Green Machine
PROGRAM: Urban Farming Research and Education Center, Food Market
CONSTRUCTION: Pre-Fab Steel
LOCATION: Harrison & Halsted St, Chicago, IL
PROFESSOR: Patricia Natke
COURSE: 4th Year Spring Architecture Studio
PARTNER: Cam Nguyen
TOOLS: Rhino + Grasshopper, AutoCAD, Illustrator, Enscape + Photoshop
The Green Machine is a dynamic urban center for the research, promotion, education, and commerce of urban food production, located in the heart of Chicago and adjacent to the UIC campus and Jane Byrne Interchange. The center is designed with biophilic and biomimetic principles, to bring the occupant closer in mind and body to the organic matter at hand. Split between three buildings is the site’s enclosed program: an education building with rooftop garden, a growing research building, and a small structure for public restrooms and market storage. The site’s exterior is organized by a canopy that weaves a path for the outdoor Maxwell Market and a circulation path through the site for visitors. The rest of the site functions as a public park, with green space, a playground, sculpture, and place for rest.
The center looks to the future of urban agriculture through its use of advancing technologies for food production, such as robots, aerial drones, and dynamic light-sensing plant racks. Additionally, a full-circle recycling system, from aquarium to produce and back again, ensures the sustainability of indoor food production. Above all, through active indoor and outdoor space, the center promotes a community of sustainability and innovation around agriculture and nature.
