Urban Farm Complex
Location Hamilton, Ontario
Year 2017-2019
Client McQuesten Urban Farm / City of Hamilton
Services Design and Technical, Building Science, Project Management, General Contracting, Fabrication and Installation, Maintenance
Scope 640 sq. ft. all-season growing space, 780 sq. ft. greywater treatment wetland, 400 sq. ft. processing and cold storage, 400 sq. ft. storage
Passive container greenhouses and a processing container were installed adjacent to existing agriculture fields and community plots. The 40 ft. long greenhouses are custom designed in-house to optimize passive solar gain and lighting, to provide excellent thermal insulation, and generous ventilation. The 53 ft. long processing container provides a washing station and cold storage for fresh produce. An additional 53 ft. container was provided for storage.
A filter bed treats the greywater from washing on-site. WFUAI fabricated the modifications to the containers off-site from their final location, and delivered them in late 2018. The containers and filter bed are fully approved by the municipality under the building code. Together the four containers make a secure space for all-season growing and programming, giving McQuesten additional capacity in their mission of healthy local food production in an economically disadvantaged area.