Jackson Street Grocery Market
Grocery Market
Sandusky, OH
​
Kent State University
Fall 2014
Professor:
Jack Hawk, AIA
Food for the People - Growth for the City
The vision of this project is to establish a new central downtown food market that will provide healthy and fresh foods to the people of downtown Sandusky. The service it provides will further encourage more development into the downtown area. The goal of this new central market is to be a market that has specializations in certain real and fresh foods. Give the resients of downtown Sandusky the opportunity to acquire quality foods to sustain a healthy life. The availability of such a service will serve as a catalyst to more people continuing to move into downtown. Access to this kind of food is key to sustaining a population of people who actively live and function within the downtown limits.
Corner of Water St. and Jackson St.
This project presents a unique challenge, having an edge on three sides of one of Sandusky’s city blocks, with people approaching from many sides. There is also a unique condition where a pedestrian alley connects Columbus Avenue straight to the site. This alley was treated as a compression between Columbus Ave. and a new open plaza created at the arrival of the site. This plaza also works to accept people coming from the parking garage across the street. An entrance hall is created on axis with the alley that connects from that new plaza to the other main entrance on Jackson Street. The main grocery store and also the two other business can be accessed from this entry hall.
Market St. plaza entry
Main interior shopping hall viewed from upper level restaurant
Emphasis on Daylight - This building follows basic grocery store formula but adds new levels of delight to the shopping experience by introducing daylight into the space. Over the main shopping hall is a curved roof form in bays of 60’ that prioritize the entrance of soft north light and shaded east and west light. Each section of roof is lifted above the previous, creating a clerestory that allows daylight to penetrate areas of a store usually entirely dependent on artificial light.
Winds - The orientation of building masses on the site is based on two different wind conditions and how these masses affect exterior spaces that need to be comfortable. There is a plaza that is located at the end of an existing alley that is designed to be a major entry point to the site from Market Street and Columbus Avenue. This space needs to be one where people may exist in all times of the year. The open end of the plaza should be able to capture summer winds, allowing for comfort during hot weather. The plaza is also shielded by the building from the harsh winter winds, avoiding severe wind chills.
Ventilation - One additional advantage to the clerestory lighting provided is that there is a possibility for it to be opened up, and during certain times of the year, natural ventilation may occur as warm air passes through the clerestory and to the outside. During these times, the grocery store would have a feeling similar to the covered open air markets of Europe.
Urban Farming - On the second floor, the area above the two small retail shops are dedicated for urban farming. Herbs, mushrooms, and other produce may be grown there on vertical panels year round. This will greatly minimize the stores’ impact of bringing in produce from outside sources, as well as inform customers about more sustainable food.
"De Great Sir Walter Haim Hall" - a good friend of mine
