Wash/Pack Pavilion in Illinois, Urbana-Champaign by Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Article source: Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

A spring 2012 graduate architecture studio focused on the design and development of a “Wash/Pack Pavilion” for the campus’ Sustainable Student Farm.  The farm was initiated in 2009 to promote alternative growing practices and sustainable agriculture research. The project continues as a research endeavor.

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

• Architects: Jeffery S. Poss, Architect
• Project: Wash/Pack Pavilion
• Location: Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Research Project: 2012
• Expected Completion: 2014
• Research Assitants: Jordan Buckner, William Burdell, Meagan Calnon, David Emmons, Charles Huss, Daniel Jeuk, Ethan Rattray, Fadi Salem

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

The Wash/Pack Pavilion combines prefabricated sheds with a long, site built linear workspace – adaptable space combined with storage. The workspace provides a protected location where crops can be sorted, triple washed, and packed for transport to market.  Additionally it provides a paper laboratory, the Fresh Press, protected space for the processing of crop waste, used for the production of recycled paper.  Finally, the classroom portion (under construction) will educate adults and children on small farm food production.

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

The farm was allowed to utilize university agricultural acreage ONLY if the support structures minimally impacted the topsoil.  To solve this requirement used tires were arranged on prepared ground, filled with concrete, bolted to a lumber superstructure, and cloaked in corrugated polycarbonate – a modular system easily constructed, disassembled and reassembled as required.  It creates a system that can be safely assembled by semi-skilled or volunteer labor without large machines.  The base and superstructure form a repetitive truss system that creates stiffness in the short direction, while allowing spine-like flexibility in the long direction to accommodates varying freeze-thaw cycle soil pressures.

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Image Courtesy © Jeffery S. Poss, Architect

Tags: Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Categories: Farm House, Pavilion

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