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 | Mar 10, 2015

German architect Frei Otto named 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate

The news comes a day after the visionary architect, 89, died in his native Germany.

Modular Building | Mar 10, 2015

Must see: 57-story modular skyscraper was completed in 19 days

After erecting the mega prefab tower in Changsha, China, modular builder BSB stated, “three floors in a day is China’s new normal.”

Sponsored | Metals | Mar 10, 2015

Metal Building Systems: A Rising Star in the Market

A new report by the Metal Building Manufacturer's Association explains the entity's efforts in refining and extending metal building systems as a construction choice.

Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015

Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose

Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.

Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015

Orlando's Skyscraper to be world's tallest roller coaster

The Skyscraper is expected to begin construction later this year, and open in 2016. It will stand at 570 feet. 

Museums | Mar 9, 2015

Architecture based on astronomy principles for new planetarium in Shanghai

The ancient Chinese civilization left some of the earliest records of humans studying the stars and skies. To exhibit this long history, a new planetarium and astronomy museum is planned for construction in Shanghai.

Architects | Mar 9, 2015

Study explores why high ceilings are popular

High ceilings give us a sense of freedom, new research finds

Cultural Facilities | Mar 9, 2015

London council nixes plans to rebuild the Crystal Palace

Plans for the new Crystal Palace Park were scrapped when the city and the project's developer could come to an agreement before the 16-month exclusivity contract expired.

Office Buildings | Mar 7, 2015

Chance encounters in workplace design: The winning ticket to the innovation lottery?

The logic behind the push to cultivate chance encounters supposes that innovation is akin to a lottery. But do chance encounters reliably and consistently yield anything of substance?

Architects | Mar 6, 2015

Study suggests our brains prefer curvy architecture

A research team at the University of Toronto at Scarborough worked with several European designers to see what sort of spaces pleases our brains more. Their finding: People are far more likely to call a room beautiful when its design is round instead of linear.

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