O

N A R Y

K I T C H

E N

F L E X I B

L E F U

R N I T U

R E

P R O C

E S S I N

G S P A

C E

P A C K A

G I N G S

P A C E

E A T E R

Y M A

R K E T

S P A C

E

S T O R A

G E ( f o o

d a n d

o t h e r )

O F F I C

E S

G U E S

T A C C

O M M O

D A T I O

N S

Who: Progressive Small Farmers and the New Agrarian Movement

Where: Based in Belfast, ME, with the abilityto extend the realm of in uence with the mobilecomponent.

Why: Re-connect culture and agriculture, helpsmall farms become successful, to tell the storyof food, to create and share a joyful & healthylife. to encourage a participatory culture of food. In essence, to aid in the rise of the newagrarian movement.

Tharofan

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STEWARD

CULTIVATE

PROCESS

MARKET

INFORM

CULTIVATE

HARVEST

MAKE/PROCESS

PRESERVE/PACKAGE

STORE

MARKET

DISPLAY/PERFORM

INFORM/INVOLVE/EXCHANGE

and can be elaborated into afunctional sequence of activities:

The farm is committed to the full process of food production - there is no middleman. Their efforts can besummarized into the following areas:

Each stage in the programmatic process canbe seen as an opportunity to gather informationto help make informed business decisionsas a form of internal information exchange.Opportunities for information exchange withthe public should also be taken advantage of at each stage, making the entire program actas a communication machine.

FUNCTIONASEQUENCE O

ACTIVITIES

S T OR E

M A R K

E T

D I S P L A Y / P E R F O R M

I N F O R M / I N V O L V E / E X C H A N G E

S T E W A R

D


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A M

INFRASTRUCTURE:

ROBUST

MINIMAL

STATIONARY SPACE

MOBILE UNIT

INFO PACK/ MEDIA

C O M M E R C I A L K I T C

H E N R E N T A L / F R E

S H, H O T, P I E S !

S TO R A G E M O D U L E S

F I L M S C R E E N I N G S / S L I D E S H O W S

M O B I L E S T A G E

M O B I L E F A R M S T A N D

W O R K S H O P S : W O R K S O N G S , D E S I G N , A R T , M U S I C , A G R I C U L T U R E

C O M M U N I T Y R O O T C E L L A R / C H E E S E C A V E

C A N N I N G W O R K S H O P

C O M M E R C I A L K I T C H E N W O R K S H O P S

C O M P O S

T W O R K

S H O P C O M M U N

I T Y C O M P O S T D E P O

S I T O R Y

A R T / M E D I A / H O W T O S / D E S IG N

C O M M U N I TY IN F O / JO B P O S T IN G S

P U B L

I C A T

I O N S

A R T / M E D I A / D E S I G

N

R E C I P

E S

P L A N T I N

G D E M O

S / H E R B

P O T / S E

E D L I N G

S A L E S

PL A N T IN G F E S TI V AL

H A R V E S T F E S T IV A L

52 crops


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A M

crops The crops chosen for the site have the potentialto affect procedural and architectural designgreatly. Here, I will suggest a few potentialcrops with the idea that they may changethroughout the design process.

In order to maintain maximum agility anddurability as a business, i propose that there bea diverse range of crops; a balance betweenyear-round and seasonal, indoor and outdoor,and perennial and annual. My initial proposalincludes crops with the most value added andthus pro t potential in each category - crops

that take place on the land, in the greenhouse,and in the bay (not many farms have theadvantage of saltwater access adjacent to theircrops. Aquaculture could prove very pro tableas well as increase diversity).

By developing agricultural spaces for each of these crops, the farm can obtain maximum

exibility through its growing environments.However, here is where a major designconsideration comes into play. Many differentgrowing conditions may mean increased

exibility, but not necessarily increasedef ciency. One avenue for architecturalexploration is: how can design make up forthis ef ciency loss? Is there a way to make itspatially play to our advantage?

diversi cation?

ef ciency?

YEAR ROUND - PERENNIAL - INDOOR

YEAR ROUND - PERENNIAL - OUTDOOR

YEAR ROUND - ANNUAL - OUTDOOR

YEAR ROUND - ANNUAL - INDOOR

SEASONAL - ANNUAL - OUTDOOR

SEASONAL - ANNUAL - INDOOR

SEASONAL - PERENNIAL- OUTDOOR

SEASONAL - PERENNIAL- INDOOR

i.e. herbs , rosemary

i.e. aquaculture

- oysters, lobster, seaweed

i.e. cold hearty lettuces

i.e. greens , cilantro, basil, arugula

i.e. garlic, dry beans, carrots, onions, cabbage etc.

i.e. tomatoes

i.e. blueberries , raspberries, mint, rhubarb

i.e. ginger

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S I T E

BEL

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S I T E

10 ft 100 ft 200ft

N

SW FACING SLOPESNE FACING SLOPES

T O B E L F A S T

V I A M A I N

S T .

s t r e a m

WALDO AVE / RT 7

62 site specifcs: O


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p The site offers two large structures (formerpoultry barns) for adaptive re-use, the inte-riors of which provide open plans and large,

exible space. The stationary program will behoused in one or both of these structures,where the vehicle(s) for the mobile program willbe designed and built from scratch, using achassis of sorts. It will be bene cial to exploreways in which to preserve the character of the stationary structures, as to accentuate theshift in farming practices in the area from largescale broiler production to smaller, diversi ed,contemporary farming practices.

Othsypreathpa

Thdemra

Detoth

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66 preliminary design 1. de


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P R E L I M I N A R

Y P A R T I S T U D I E S

strategy 1

C U L T U R E

A G

R I

p y gstrategies

There are three slightly different ways todevelop an architectural argument for testingmy hypothesis:

arm

Tcabrexdisu

joexmin

68 2. th


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strategy 2

minasasM- hfoupspstrde

70 3. on


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strategy 3

efwsuthgrth

Tthowprfothbeprsitstr

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OFF THE GRID SF

A band of food trucks that create impromptuhubs of culinary activity in the Bay Area. Foodcarts arrive in an empty square, and soon thecrowds converge to participate in a unique,delicious and hip celebration of food.

OFF THE GRID SF as an organizationis a wealth of knowledge, collected anddigested as a tool for for start-up streetfood businesses. Their online and e-book collections include prototypes, guidelines,and an abundance of information - everythingyou need to know, and lots more that youdidnt know you needed to know.

OFF THE GRID is a major part of encouraginga ground-up approach to dining in SanFransisco, and enables a creative environmentfor farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs to selltheir food.

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Berry Wendell Bringing It to the Table: on Farming and Food

Bibliography


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R E F E R E N C E S

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Carlson, Allan C. Compassionate Conservatism: Ten Les-sons from the New Agrarians Intercollegiate Review 36:1-2(Fall 2000/Spring 2011). First Principles Journal. Web. 8 Oct.2011. http://www. rstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=1198&theme=home&page=3&loc=b&type=ctbf

Carlson, Allan C. The New Agrarian Mind: the Movement to-ward Decentralist Thought in Twentieth-century America. NewBrunswick (New Jersey): Transaction, 2004. Print.

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Drengson, Alan. The Deep Ecology Movement: An Introduc-tory Anthology. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1995.Print.

Ellis, George. Modern Practical Joinery: a Treatise on thePractice of Joiners Work by Hand and Machine, for the Use of Workmen, Architects, Builders, and Machinists ... Fresno, CA:Linden Pub., 1987. Print.

Freyfogle, Eric T. The New Agrarianism: Land, Culture, and theCommunity of Life. Washington, DC: Island, 2001. Print.

Hormel, Kate. Spirit of the Young Farmer. {Bioneers}.Elephantjournal.com. Waylon H. Lewis Enterprises, 16 Oct.2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. < http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/10/bioneers-2011-the-young-farmers-move-ment/>.

Khan, Lloyd. Shelter. Bolinas, CA: Shelter Publ., 1973. Print.

Kim, Seonwook, and Miyoung Pyo. Mobile Architecture.Seoul: DAMDI Pub., 2011. Print.

Martinez, Steve, et al. Local Food Systems: Concepts, Im-pacts, and Issues, ERR 97, U.S. Department of Agriculture,Economic Research Service, May 2010.

McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle toCradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: NorthPoint, 2002. Print.

McFadden, Steven. Introduction. The Call of the Land: an Agrarian Primer for the 21st Century. Nashville, IN: NorLight-sPress, 2011. 33. Print.

Nearing, Helen, and Scott Nearing. Continuing the Good Life:Half a Century of Homesteading. New York: Schocken, 1979.Print.

Noll, Terrie. The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to WoodJoinery. Edison, NJ: Chartwell, 2006. Print.

Salatin, Joel. Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Storiesfrom the Local Food Front. Swoope, VA: Polyface, 2007. Print.

Salatin, Joel. Folks, This Aint Normal: a Farmers Advice forHappier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World. New

York: Center Street, 2011. Print.

Salatin, Joel. The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer.Swoope, VA: Polyface, 2010. Print.

Schwarzer, Mitchell. Zoomscape: Architecture in Motion andMedia. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004.

Seike, Kiyoshi. The Art of Japanese Joinery. Boston, Mass.:Weatherhill, 2010. Print.

Sloane, Eric. Eric Sloanes an Age of Barns. New York: Wagnalls, 1966. Print.

Venturi, Robert, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven IzenouLearning from Las Vegas: the Forgotten Symbolismus otectural Form. Cambridge (Mass.): MIT, 1977. Print.

Vitra Design Museum. Living in Motion: Design and Arfor Flexible Living (Touring Exhibit). Available onliwww.design-museum.de/museum/ausstellungen/l_i_moindex.php (Accessed 20 September 2011).

Von Tscharner Flemming, Severine, Sarita Role SchafferWebb, and Bennett Konesni. Growing Growers: The 10New Farmers Challenge. 2011 Bioneers Conference. Cnia, San Rafel. 15 Oct. 2011. Lecture.

Walbert, David. Whats a New Agrarian? The New Ag2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. .

Wirzba, Norman. The Essential Agrarian Reader: the FuCulture, Community, and the Land. Washington, D.C.: Smaker & Hoard, 2004. Print.

White, Courtney, and Avery C. Anderson. New AgrariaGreen Fire Times. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. .

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Whyte, William. The Social Life of Small Urban SNew York: Project for Public Spaces, Inc. 2011.

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