Some buildings are sympathetic to nature. Others are open to nature. But the River, the latest project from SANAA, is practically a part of nature. As the name suggests, the building’s organic shape resembles a stream meandering peacefully through its idyllic setting. Conversely, the experience of this bucolic place, 80 acres of Connecticut countryside, is enhanced by the River’s calming presence. Viewed through SANAA’s curved glass walls, the sky looks somehow bluer, the trees somehow greener, and the landscape all the more magnificent.
Located in New Canaan, the River belongs to the Grace Farms Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2009 that asked the Pritzker-Prize-winning firm from Tokyo to create a building that embodies its mission as a place where people can “experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community, and explore faith.” The foundation aimed to preserve this unspoiled parcel in perpetuity and share it with the public. Originally a patchwork of small farms, the property had fallen into the clutches of a developer who had it rezoned for a 10-lot subdivision. After saving the land from that fate, the foundation began the international search for a designer that led them to SANAA.
PeopleClient: Grace Farms Foundation, Inc. Owner: Grace Farms Foundation, Inc. Architect: Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: Architect of record: Frank Fusaro, Principal Owner’s Representative/Project Direction: Engineers: Robert Silman Associates Civil: Mechanical: Lighting: Consultant(s): Dennis McGlade, Partner Meadows: Sustainability Building Envelope: Wood: Concrete: Geotechnical Engineer: Geothermal Designer: Acoustics: Nagata Acoustics Graphics: Soils and Wetlands: Conservation Planning and Herpetologist: Commissioning: Other: Photographer(s):
Gross Square Footage: 83,000 gross square feet for the River (enclosed areas plus covered path); 17,000 gross square feet for the barns.
Total Project Cost: $83 million
Construction Cost: $67 million
Completion Date: October 2015 |
ProductsStructural system Steel Superstructure & Ornamental Metals Custom Curved Beams Glue-Laminated Beams & Trusses Tripyramid Structures Inc. Exterior cladding Roschmann Steel & Glass Constructions Inc. Cricursa Wood Fascia Veneer Stucco Architectural Concrete Roofing Roofing (Liquid-Applied + Foam + Silicone) Windows Glazing Doors Metal & Wood Doors Hardware Metal & Wood Door Hardware Interior finishes Cabinetwork and Custom Woodwork Paints and stains Curved Metal Doors, Hardware, Drywall, Plaster and Gypsum, Paint, Toilet Fixtures & Accessories Floor and Wall Tile Concrete Topping Slabs Wood Flooring Wood Ceilings Floor Hatches Electrical Lighting Crenshaw Lighting[Custom Fixtures] Dimming System and Lighting Controls Conveyance HVAC & Plumbing Energy Landscaping and Sitework Geothermal Wells Sitework CUSTOM FURNITURE & FIXTURES: Custom Sanctuary Chairs Custom Lecture Hall Seating Precast Concrete Fireplaces & BBQ pit Drapery and Tracks Graphics Interior Glass & Mirrors Toilet Partitions Barn Doors and Windows OTHERS Security Thermal Insulation Spray-Applied Fireproofing Fire Suppression Masonry Roofing Subgrade Waterproofing Demolition |
