Even though open-air markets have existed a disproportionately longer time than supermarkets and other types of grocery stores, there hasn’t been much innovation injected into the vendors’ stands, both in design and functionality.
In response to this, the American Institute of Architects’ Small Project Practitioners knowledge community launched a competition to address the design problem of most farmer’s markets’ tents which are usually lightweight, bland, nondescript white vinyl pop up canopies with portability that, though convenient, demands vendors to get creative when anchoring them to the ground when no stakes are allowed.
The winning designs were presented on Wednesday at the AIA 2014 National Convention and Design Exposition in Chicago.
Submissions were due in March 2014 and judged based on how they complied with design parameters: protecting vendors and produce from elements, easy to carry for one person when disassembled, easy to brand on and cost effective at a $500 budget.
The competition will occur every year in collaboration with the AIA National Convention host city. In accordance to the farmer’s market philosophy of keeping things local, the competitions will also focus on solving a local design dilemma while involving a local non-for-profit which would benefit from the constructed winning design.
Let’s take a look at the winning designs that hopefully will start to pop-up in many of the 8,100 farmers markets nationwide:
(all descriptions by AIA)
1. G Model (Winner) by Bart Shaw, AIA of Bart Shaw Architect
The solution is a simple stable structure that provides elegant protection for a farmers market vendor. The structure provides a platform for custom printed fabric to be wrapped. When transported it serves as a hand truck, so goods and the canopy can be moved simultaneously. This project will be built on the expo floor of the 2014 AIA National Convention and will be donated to the local non-for-profit partner, Growing Home Chicago, for use by their clients and program participants.
2. Box it Up (Honorable Mention) by Robin Osler of EOA/Elmslie Osler Architect, Chris Shelley, Joanna Torres
A series of plywood boxes serve not only as canopy weights, but also as table, stool, and multipurpose display fixtures. The simple box shape offers maximum flexibility as the elements can be stacked and arranged in various configurations depending on the needs of each farmer. Finally, a colorful canopy of re-purposed billboard vinyl provides shelter from the elements.
3. Folding Farm II (Honorable Mention) by Jeffery S. Poss, FAIA of small studio, Illinois School of Architecture, Charles Huss, David Emmons, Jordan Buckner
Folding Farm II (FFII) is a bicycle-powered produce transport vehicle and a deployable farm stand. The FFII’s canvas canopy is collapsed to cover and protect the produce during transport. At the market, the bicycle is disconnected and the bracing bar is swung down to stabilize the cart. Then the canopy is deployed and the produce bins are tilted for display. Ratcheted bracing bars lock the canopy and produce bins into position.
4. Naked (Best Use of Innovative Technology) by Ar. Pragesh Pramod Khanna, Vastu Srajan
Arches ensure the stability of the structure enabling it to withstand around 750lb of wind pressure and velocity calculation of 90miles/hour. The arches utilize fidu science making the design versatile as it converts from a 6" roll of metal strip, with the use of a bicycle air pump, to form the frame of the structure.
Related Stories
| May 25, 2011
Register today for BD+C’s June 8th webinar on restoration and reconstruction projects
Based on new and award-winning building projects, this webinar presents our “expert faculty” to examine the key issues affecting project owners, designers and contractors in case studies ranging from gut renovations and adaptive reuses to restorations and retrofits.
| May 25, 2011
Hotel offers water beds on a grand scale
A semi-submerged resort hotel is the newest project from Giancarlo Zema, a Rome-based architect known for his organic maritime designs. The hotel spans one kilometer and has both land and sea portions.
| May 25, 2011
Smithsonian building $45 million green lab
Thanks to a $45 million federal appropriation to the Smithsonian Institution, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., has broken ground on what is expected to be one of the most energy-efficient laboratories in the country. The 69,000-sf lab is targeting LEED Gold and is expected to use 37% less energy and emit 37% less carbon dioxide than a similar building.
| May 25, 2011
World’s tallest building now available in smaller size
Emaar Properties teamed up with LEGO to create a miniature version of the Burj Khalifa as part of the LEGO Architecture series. Currently, the LEGO Burj Khalifa is available only in Dubai, but come June 1, 2011, it will be available worldwide.
| May 25, 2011
Developers push Manhattan office construction
Manhattan developers are planning the city's biggest decade of office construction since the 1980s, betting on rising demand for modern space even with tenants unsigned and the availability of financing more limited. More than 25 million sf of projects are under construction or may be built in the next nine years.
| May 25, 2011
Olympic site spurs green building movement in UK
London's environmentally friendly 2012 Olympic venues are fuelling a green building movement in Britain.
| May 25, 2011
TOTO tests universal design at the AIA conference
If you could be 80 years old for 30 minutes—and have to readjust everything you think you know about your own mobility—would you do it?
| May 20, 2011
Hotels taking bath out of the bathroom
Bathtubs are disappearing from many hotels across the country as chains use the freed-up space to install ever more luxurious showers, according to a recent USAToday report. Of course, we reported on this move--and 6 other hospitality trends--back in 2006 in our special report "The Inn Things: Seven Radical New Trends in Hotel Design."
| May 19, 2011
BD+C’s "40 Under 40" winners for 2011
The 40 individuals profiled here are some of the brightest stars in the AEC universe—and they’re under the age of 40. These young architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and developers stood out among a group of 164 outstanding entrants in our sixth annual “40 Under 40” competition.