'URBAN DAIRY INSTITUTE'
The Urban Dairy Institute aims to confront consumers with the realities of the dairy industry while proposing alternatives, through compression and release, dichotomy of light and material, and differential learning experiences.
Americans love dairy. However, we don't often think about where it comes from, and some of the negative side effects commercial consumption and production cause. To bring attention to this, the institute acts as a connection point between local sustainable farmers and urban diary consumers, by partnering with those farmers to bring in their excess milk every day. Users of the institute become like pen pals with the farmers - they take the excess milk and make what they need with it, while growing crops in the greenhouse to send back to feed the farmer's animals during the winter. Additionally, the farmers are able to bring in some of their cattle to graze on the site's alfalfa fields periodically throughout the year.
First time users are forced through a string of galleries, starting with a dark space that educates about the issues in the industry. After this, visitors take the elevator all the way to the top floor, where they experience the opposite: a light gallery that showcases the work of the local farmers. From there, users spiral down through the tower, experiencing an indoor and outdoor edible gallery that exposes them to different types of dairy products, before finally landing at the intersection of the learning and making spaces: a classroom for learning how to make their own cheese, instead of relying on the commercial industry.
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Year: 2018
Type: Studio Project
SALA Prize Finalist
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