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

| Nov 11, 2010

Saint-Gobain to make $80 million investment in SAGE Electrochromics

Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest glass and construction material manufacturers, is making a strategic equity investment in SAGE Electrochromics to make electronically tintable “dynamic glass” an affordable, mass-market product, ushering in a new era of energy-saving buildings.

| Nov 11, 2010

Saint-Gobain to make $80 million investment in SAGE Electrochromics

Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest glass and construction material manufacturers, is making a strategic equity investment in SAGE Electrochromics to make electronically tintable “dynamic glass” an affordable, mass-market product, ushering in a new era of energy-saving buildings.

| Nov 11, 2010

USGBC certifies more than 1 billion square feet of commercial space

This month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world. Since 2000, more than 36,000 commercial projects and 38,000 single-family homes have participated in LEED.

| Nov 10, 2010

$700 million plan to restore the National Mall

The National Mall—known as America’s front yard—is being targeted for a massive rehab and restoration that could cost as much as $700 million (it’s estimated that the Mall has $400 million in deferred maintenance alone). A few of the proposed projects: refurbishing the Grant Memorial, replacing the Capitol Reflecting Pool with a smaller pool or fountain, reconstructing the Constitution Gardens lake and constructing a multipurpose visitor center, and replacing the Sylvan Theater near the Washington Monument with a new multipurpose facility.

| Nov 9, 2010

Just how green is that college campus?

The College Sustainability Report Card 2011 evaluated colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada with the 300 largest endowments—plus 22 others that asked to be included in the GreenReportCard.org study—on nine categories, including climate change, energy use, green building, and investment priorities. More than half (56%) earned a B or better, but 6% got a D. Can you guess which is the greenest of these: UC San Diego, Dickinson College, University of Calgary, and Dartmouth? Hint: The Red Devil has turned green.

| Nov 9, 2010

12 incredible objects being made with 3D printers today

BD+C has reported on how 3D printers are attracting the attention of AEC firms. Now you can see how other creative types are utilizing this fascinating printing technology. Among the printed items: King Tut’s remains, designer shoes, and the world’s smallest Rubik’s Cube.

| Nov 9, 2010

U.S. Army steps up requirements for greening building

Cool roofs, solar water heating, and advanced metering are among energy-efficiency elements that will have to be used in new permanent Army buildings in the U.S. and abroad starting in FY 2013. Designs for new construction and major renovations will incorporate sustainable design and development principles contained in ASHRAE 189.1.

| Nov 9, 2010

Designing a library? Don’t focus on books

How do you design a library when print books are no longer its core business? Turn them into massive study halls. That’s what designers did at the University of Amsterdam, where they transformed the existing 27,000-sf library into a study center—without any visible books. About 2,000 students visit the facility daily and encounter workspaces instead of stacks.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




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