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Sustainable Technology Experimental Agricultural Dwelling (S.T.E.A.D.)

The ‘s.t.e.a.d. is designed for a new generation of agricultural and technological pioneers seeking to spread the fertility of the farm into the most unlikely environments. This project proposes that this new frontier can be found in the under utilized spaces of our urban areas. The low-intensity tracts of single-story industrial buildings common in American cities could host rooftop farms that would increase the economic productivity of these often-struggling areas while bringing the inhabitants of the city back into proximity with the crucial technology of agriculture. Farming created the foundation for human civilization and continues to be one of the most basic ways in which we draw upon resources of the world.

Over 82% of Americans live in cities or suburbs, but the mythology of the single-family home is rooted in our rural origins and the formerly wide-open spaces of our now exhausted terrestrial frontiers. In an ironic coda to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an agrarian democracy, the ranches and colonials that now crowd the former farmland of our suburbs are modeled on the houses of the settlers that began the process of transforming the American landscape to its current, and increasingly developed form. This project seeks to reestablish a direct connection between the single family residence the productive landscape.

The ‘s.t.e.a.d. incorporates a dwelling for a four-person family, greenhouse, workshop, laboratory, office, machinery, and covered outdoor work areas in a lightweight facility adjacent to a 6 1/2 acre rooftop farm. The farm uses an organic hydroponic film system that does not require a soil medium. All nutrients are delivered to the crops in a water solution that is regularly sterilized and recirculated to minimize the consumption of water, which is primarily collected from the warehouse roof.

This speculative project was featured in SOUPERgreen; a group show of technologically-expressive “green” architecture that seeks to challenge the status quo of sustainable design. In response to the looming crisis, the five participating architects in this exhibition suggest that our homes can, and should make the connections between us and our environment visible.

A slideshow of the opening appeared in Dwell, and a review of the exhibit was published in the Architects Newspaper.

Project: 2011
Location: Chatsworth, California
Exhibition: A+D Museum, Los Angeles, California

A fourteen-foot long 1/4″ = 1′-0″ sectional model was built of the proposal. This model represents approximately 15% of the existing 6 1/2 acre warehouse atop which the ‘s.t.e.a.d. is located.

We wish the thank the following for their assistance with this project. None of it could have been done without their generous contributions of time and skill.

CCA Students:
Ji Ahn
Emily Alongi
Christopher Bae
Ashwin Biln
Matt Engman
Taylor Fulton
Elise Gonzalez
Alan Hayes
Sin Lao
Sirada Laomanutsak
Jeremy Luebker

Friends and supporters of AAA:
Alejandro Chavetta
Mark Jones
Sean Kennedy
Kim Nguyen
Benjamin Parco
Ron Rael
Merle Ruiz
Reuben Ruiz
Virginia San Fratello

Special Thanks to the California College of the Arts

Apr 13, 2011 | Categories:RESIDENTIAL, URBAN | Tags: A+D Museum, agriculture, exhibition, green, green roof, hydroponic, locavore, passive solar, SouperGreen, sun shades, sustainable, urban farm | Comments Off

SOUPERgreen Panel Discussion

Please join Randolph Ruiz of AAA at what should be a provocative conversation of the subject of sustainable architecture. This event will be hosted by the A+D Museum on Thursday April 7th at 6PM.

SOUPERgreen is an exhibition featuring five projects that take a critical stance on the way architects have been addressing the environmental crisis through design. Wes Jones, Doug Jackson, Aryan Omar, Steven Purvis, and Randolph Ruiz explore how technology can enhance architecture’s connection to the environment. Using technology as an expressive and experiential design element calls attention to our dependency on technology to solve environmental problems and, ironically, promotes engagement with our natural world.

Apr 05, 2011 | Categories:NEWS | Tags: A+D Museum, Architecture, envionmental, green, LEED, los angeles, panel discussion, SouperGreen, sustainable | Comments Off

Niles Depot Reconstruction

This reconstruction of the Central Pacific Railroad‘s 1870 Niles Depot will serve the Niles Canyon Railway as both an active railway passenger depot and museum of railroad history. This rail depot was built within months of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through the future site of Niles. This station was established as an important junction on the mainline and a branch line to San Jose and points beyond, such as San Francisco. It also served as the seed from which the town of Niles would eventually sprout in the 1880s.

Backed by extensive historical research, this new building will be constructed to meet contemporary expectations for sustainability and accessibility, while accurately re-creating the appearance and finishes of this 19th Century railroad depot.

The new 2400 square foot building will include a passenger waiting room, ticket office, museum gallery, gift store, restrooms, and support spaces.

Project: 2009
Location: Fremont, California
Client: Pacific Locomotive Association and the County of Alameda.The original Central Pacific Railroad’s Niles Depot circa 1870 with the local train from San Jose.By the 1890s the depot had been expanded and the grounds landscaped with trees, shrubs, and a small lawn.Conjectural drawings of the original depot were created from careful research of similar buildings, photos, written descriptions, and the small portion of the original structure that survives as a private residence. The new floor plan carefully follows the original, but has been subtly modified to serve the new purposes required for passenger comfort and historic interpretation.