Collection by Diana Budds
SANAA's Design for Grace Farms Blends Architecture with Nature
On Grace Farms's pastoral plot of land in New Canaan, Connecticut, the River by Pritzker Prize–winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA takes shape.
Grace Farms is located in New Canaan, Connecticut, about 4.5 miles north of the Glass House. The 75-acre site was formerly used for agriculture and now it will function as greenspace that's open to the public. The organization sought to create a structure that would help people "experience nature, foster community, explore faith, and pursue [social] justice." To that end, SANAA devised an elegant glass structure that hugs the site's natural topography and wends its way through the meadows like a natural river. The goal was to make the building become a part of the landscape. "It can be at once majestic with gardens and long views, while at the same time very personal with shelter and places for meditation," SANAA wrote in its statement of intent. Olin Studio and Larry Weaner Landscape Associates are working on a plan to enhance the site's natural characteristics.
The 86,000-square-foot structure will hold a 700-person ampitheater, a library, a dining area, communial "living" room, and gym/recreation center. Environmental sensitivity was paramount to Grace Farms and a number of grean features will be incorporated: high-efficiency mechanical, electrical, and lighting systems; energy-efficient glazing; a reflective aluminum roof to reduce heat absorbtion; and water-conservation measures. The building is housed under a continual roof and slopes down a 38-foot grade.