Growing Value
a case study on renovation and sustainable education
Site Visit - Cincinnati Permaculture Institute
Growing Value
Located in Price Hill, this community nursery serves as a branch of the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute to help locals gain access to clean food and achieve more financial independence.
Although not many people currently take advantage of the community garden aspect, many of their events are popular with locals such as their end-of-season produce sale, and their pickling parties.
How can we update Growing Value’s facilities to develop new educational programming and encourage sustainable eating at home?
Inspiration
large French windows, live walls and plant beds integrated throughout space, bright neutral tones with pops of color
Who are these classes for?
This project focuses on educating people of the middle class in sustainable growing and dining techniques. It will be appeling to an audience that already makes a conscious effort to buy locally and eat organically, however, it will not be isolating to those newe to their sustainability journey.
underlying passion for sustainability
financially independent adult = target demographic
enjoy cooking / gardening
open to learning more about where our food comes from
classes offered as a couples / group experience
The Greenhouses
The two spacious greenhouses will undergo massive renovations to not only become heated and sealed, but also powered through solar energy.
The larger of the two (on the right) will house most of the growing and allow for year-round crops for the organization. These plants in
addition to the produce grown down the block will provide food for the organization’s programming throughout the year.
The smaller of the two structures will host learning opportunities for guests, with 12 smaller, raised plant beds that can allow people to get some hands-on learning
experience in a garden. It also houses the apiary with two colonies of bees, as well as a jarring station to collect and store honey to sell at Findlay Market as an additional source of income.
This is the main space and will be where all of the cooking and education will take place.
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After the group’s journey through the greenhouses, everyone will reconvene in the learning center, where they will begin instruction on preparing their
3-course meal. While they are preparing their food, the teacher will be reviewing the basics of cooking principles with the class.
On the other side of this collaborative space exists an office for meetings with potential donors and other administrative staff, in addition to a utility closet for extra supplies and tools.
Learning Center
Final Space
rendered in Vray