rebecca maples

plank road urban food hub

The design of the Plank Road Food Hub is based on the concept of not only the growth of produce but also promoting community growth by reviving the area’s health and wealth. The Food Hub’s design replicates the vernacular of the area in order to not overwhelm the surrounding landscape. The shotgun style home, which is the most common building style along the Plank Road corridor, was the inspiration for the roof system and the layout of the programmatic spaces. The building serves as a means of growing produce for the community as well as a community gathering spot with local vendors selling goods. The Food Hub does not only serve those who visit the location, due to its large processing center, storage and truck export/import of goods from nearby farmers to the community. The layout of the interior spaces follows the existing flow of circulation on the site, with the main public spaces along the front façade facing Plank Road, and the more private spaces stacked from West to East, following not only the flow of a shotgun home, but also the existing circulation path along Weller Ave. The most posterior spaces include the processing center and truck export/import. Space has been allotted for truck drop off and loading of goods. The structure of the building includes two long span systems – the green roof system including latticed trusses connected to a primary steel structure (beams and columns) from standard sections that allow for the sloped roof system to imitate the classic pitched roof found in the local homes and also the sloping downward toward the west to help block solar heat gain and also a diagrid beam system, which holds up the second floor, that allows for less columns to obstruct interior spaces. All aspects of the building work around the system of growing and selling food, starting from growth of produce. All spaces are primarily or visually adjacent to either the roof top garden or the green house.