Students Present Initial Sustainable Designs for Student Farm Kitchen
Civil & Environmental Engineering students enrolled in course 189-A presented their initial designs for a proposed kitchen, which will be located on UC Davis Student Farm lands just west of Orchard Park Drive and the Colleges at La Rue. Five groups of students with backgrounds, ranging from interior design to mechanical engineering, presented their initial designs to a large group of professors, students and professionals from the architecture and agriculture fields. The design process follows three main goals: flexible and functional, sustainable, and health code certifiable. The teams started developing their designs at the beginning of winter quarter. Each kitchen incorporated a vast array of sustainable materials including: solar panels, geothermal heating, green roofs, straw bale, adobe, recycled wood chips, and even bamboo. The Student Farm Kitchen’s capabilities would need to include: hand and vegetable washing, areas for preparing fresh food, composting, prep areas for dehydrating fruits and vegetables, and outdoor and indoor seating areas. The Student Farm Kitchen will hope to connect crop availability and 
consumption to soil health and the seasons. The Kitchen also will inspire the public with sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle techniques that are realistically attainable. After the teams presented their designs, groups were formed and the audience was allowed to ask questions and provide feedback on the designs. The overall function of the UC Davis Student Farm is to provide a hands-on educational experience and appreciation for farming and gardening. The Student Farm is not only utilized by UC Davis students, but is often host to local schools and culinary programs. To find out more about the UC Davis Student Farm, visit their website: http://studentfarm.ucdavis.edu/