SAP Event Barn: Sustainable Interior Infrastructure

Introduction

The Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP) at GVSU is more than just a small farm - we can tell through their mission statement that they aim to be an educational space for interns, volunteers, and visitors. In order to accomplish this goal in the best possible way, we hope to establish an event barn with classrooms, a kitchen, and a large common gathering area to serve as an inclusive space for hands-on learning, preparing produce for the farmer’s market, and as a place for the greater local community to gather for gardening, event receptions, and conferences. Offices for the SAP management team are included to reduce their travel back and forth between campus, and provide a space on site for meetings with interns and stakeholders. Furniture, appliances, and energy use will be kept sustainable and efficient, while supplying a comfortable space for learning and community events. The event barn is a needed addition to the SAP.

Description of Rooms and Uses

Community Area:

The common area of the barn will serve as a place to host larger gatherings at the SAP. The long and slender design will allow for both a classroom style set up, with removable table and chairs, and a more interactive style set up where people can move around.

Storage Area:

The storage room in the event barn will serve multiple purposes for those who use the SAP. A large overhead door will allow employees to store large farm equipment in the barn. Standard doors will be used to access storage from the inside to store tables and chairs for the common area, additional classroom supplies, and anything else deemed necessary for the barn.

Bathrooms:

Two single stall, ADA compliant bathrooms will be located at the rear of the barn and accessible for all to use. In the bathrooms there will be baby changing stations, basic hygiene products, and heavy duty farm soap provided.

Offices:

Two offices will be present in the event barn. One of which will be used by the director of the SAP and student interns. The other will be available for New City Neighbors and other organizations who use the SAP.

Classrooms:

Two classrooms, large enough to fit about 20 students, will be set up in a traditional manner for learning purposes in the event barn. These classrooms will have a computer, projector, and whiteboard. Additionally, a cart with laptops will be available to access the internet.

Kitchen:

A small scale kitchen will be available for learning purposes as well as for food serving. The kitchen will have all appliances needed for cooking, as well as a vegetable wash station and a cold storage area for fresh produce. A glassless window with a serving counter will make serving from the kitchen to the community area quick and easy.

Blue Print

Appliances/Electronics Required

All appliances will be either Energy Star certified or have comparable energy requirements to appliances and devices that do qualify for Energy Star Certification.

Common Area:
- Projector: 0.15kW
Kitchen:
- 2 Gas Ranges (Oven/stove): 2.3kW
- Toaster Oven: 1.2kW
- Microwave: 0.6kW
- Refrigerator: 0.35kW
- Commercial Freezer: 0.38kW
- Dishwasher: 1.8kW
- 2 Large Sinks: About 0
Classrooms:
- 2 Projectors: 0.15kW
- Computer Cart with Laptops: 1.3kW
Offices:
- 2 Computers: 4.6kW
- 2 Computer Monitors: 0.06kW
General:
- LED Lighting: 0.3kW
- Handicap Opening Doors: Negligible (10mW per use)
- HVAC: 0.75kW

Total: About 13.88kW at peak load (all appliances and electronics at once).

Sustainability Highlight:

As a part of the university and as part of the sustainable agriculture project, ensuring that this space is maintaining current environmental standards is of the utmost importance. Accomplishing this means being intentional about all of the resources that are being used during the completion and operation of the event barn. Some sustainable alternatives that are being implemented are recycled insulation, power saving light bulbs, water saving toilets, motion sensor lights, pre measured soap dispensers, and pre owned furniture. Another way that this event barn can be made more environmentally conscious is in the building itself. Incorporating south facing windows allows for the rooms to utilize passive solar energy as well.