Grace Farms
{{short description|Public space in New Canaan, Connecticut}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
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{{Promotional|date=April 2020}}File:Grace Farms River building.jpg
File:Grace Farms River building roof.jpg
Grace Farms is an 80-acre cultural and humanitarian center in New Canaan, Connecticut. Grace Farms is owned and operated by Grace Farms Foundation,{{Cite web|url=https://gracefarms.org/grace-farms-foundation/|title=Grace Farms Foundation {{!}} About Us|website=Grace Farms|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-03}} a not-for-profit organization whose interdisciplinary humanitarian mission is to pursue peace through nature, arts, justice, community, faith, and Design for Freedom, a new movement to remove forced labor from the built environment. The Foundation carries out its work through Grace Farms, a SANAA-designed site for convening people across sectors. Its stake in the ground is to end modern slavery and gender-based violence, and create more grace and peace in local and global communities.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://gracefarms.org/about-2/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Grace Farms |language=en-US}} Sharon Prince is the CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation. Prince also launched the Design for Freedom movement with the publication of a nearly 100-page report that provides analysis and data on forced labor in building materials supply chains.{{Cite web |title=Sharon Prince |url=https://gracefarms.org/team-posts/sharon-prince/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Grace Farms |language=en-US}}
Grace Farms Foundation set out to create a building nestled into the existing habitat that would enable visitors to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community, and explore faith. The River building, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning, Japanese architecture firm SANAA,{{Cite web|url=http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/sanaa-grace-farms-river|title=SANAA designs a sinuous new center for Grace Farms Foundation|date=October 31, 2014|website=Architectural Digest}} is a part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself. Under the continuous roof are five transparent glass-enclosed volumes that can host a variety of activities and events, while maintaining a constant sense of the surrounding environment. The areas of the River building are: the Sanctuary, a 700-seat amphitheater; the library, a staffed library with resources related to Grace Farms Foundation's initiatives; the Commons, a community gathering space with 18-foot-long tables; the Pavilion; a welcome reception and conversation space with tea service; and the Court, a partially below-grade recreational and performance space.{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/sejima-lit-up-when-we-said-we-wanted-grace-farms-to-disappear-into-the-landscape/10003785.article|title=‘Sejima lit up when we said we wanted Grace Farms to disappear into the landscape’|date=March 7, 2016|website=Architectural Review}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.archdaily.com/775319/grace-farms-sanaa|title=Grace Farms / SANAA|date=October 14, 2015|website=Arch Daily}} Approximately 77 of Grace Farms' 80 acres are currently managed as open meadows, woods, wetlands, and ponds.
Grace Farms is free and accessible to the public six days a week. It includes two exhibits,{{Cite web |title=Exhibits |url=https://gracefarms.org/exhibits/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Grace Farms |language=en-US}} open arts studios, and a wide range of daily programming led by its visitor engagement team.
Permanent contemporary art installations by Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Teresita Fernández, Beatriz Milhazes, and Susan Philipsz are located around Grace Farms.{{Cite web|url=http://www.artnews.com/2015/05/01/grace-farms-announces-commissions-by-thomas-demand-olafur-eliasson-more/|title=Grace Farms Announces Commissions by Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, More|date=May 1, 2015|website=Art News}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/nyregion/at-grace-farms-encountering-art-at-every-bend.html?_r=0|title=At Grace Farms, Encountering Art at Every Bend|date=November 27, 2015|website=The New York Times}}
Architecture
Opened in 2015, the River building was designed by the Japanese architectural firm SANAA, led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.{{cite web|title=Grace Farms Opens With A Distinctive Open Space|url=http://www.courant.com/entertainment/arts/hc-grace-farms-1025a-20151025-story.html|publisher=Hartford Courant|accessdate=19 August 2016|date=October 25, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Grace Farms|url=http://www.archdaily.com/775319/grace-farms-sanaa|publisher=ArchDaily|accessdate=19 August 2016|date=October 14, 2015}} The porous design of Grace Farms and the River building was meant to inspire and break down barriers between people and nature. Natural light flows through more than 200 floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the River building, generating 360-degree views of the landscape in the changing seasons. The undulating pathways under a curvilinear roof follow the flow and elevation of the land. The River building has been honored nationally and internationally with numerous prestigious design awards.
Grace Farms consists of the 48-acre former Windsome Farm, an equestrian facility, and an adjacent 27-acre parcel, which were bought between 2008 and 2009 by the Grace Farms Foundation.{{cite web|title=Renowned architects design $50M building for New Canaan's Grace Farm Foundation|url=http://www.newcanaannewsonline.com/news/article/Renowned-architects-design-50M-building-for-New-3915538.php|publisher=New Canaan News|accessdate=19 August 2016|date=October 3, 2012}} An additional five acres were later purchased. The property still features the equestrian farm's paddocks, as well as two barns that are now used as a welcome center and offices.
Awards
- Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) 2014-2015, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11950-grace-farms-by-sanaa-wins-mies-crown-hall-americas-prize?v=preview|title=Grace Farms by SANAA Wins Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize|date=October 20, 2016|website=Architectural Record}}
- AIA National 2017 Architecture Honor Award, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=https://www.aia.org/showcases/25631-grace-farms|title=Grace Farms|date=January 13, 2017|website=The American Institute of Architects}}
- Fast Company, 2016 Innovation by Design Awards, Social Good Finalist, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcodesign.com/product/grace-farms|title=Grace Farms|date=September 12, 2016|website=Fast Company}}
- The Architect's Newspaper Best of Design Awards, 2016 Building of the Year (East), Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=https://archpaper.com/2016/12/2016-building-of-the-year-east-grace-farms-sanaa/#gallery-0-slide-0|title=2016 Building of the Year > East: Grace Farms by SANAA|date=December 12, 2016|website=The Architects Newspaper}}
- AIA Connecticut 2016 Design Honor Award, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://aiact.org/awards-program/aia-connecticut-design-awards/aia-connecticut-2016-design-awards/|title=AIA Connecticut 2016 Design Awards|website=AIA Connecticut}}
- Illuminating Engineering Society, 2016 Lumen Awards, Award of Merit, BuroHappold for Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://iesnyc.org/images/downloads/Lumen_2016/lumen2016_merit_gracefarms.pdf|title=Grace Farms|date=June 16, 2016|website=Illuminating Engineering Society}}
- 2016 Architizer A+Awards, Architecture +Engineering, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://awards.architizer.com/winners-gallery/?event=56&type=51|title=2016 Winners|date=April 12, 2016|website=Architizer A+Awards}}
- Greater New York Construction User Council, 2016 Chairman's Reception, Public Space, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=https://eventseeker.com/event/jun-21-2016/204376450-2016-greater-new-york-construction-user-council-chairman-s-reception-new-york|title=2016 Greater New York Construction User Council Chairman's Reception|date=June 21, 2016}}
- Engineering News-Record (ENR) New England, Best Project Winner for Culture/Worship category, August 2016, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://www.enr.com/articles/40952-project-of-the-year-new-england-best-cultural-worship---grace-farms-river-building|title=Project of the Year New England, Best Cultural Worship - Grace Farms River Building|date=November 22, 2016|website=ENR New England}}
- The Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA), 2015{{Cite web|url=https://www.cisca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3417|title=2015 AWARDS: ACOUSTICAL SOLUTIONS|website=Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association}}
- Construction Excellence Award in Acoustical Solutions East Region - Gold, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://www.wconline.com/articles/90115-cisca-construction-excellence-award-winners|title=CISCA Construction Excellence Award Winners|date=April 17, 2016|website=Walls & Ceilings}}
- TownVibe, 2016 Green Award, Grace Farms{{Cite web|url=http://www.townvibe.com/Town-Vibe-Special-Issue/March-April-2016/Really-Amazing-Grace/|title=Really Amazing Grace|website=TownVibe}}
- LEED Silver Certification for Operations and Maintenance, 2019{{Cite web|title=LEED Sustainability|url=https://gracefarms.org/leed-sustainability/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Grace Farms|language=en-US}}
See also
References
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External links
{{commons category|Grace Farms}}
- [http://www.gracefarms.org Grace Farms] - official site
Category:Tourist attractions in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Category:Buildings and structures in New Canaan, Connecticut