Project Description
The Grange was designed for the Fairfield Farm Ecosystems and Adventure Team (FFEAT), a program that immerses youth in nature to instill a sense of local and global responsibility for natural resources. FFEAT students harvest and process crops with the goal to contribute 60% of the produce ultimately served in the Hotchkiss dining hall. The Grange houses bulk food storage in its basement and features a food processing kitchen/classroom that meets commercial food safety and hygiene standards without sacrificing the facility’s rustic agricultural character. The School’s food service provider was a crucial consultant in our process.
The single-story structure features barn siding and a steel roof and includes a full basement below grade, most of which will be highly insulated from the main level. For much of the year, two of three separate basement spaces will use cold air to maintain appropriate temperatures for stored vegetables, avoiding reliance on fossil feuls. Other sustainable features include water-conserving fixtures and low-VOC materials throughout, repurposed wood finishes where possible, and daylighting in all of the regularly occupied spaces. LED lighting and other energy in the Grange will be supplied from renewable sources in the long-term.