GROUND HERE: COLLABORATIVE WORKS OF KEN MCCOWN
DESIGN AND RESEARCH: URBAN, TRANSITION AND ERGONOMIC/BEHAVIORAL
Food Box - Reuse of Rural Infrastructure
Night image of the Silo with drone and truck delivery. (click image to view bigger)
Food Box
The Food Box demonstrates how rural infrastructure may be reused. This old and unused silo, located in Fithian, IL becomes a facility to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for local distribution in the region.
Illinois and other Midwestern states lack access to fresh food, especially in winter months. This silo is within an hour and forty five minute drive of over nine million people. Reuse of this silo, and other abandoned infrastructure can provide jobs in rural areas as well as fresh, healthy and local food for people throughout the Midwest.
This project is in progress; check back soon for more details on the project proposal. Project team members include Jacob Costello, Nasar Saghafi, and Christopher Myers.
A map showing the region around the food box; each circle represents a half hour of driving. The silo has market access to over nine million people. (click image for larger view)
Another map view, showing the local context of the silo project. (click image for larger view)
Photos of the existing silo and immediate landscape around it. (click on photos above for a larger view)
Cut away image showing vertical growing systems inside of silo and site development. (click on image for larger view)
Inside view of silo showing growing systems, seedling/work table and interior steel structure with metal grate floor which allows water to flow through down to collection basin at base of silo. (click on image for larger view)
North-South section through silo and homestead. To the north of the silo on site is a greywater treatment area and habitat sink. To the south is a water treatment wetland and prairie restoration on the old railroad embankment. (click image to view bigger)
Axonometric drawing of site showing infrastructure and ecological systems. (click on image for larger view)