Architecture students construct mobile greenhouse

<p>Architecture students at Ball State are working to build a mobile greenhouse to support urban farming in Indiana. The project, "Growing Green," is the first of it's kind that the College of Architecture and Planning has done. <em>DN PHOTO RAYMOND GARCIA</em></p>

Architecture students at Ball State are working to build a mobile greenhouse to support urban farming in Indiana. The project, "Growing Green," is the first of it's kind that the College of Architecture and Planning has done. DN PHOTO RAYMOND GARCIA

A group of fourth year architecture students is building a mobile greenhouse to help support urban farming in Indiana.

“Growing Green” is the first mobile greenhouse that the College of Architecture and Planning has made, said Timothy Gray, an associate professor in CAP.

“It is a great opportunity for the students and for a great cause,” Gray said. “The funding was already in place, so it was an easy decision.”

The project is funded by the Center for Urban Ecology at Butler University. Gray said CAP has previously worked with the center and was asked again to work on a project.

The project began in the fall when students designed the house, and this semester they are building the greenhouse.

The class of 14 students is working in the Design Build Lab at the corner of McKinley and Neely avenues. They are building the structure on a 32-foot flatbed trailer.

Jamie Craine, a senior architecture major, is one of the students who worked on the design and is now building the house.

“I was really invested in it when we designed it, and so coming back to actually build it was a really exciting thing,” Craine said.

Students working on the project are gaining various skills including metalworking, welding and using machinery, Craine said.

“Even the actual act of building things is always difficult,” Craine said. “You always run into problems.”

One of the problems has been the weather. Craine said the snowfall last week caused a delay, and working in the cold can be difficult.

When the greenhouse is complete, it will be taken to Butler University, where it will be utilized for urban farming, Gray said.

According to the project website, the house will promote community outreach as it can travel to various areas to provide produce for malnourished communities.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of the semester.

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