Thesis Studio Document

Audrey Snyder M.Arch Terminal Studio ProjectJune 2011

CENTER FOR LOCAL FOODS

FOOD

PEOPLE

PLACE

Thesis 4

Context 6

Design 12

Seasonal Transformations 24

Systems 34

Process 40

Table of Contents

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 TransformationA 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.

ProgramLocal 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

THESIS

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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

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CONTEXT

AGRICULTURAL CONTEXT

WHOWHAT

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.

A wide variety of foods are produced locally including staples, any type of vegetable typically available in large grocery stores, dairy products, and meat.

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WHEREWHEN

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.

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 house-like structures that allow land to be used for production year-round.

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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.

URBAN CONTEXT

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I-80

VIRG

INIA

STR

EET

WEL

LS A

VE.

2ND STREET

TRAIN TRACKSBus Depot

Bu

Civic/Cultural/Recreational

Commercial

Hotel/Casino

Residential

O�ce

BUS

STATION

RIVER

DISTRICT

FRIEGHT

HOUSE

DISTRICT

2 miles

1 m

ile

65,000 residents

12 casinos

60restaurants

10,000s of employees

100sof cultural events

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DESIGN

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

Site Plan

CONNECT ENCLOSE RESPOND

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CONNECT ENCLOSE RESPOND

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.

Parti

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Ground Level Plan 0 10 50 100 ft

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1

9

39

9

2

3

4

65 1 MARKET

2 COOP GROCERY3 STORAGE/LOADING4 CAFE5 HOUSING ENTRY6 RETAIL7 RETAIL 8 VISTOR’S CENTER9 KITCHEN10 RESTAURANT11 SCHOOL ENTRY12 CULINARY SCHOOL

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3rd-6th Level Plan

2nd Level Plan

0 20 100 200 ft18

West Elevation

South Elevation0 10 50 100 ft

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East West Section

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0 3 15 30 ft21

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Wall Section

CULINARY SCHOOL

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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.

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SEASONAL TRANSFORMATIONS

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

HINGING ENTRY WALL

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SYSTEMS

HEAT PUMPS WITHIN UNTS

SOLAR COLLECTORSPROVIDE DOMESTIC HOT WATER

GREY WATER FILTEREDFOR USE IN IRRIGATIONAND COOLING

RAIN AND SNOWMELT ISCOLLECTED FOR USE INIRRIGATION AND COOLING

HEAT RECOVERY AT STOVE HOODS AND OTHER EQUPMENTPREHEATS BOILERWATER

WINDOW SCOOP DIRECTSAIR DOWN LIGHT-WELLTO VENTILATE KITCHENS

BYPASS VALVE AND CONTROLS MINIMIZE USE OF BOILER AND CHILLER BY MOVINGENERGY BETWEEN OVERHEATED AND UNDERHEATED ZONES

CHILLERS SUPPLIED WITH WATER FROM GREY WATERFILTRATION SYSTEM









HVAC & WATER

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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%.

ENERGY

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STRUCTURE

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PROCESS

MASSING STUDIES

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MARKET ROOF STUDIES

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TRANSFORMATION STUDIES

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A u d r e y S n y d e r

e: [email protected]: (775) 287-2563w: audreysnyder.squarespace.com

Thesis Studio Document

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