North Brooklyn Farms is a productive green space located on the footprint of the iconic Domino Sugar refinery complex. The site provides access to a stretch of the East River that had been inaccessible to the public for 150 years. NBW's design supports and weaves a functional and dynamic urban farm and welcoming community space with flexible capacity to support a variety of public and private events.
While the project was built by farm staff, NBW helped to design subsurface drainage and typical soil profiles for lawn, perennial and crop areas, and to develop a site plan that locates and scales events, site kitchen, restrooms, and back of house areas while highlighting key views. The design celebrates the aesthetic pleasures of agricultural productivity by integrating them into a greenspace not just as borrowed views, but as an engaging experience where environmental education and agricultural exploration work hand in glove.
