Growing and gathering : an adaptive re-use plan for Greenwood Greenhouse

Abstract

The precariousness of Japanese American greenhouses presents an interesting challenge for the transforming urban greenhouse business sites. As our population growth has surrounded these small greenhouse growing plots, larger scale lots have become valuable targets for development. Multiple and single family housing are the most lucrative re-use of this type of property. Many Japanese American greenhouse sites have been adapted for uses such as these. Open space is another highly desirable use for this type of property, especially for sites that now find themselves in very dense, urban neighborhoods. The opportunity to capture the significance of these dinosaurs is often overlooked in the redevelopment of these sites. Small efforts to provide hints of former uses are sometimes incorporated but often the site is left void of any connection to the past culture or use of such places. Greenwood Greenhouses, located at 602 North 87th Street, will serve as the study site for this thesis project. The City of Seattle is currently purchasing this site for open space to meet the needs of an under served Greenwood neighborhood. The Department of Parks and Recreation is relying on community input for a use and design of this space. The site has been owned by three different Japanese American families since 1928 and has been used to cultivate greenhouse plants since 1912. The focus of this thesis research has been to answer the proposed question: How can a greenhouse site be adapted and reused while meeting the needs of the community, protecting the historical significance and granting public ownership?