Badlands Agriculture and Environmental Research Center
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Abstract
This project, titled Badlands Agriculture and Environmental Research Center, is an examination of local agriculture and how it can be reconnected to a larger community. This project fits into a research/living/learning center typology that is more agriculture urban, rather than urban agriculture. The idea behind this investigation is that we have lost a connection with food production. There is more concern in recent times about food sourcing and contamination. This investigation seeks to bridge that gap on how communities can reconnect with farmers in the area and source and learn about initiatives, such as farm to table and value added agriculture. The primary clients of this facility are the researchers and students that will live there. The community at large also benefits from this facility. This facility is situated in western North Dakota, with proximity to Dickinson, but amongst the prairie. The building is also roughly 200,000 square feet. The emphasis of this project is reconnecting people to the source of their food and educating them along the way. This project will proceed by pursuing farm to table agriculture and healthy building environments that foster a sustainable lifestyle and nurture human health. Documentation of this process will be accomplished through research notes and photography at major developments of the project.