kelsea glorioso

walk the plank food hub

The Plank Road Food Hub is an urban walkable hub for the community to come together and grow with food as the focal point. The establishment includes a food hall where up and coming food vendors can serve their dishes to locals during the early phases of their business, using the food stalls and shared kitchen as a way to kickstart their restaurants. Customers can enjoy their meals in the shared dining space or at the outdoor picnicking area near the retention pond. Walk the Plank is also a marketplace with a processing kitchen and storage spaces so that local farmers can develop and distribute their commodities to locals in a convenient and populated location. In addition, the Plank Road Food Hub also has a teaching kitchen adjacent to its office spaces at the Plank Road entrance to the hub.  The teaching kitchen provides an activity for community members where they are able to learn and enjoy making meals and trying new dishes using fresh and healthy ingredients. Fresh produce for these activities can be provided by the adjoining farmer's market enhancing the experience and showing the community what they can do with locally grown foods. In between these two buildings, pedestrians and facility users can enjoy a shaded recreational space surrounded by environmentally inspired architecture created with a panel and grid system. The grid which stretches across the site, connecting the programs together includes bird homes, art displays, compost tumblers, colorful glass inserts, herb boxes, and other greenery planters. The overall goal of the establishment is to offer the community a place to learn and gather while reconnecting to their natural surroundings through food and activities.