The Wholesale Market and Facility Design team provides technical assistance and support to stakeholders regarding the construction of new structures or the remodeling of existing ones. These facilities include wholesale markets, farmers markets, public markets, incubator kitchens, and food hubs, all of which are important parts of the national food distribution network. The facilities may be indoors or outdoors, a single building or an industrial complex.
Market construction projects can require major capital investment. Our involvement may facilitate project advancement. The design involves far more than its appearance; the building must be functional, safe, and efficient and must meet the needs of the people using it. Our support involves leadership in design development, from the initial concept discussion with the customer through hand over to a local professional in the completion of the construction documents. The program also offers review of the costing phase and the construction process. In developing the design, our work follows building codes, zoning laws, fire regulations, and other local and state ordinances for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
The program does not offer or provide any engineering disciplines (i.e. structural, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.) Neither does the program provide the stakeholder with construction documents, specifications, or stamped and sealed documents for construction.
Our services include, but are not limited to assistance in:
- Review of environmental issues/ impacts;
- Site selection (space planning, layout, etc.);
- Initial design concept (sketches, programming, floor plans, elevations, etc.);
- Building cost study (S.F. costs only);
- Coordination with local design professionals as a non-contracted third party; and,
- Third party design reviews as a non-contracted third party.
For more information, please contact Ronald Batcher
Resources
- Search publications and presentations
- Wholesale Markets and Facility Request Form (pdf)
- Designing Food Facilities: Overview (pdf)
- Designing Food Facilities: Planning (pdf)
- Designing Food Facilities: Optimizing Form and Function (pdf)
- Building a Food Hub from the Ground Up: A Facility Design Case Study of Tuscarora Organic Growers (pdf)