CAW Architects recently completed a facility for the Oakland, Calif., school district that feeds students and teaches them how to grow, harvest, and cook produce grown onsite. The production kitchen at the Unified School District Central Kitchen, Instructional Farm, and Education Center (“The Center”) prepares and distributes about 30,000 meals a day for district schools lacking their own kitchens.
The site also provides training for school district cafeteria workers and educational programs for students to learn about culinary arts, science, health, wellness, and agriculture. A greenhouse and demonstration garden illustrate growing cycles and how to identify different types of produce. The greenhouse produces starter plants from seed to supply about 60 school gardens. Culinary instruction takes place in a classroom outfitted with a full-service demonstration and teaching kitchen, and in an outdoor kitchen equipped with a pizza oven.
A courtyard serves as the facility’s central hub, connecting the production kitchen, indoor classrooms, and outdoor classrooms. Large glass roll-up doors open the indoors to the courtyard. An expansive wood trellis shades the courtyard and reduces glare in classrooms.
The building’s energy efficiency gets a boost from a hot water system that uses captured waste heat from a highly efficient C02 closed-loop refrigeration system. A solar-ready roof has space to support solar panels that will supply half of the production kitchen’s electric power.
The next phase of the project will use an undeveloped portion of the site to create an urban farm, community garden, and nature play space. The farm will offer career training for high school students and adult education programs.
Owner and/or developer: Oakland (Calif.) Unified School District
Design architect: CAW Architects
Architect of record: CAW Architects
MEP engineer: Integral Group
Structural engineer: SOHA Engineers
Construction manager: Cumming Group
Related Stories
| Feb 22, 2012
Perkins Eastman expands portfolio in China and Vietnam
Recent awards, project progress signal ongoing commitment to region.
| Jan 4, 2012
Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.
| Dec 27, 2011
BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit update
The two-day Under 40 Leadership Summit continued with a Leadership Style interactive presentation; Great Solutions presentations from Under 40 attendees; the Owner’s Perspective panel discussion; and the Blue Ocean Strategy presentation.
| Dec 20, 2011
Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building
The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike.
| Dec 10, 2011
BIM tools to make your project easier to manage
Two innovations—program manager Gafcon’s SharePoint360 project management platform and a new BIM “wall creator” add-on developed by ClarkDietrich Building Systems for use with the Revit BIM platform and construction consultant—show how fabricators and owner’s reps are stepping in to fill the gaps between construction and design that can typically be exposed by working with a 3D model.
| Dec 5, 2011
Fraser Brown MacKenna wins Green Gown Award
Working closely with staff at Queen Mary University of London, MEP Engineers Mott MacDonald, Cost Consultants Burnley Wilson Fish and main contractor Charter Construction, we developed a three-fold solution for the sustainable retrofit of the building.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 2, 2011
Goody Clancy awarded Ohio State residential project
The project, which is focused on developing a vibrant on-campus community of learning for OSU undergraduates.
| Nov 18, 2011
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability opens
Designed to exceed LEED Platinum, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) is one of the most innovative and high performance buildings in North America today, demonstrating leading-edge green building design products, technologies, and systems.
| Nov 11, 2011
Streamline Design-build with BIM
How construction manager Barton Malow utilized BIM and design-build to deliver a quick turnaround for Georgia Tech’s new practice facility.
