Act of Food: Adaptive Reuse of a Warehouse into a Food Bank at Cambridge, Canada | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The food bank site is in a residential area on the northern edge of Downtown Galt, mostly surrounded by the Grand River to the west and the Canadian Pacific Railway lines to the north-east. There are six schools and nearly no common areas within a 20-minute walking distance from the location. There are no local smaller-scale or diverse food sources, so big box grocery stores are the main source of food access.

On nearby properties, there is real estate speculation along with plans for urban development. Thus, the new food bank faces challenges beyond its programmatic requirements. It must respect the site’s physical limitations while offering a safe space for customers. It must accommodate Downtown Galt’s uncertain future while attending to the needs of the community and redefining the stigma associated with food banks.

Design Process

Although timber is considered as a sustainable building material, forestry as a whole depends on a complex sub-soil network of interdependent nodes that is not feasible to cultivate for immediate harvesting. The timber mills at Lake Nippissing offer options for both rapid and slow growth in order to intentionally enhance ecosystem health while extracting lumber from the site.

All wood material for this project will be extracted from this site in Northern Ontario. This research served as the foundation for the project’s central idea, which is that framework—a rigid structure that accounts for the future—is necessary for regeneration—of the community, the land, and the body.

Final Outcome

The architectural manifestation of the food bank relies upon a reciprocal exchange between landscape, building and community. A matrix of programs is created by dividing the site based on its physical and social characteristics, with the food bank located at the centre of the grid. The proposed programs explore ways to collect new energy, reuse old energy, and promote long-term growth with an eye towards a regenerative and circular landscape strategy.

Alternative agricultural systems, such as a livestock farm, a biofiltration pond, and a permaculture food forest, are proposed in addition to traditional urban farming. The architectural concept proposes a compact, square enclosure divided from the wall assembly and supported by a sturdy mass timber column grid. 

Four porches are created, establishing an interstitial zone between outside and inside as a lightweight shading canopy. On top of the timber frame, a regular sawtooth structure runs the length of the building, collecting rainwater, dispensing soft daylighting and producing solar energy all year round. To make the best use of the porches, activities with a public appeal are planned along the perimeter of the large grid, which permits programmatic flexibility.

Conclusion: The project exemplifies the transformative potential of food as a catalyst for healing and regeneration. By repurposing a contaminated brownfield into a vibrant community hub, the food bank not only addresses the immediate need for food security but also fosters social cohesion, environmental restoration, and community empowerment. This project stands as a model for future food infrastructure that nurtures people and the planet alike.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]