We have always considered MJM+A a firm dedicated not only to serving the needs of our clients but to furthering our chosen profession in every way possible. Thus we are all so enthusiastic when we are exposed to competitions that enable student architects to stretch out and excel. This particular competition was really interesting in that it focused on designing environments for agriculture, not only a noble subject but an area in which we need innovation to stem the detrimental effects of climate change on livestock and crop production. Check out these designs and the rationale behind them.
Image courtesy of Architecture At Zero
FROM BUSTLER / BY KATHERINE GUIMAPANG
The 2023 edition of the Architecture At Zero celebrates another successful year of innovation and competition as student and professional teams submit their design proposals to help reimagine a teaching and innovation farm lab in Allensworth, CA. What makes this competition brief distinct is the competition's site is connected to a historic California town. The town of Allensworth was established in 1908 by Allen Allensworth and was the first of its kind in the state of California to be founded, governed, and financed by the Black community in the area.
The competition, which was open to students and design professionals worldwide, was asked to "design an agriculture center and design housing for farm students on the site." The goal was for design proposals to not only reimagine a new site but to help "connect the history of California’s first Black town to its present aspiration to become a destination for sustainable agriculture and Black history."