PROJECT 

Medium 

Learning Farm

brooklyn | new york | usa

PROJECT AREA: 2 Acres
PROJECT SCOPE: Landscape Master Plan Detail Design
PROJECT STATUS: Completed
CLIENT: New York City School Construction Authority | New York City Department of Education

2020

The project is to create a working urban farm that will be incorporated into the curriculum at PS 312 and IS 78. The farm will provide opportunities for students to learn about the circular journey food makes from its origins as a seed to the meal on their dinner plate. We recommend capping the site and raising planting areas to ensure the food produced in the garden is safe and healthy for the children. We suggest raising vegetable and orchard areas as a whole as opposed to individual garden beds to extend the growing season, protect against floor contamination and provide more flexibility in the program of the farm.

The farm will include a working greenhouse, a working compost area, storage shed, vegetable gardening plots, a fruit orchard, an outdoor classroom with kitchen elements, a pollinator’s flower and herb garden, and a flexible “central green” to accommodate farmers markets, fall festivals, shared meals and other farm and school related events.

To accommodate the integration of learning and class activities the design will include several “break out” spaces such as bleacher seating and picnic tables. We propose to use granite, precast concrete and bound aggregate to create an elegant and durable landscape that can be used as a flagship in the district and enjoyed for generations to come.