Farmer's Park Greenhouse / Cultivation Kitchen

Project Details

Project Description

“For the design of Farmer’s Park Greenhouse, we drew on the simplicity of functional greenhouse buildings, modifying off-the-shelf greenhouse parts to create an informal and contextual pavilion in the park.” –Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, Design Principal

This all-glass greenhouse restaurant is located in Farmer’s Park, a two-acre park and community gathering place in downtown Anaheim. Designed to anchor the north end of the park, the greenhouse pavilion is a counterpoint to the historic Packing House food hall at the south end. Farmer’s Park Greenhouse is a light-filled, airy space that establishes a welcoming atmosphere for the park, which is home to regular community events such as outdoor movies and a weekly farmer’s market.

“Continuing our tradition of opening up the interior to the exterior, Farmer’s Park Greenhouse contains several large doors and operable skylights that unfold the building to the environment. In Southern California, there are moments where you want to directly engage the climate, but when you need climate control inside, the design still allows for transparency because of the extensive glazing.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Mentor

The design combines standard greenhouse components with hybrid parts that allow the building to be naturally ventilated through operable skylights, two large pivot doors, and two 12-by-14-foot sliding barn doors. These sliding doors open the restaurant to adjacent outdoor spaces including a covered patio with olive and kumquat trees, firepits, and a bocce ball court. Drawing on the language of functional agricultural buildings, the design incorporates glass walls and a glass pitched roof to create a bright, spacious environment. Inside, Cultivation Kitchen restaurant continues the emphasis on environmental connectivity with its all-organic, “shovel-to-fork” menu. The restaurant houses an espresso and kombucha bar, communal tables, and casual seating options that complete the greenhouse’s informal atmosphere.

“The Farmer’s Park Greenhouse is one of a series of projects we’re working on with LAB Holding designed to help revitalize key urban centers in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and San Clemente. These vibrant, community-centered projects create pedestrian-oriented hubs within the larger car-dominated urban landscape of Southern California.” –Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, Design Principal

Project Team: Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, Design Principal; Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Mentor; John Hallock, LEED® AP, Project Architect; Edward Lalonde and Hayden Robinson, Architectural Staff; Phil Turner, Gizmo Design

Key Consultants: CB Kenner Inc., General Contractor; Ken Smith, Landscape Architect; Grid Engineers, Structural Engineer; Linwood Engineering Associates, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer

Photos: Jay Sadoff and Anne Watson