Earlier this month, the City of New York broke ground on the new $18.2 million Marlboro Agricultural Education Center (MAEC) at the New York City Housing Authority’s Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn.
In line with the mission of its nonprofit operator, The Campaign Against Hunger, MAEC aims to strengthen food autonomy and security in underserved neighborhoods. MAEC will provide Marlboro Houses with diverse, community-oriented programs.
Designed by the Studio Gang and built by Consigli Construction Co., the 9,900-sf center will feature a rooftop greenhouse for raising plants and fish. The second-floor greenhouse will serve as a learning lab for schoolchildren and visitors and will help young adults engage with local, sustainable food production. On the ground floor, flexible teaching and community spaces will offer cooking and nutrition classes, among other programs. In the winter, MAEC will host an indoor market.
The building’s large windows and generous sidewalk frontage aim to strengthen connections with the surrounding neighborhood. Entrances on multiple sides create physical and visual connections to the street and surrounding area. A small public terrace and planter garden will encourage visitors to stop by.
Located in a coastal flood zone, the building will be elevated, which also will create opportunities for street furniture. The sustainable design includes passive heating and cooling, solar access, all-electric systems, and rainwater storage and reuse. The project, which targets LEED Gold certification, will use materials with minimal maintenance for a lifecycle of over 60 years.
The MAEC project leverages a design-build project delivery method to remove lengthy contracting from the traditional delivery method that historically has been used for city capital projects, according to the City of New York’s press release. The design-build method also will shorten timelines and increase participation by minority- and women-owned businesses.
On the Building Team:
Project operator: The Campaign Against Hunger
Design architect: Studio Gang
Design-build contractor: Consigli Construction Co.
Landscape architect: Eponymous Practice
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Civil engineer: Philip Habib & Associates
Geotechnical engineer: Langan
MEPFP: BALA Consulting Engineers
Greenhouse enclosure design: Prospiant
Related Stories
Higher Education | May 31, 2017
Space utilization in higher education: more than sf per student
There’s more to space utilization than how often a room is occupied. What happens inside an occupied room is just as important.
Education Facilities | May 22, 2017
Educational design taking lessons from tech firms
Recently, in educational design, we have seen a trend toward more flexible learning spaces.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
K-12 Schools | May 1, 2017
Seattle’s first vertically-oriented middle school breaks ground
The building will provide 74,289 sf of space across its five-story classroom bar.
University Buildings | Apr 26, 2017
UMass Amherst is home to America’s first CLT academic building
The building brings the architecture, landscape architecture, and building technology departments under one roof.
Higher Education | Apr 24, 2017
Small colleges face challenges — and opportunities
Moody’s Investor Service forecasts that closure rates for small institutions will triple in the coming years, and mergers will double.
Green | Mar 29, 2017
Copenhagen Zoo and BIG unveil yin yang-shaped panda habitat
The new habitat will sit between two existing buildings, including the Elephant House designed by Norman Foster.
K-12 Schools | Mar 9, 2017
The future of education facilities: Creating spaces where learning happens everywhere
The art of designing schools lies not in just understanding what makes a functional classroom, but in how successful we are in creating a wide array of educational options for teachers and students within the school environment.
School Construction | Feb 26, 2017
A new survey finds education construction activity going strong this year
Surveys of school districts and colleges, though, raise questions about financing for future projects.
Education Facilities | Feb 7, 2017
Let’s get physical: Design possibilities for the digital classroom
As companies are increasingly looking for people who can do things like communicate clearly, solve complex challenges, lead teams, and define strategic direction, a growing number of learners are turning to any resource where they can learn these skills quickly, effectively and in sync with their busy lives, writes Gensler's Meghan Webster.
