America’s Second Harvest, Grace’s Kitchen

The America’s Second Harvest kitchen is a production kitchen facility designed to provide up to 10,000 meals a day to after-school lunch programs throughout the coastal Georgia area. The design embraces the industrial character of the existing facility, with exposed steel detailing, and innovative use of industrial materials. The most significant challenge in the design of Grace’s Kitchen was to create a functional and economical structure. Industrial materials (corrugated metal, exposed steel, concrete, and anodized storefront doors and windows) helped to create an aesthetic compatible with the utilitarian metal buildings located throughout the existing complex. With stainless-steel counters, concrete, epoxy resin floors, and FRP walls, the kitchen was designed to be low maintenance, and its LEED-NC Silver criteria considerations reduce operational costs throughout. A landmark tower adjacent to the entry acts as a lantern at night, making the building visible from President Street.

Inside, the design was expressly tailored to facilitate food production, and the design team had to go through extensive programming exercises to determine the most functional and efficient means to receive, store, prepare, and ship thousands of meals each day. As a teaching kitchen, our team took care to maximize opportunities for daylight and views throughout an open space plan, creating an inspiring and collaborative workplace for students, employees, and volunteers. Materials and systems were selected for their durability, lending this facility an inherent element of sustainability and longevity.