Mt. Angel Grain Elevator - Adaptive Reuse

As an icon to the agricultural history of Mt. Angel, this grain elevator stands as tall as the local church steeple and is comprised of horizontally stacked 2 x 10 planks. Accompanied by a large timber frame seed cleaning building, these two icons have dotted Mt. Angels skyline for decades. It was the task of our studio to develop a program and a use for these two buildings, as well as a landscape plan. To preserve both the elevator building and a semblance of an agricultural tradition I have chosen to use the elevator for a biodiversity exhibition and the seed cleaning building to house the offices of an organization by the name of GRAIN. GRAIN is an international (NGO) which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on the people’s control over genetic resources and local knowledge.  This use will be complimented by the creation of plentiful field space. This company captures the essence of grain elevator preservation and provides spatial opportunities for the site that emphasize this buildings stature, and historical significance.

Project Type:  Building Adaptive Reuse and Masterplan 

Project Contributions: All work, including but not limited to: Conceptual design,  renderings, drafting, presentation boards, and Physical Model Construction

Date of Completion:  2007

Firm/Organization:  University of Oregon