flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Nation's first 'food forest' planned in Seattle

Nation's first 'food forest' planned in Seattle

Community group transforms lot into edible public park


By BD+C Staff | April 12, 2013

Consider this the next take on urban farming: the food forest.

Seattle's Beacon Food Forest project is transforming a seven-acre lot in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood into a self-sustaining, edible public park.

The community group, with the help of donations and $120,000 in city funding, broke ground on the food forest last September. According to an article by Take Part, the park will be planted with hundreds of varieties of trees and plants, from walnut and chestnut trees to blueberry and raspberry bushes to apple and pear trees. Even herbs and exotic plants like guava and honeyberries will be available.

So who gets to pluck the harvest? Anyone who happens to wander into the park. And at no cost. 

Here are some pictures of the park's "ground making" ceremony, courtesy of the Beacon Food Forest project:

Related Stories

Architects | Sep 24, 2015

Supertall buildings vie for dominance along Chicago’s skyline

The latest proposals pit designs by Rafael Viñoly, Jeanne Gang, and Helmut Jahn.

Architects | Sep 24, 2015

From Gehry to the High Line: What makes a project a game-changer?

Each year, there are a handful of projects that significantly advance the AEC industry or a particular building type. Send us your game-changing projects for BD+C’s January 2016 special report.

Cultural Facilities | Sep 24, 2015

Bakpak Architects' 'pottery courtyard' concept in Poland incorporates local heritage

The multifunctional building proposed for Rzeszow, Poland, looks like it was handcrafted on a potter’s wheel.

Modular Building | Sep 23, 2015

SOM and DOE unveil 3D-printed, off-the-grid building

The Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) building features a high-performance shell with a photovoltaic roof and built-in natural gas generator.

Airports | Sep 23, 2015

JFK Airport's dormant TWA terminal will be reborn as a hotel

After 15 years of disuse, the Googie architecture-inspired TWA Flight Center at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport will be transformed into a hotel. Gizmodo reports that the city’s Port Authority chose a renovation proposal from Jet Blue this week.

Architects | Sep 23, 2015

Architecture billings dip in August, but no 'cause for concern' says AIA economist

The American Institute of Architects reported the August ABI score was 49.1, down from a mark of 54.7 in July. This score reflects a slight decrease in design services.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 21, 2015

Tokyo Olympic Stadium saga ends for Zaha Hadid

After resubmitting a bid, the firm will not design the main venue for the 2020 Olympics after all.

University Buildings | Sep 21, 2015

6 lessons in campus planning

For campus planning, focus typically falls on repairing the bricks and mortar without consideration of program priorities. Gensler's Pamela Delphenich offers helpful tips and advice.

Museums | Sep 21, 2015

Ma Yansong and Jeanne Gang revise Chicago lakefront Lucas Museum

New renderings of the proposed Lucas Museum show a scaled-down building on more green space.

Designers | Sep 21, 2015

Can STEAM power the disruptive change needed in education?

Companies need entrepreneurial and creative workers that possess critical thinking skills that allow them to function in collaborative teams. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education might be the solution.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.


3D Printing

3D-printed construction milestones take shape in Tennessee and Texas

Two notable 3D-printed projects mark milestones in the new construction technique of “printing” structures with specialized concrete. In Athens, Tennessee, Walmart hired Alquist 3D to build a 20-foot-high store expansion, one of the largest freestanding 3D-printed commercial concrete structures in the U.S. In Marfa, Texas, the world’s first 3D-printed hotel is under construction at an existing hotel and campground site.


University Buildings

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences opens a new 88-acre campus

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has opened a new campus spanning 88 acres, over three times larger than its previous location. Designed by RDG Planning & Design and built by Turner Construction, the $260 million campus features technology-rich, flexible educational spaces that promote innovative teaching methods, expand research activity, and enhance clinical services. The campus includes four buildings connected with elevated pathways and totaling 382,000 sf. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021