Beardsley Community Farm Shelter
An affordable, sustainable multi-purpose shelter is designed to serve staff and visitors at the CAC Beardsley Community Farm.
The shelter is located to best form spaces around the building that tie it to its surroundings and provide the potential for indoor and outdoor use year-round. Situated on a former tennis court south of the existing farm, the shelter overlooks a small park and community garden to the north. To the south, the shelter opens to a new outdoor classroom formed between a tall existing shade tree, new landscaping, and the park. To the east, a large rolling door offers the opportunity to expand a multi-purpose space in the shelter to a partially covered exterior court with a human sundial at the center, bordered by a series of accessible gardening planters.
In keeping with the farm’s sustainable mission, the shelter strives to minimally impact the environment and be as self-sufficient as possible. The building orientation and window placement provide cross ventilation and daylighting. Recycled and reclaimed materials help to minimize waste. Rainwater collection for irrigation and efficient plumbing fixtures reduce the farm’s potable water usage. By utilizing the previously developed tennis court area, surrounding undeveloped land and public park space is preserved. The new structure and the spaces formed around it provide not only a daily refuge for the workers and volunteers who tend the farm, they also facilitate Beardsley’s mission as an urban demonstration farm by providing flexible gathering spaces for community outreach programs and embodying the sustainable principles that underlie the farm’s practices.