Cutting-Edge Agriculture Center Breaks Ground

Studio Gang has started construction on the Marlboro Agricultural Education Center in southern Brooklyn, a project that aims to address food insecurity and promote urban agriculture. Located at the Marlboro Housing Project in Gravesend, the center is a collaboration with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and operated by The Campaign Against Hunger.

The 9,000-square-foot facility will feature a gabled greenhouse on its roof, designed to support plant and fish cultivation. The ground floor will house a teaching kitchen and a sheltered market, ensuring year-round operation. Studio Gang’s founding partner, Jeanne Gang, expressed hope that the center would serve as a model for urban solutions to food insecurity and equity.

Architectural pictures show a slender building with colorful walls, operable glass windows, and a raised platform to mitigate flood risks. The design includes an industrial aesthetic with exposed orange structural trusses framing the windows. A large patio will provide a gathering space at the building’s end.

The project, part of New York City’s Design-Build program, involves Consigli Construction Company in both design and construction to streamline processes. Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the center’s role in addressing the disparity in access to healthy food in Brooklyn, aiming to bring sustainable food, jobs, and education to the community.

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