Young Sydenham Architect's First Green Local Build

Oct 03, 2013

The stars seem to have lined up recently for former Sydenham High School graduate Amber Kilborn. Amber, who just graduated from Dalhousie University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture/environmental studies, was the first person who came to mind when Janette Haase, facilitator of the Southern Frontenac Community Services community garden at the Grace Centre, found out that the organization had received a $30,000 grant to build a greenhouse there.

Haase has known Amber since she was 12 years old. She said she knew Amber was “more than capable” of heading up the build and contacted her to see if she would be interested in designing and coordinating it.

Amber said initially it took a bit of convincing before she agreed to sign on, but she quickly realized that it would be a great hands-on experience. “It's been an amazing learning experience and I'm a quick learner, so that helped me out a great deal,” she said.

The 950 square foot building, which will be known as the Grace Centre Greenhouse, is 80% finished and it was officially opened at the Culture Days event on September 29. The project is Amber's first build and she said she “got her hands dirty and did a bunch of construction as well”.

One of the specifications for the building was that it be accessible to clients of the SFCSC's adult day program, who will be invited to work in it during their visits to the center. The building was built on a concrete slab and has one concrete block wall, both of which provide thermal mass to the space, allowing it to heat up in the day and give off heat at night. Five raised garden beds built at task height will allow SFCSC's clients to work in the gardens while standing. A hooped section of the building will contain the more production-based garden area with regular low-lying gardens. The building has no electricity or heating system; instead, it has a passive ventilation system that utilizes the site’s natural prevailing winds, which run east/west through the building through a channel of openings in the east and west walls, allowing the winds to pass through and take up any heat. The bottom-most hoops in the building will eventually roll up to allow cold air to enter at the bottom of the building, and operable openings at the building’s upper-most section can be opened to either let heat escape in the warmest summer months or keep it inside in colder months.

Construction began in the last week of June and the finishing touches will be done in the next few weeks. Completion is expected for the end of October. Amber expects the first gardens to be planted before winter so that both the SFCSC food bank and the adult day clients will have fresh salad greens to eat in December.

Tanner Liscomb, a Sydenham High School student hired through KEYS ( Kingston Employment Youth Services), assisted with the build, along with local carpenter Brendan Arthur. A number of other committed local volunteers, Ingrid Golemiec and Ron Hipner, assisted with the build, as did students in Alan McDonald's grade seven Challenge class at Loughborough Public School. Kepler Bell Contracting also lent a hand in the construction of the building.

Janette Haase, who founded the outdoor community garden at the centre last year, said she is excited to also have the greenhouse now, which will extend the growing season. “I hope to have spinach, kale and swiss chard and other greens into December. We will start our transplants in May and then have our first spinach come April.”

The greenhouse will supply fresh produce for nine months of the year. Haase said this project has been the most wonderful one she has worked on to date. “So many people in the community took part and everything just came together so perfectly.”

Jennifer Linton, coordinator of the SFCSC Food Bank, said that being able to supply food bank clients with fresh produce for nine months of the year will be a real bonus. “The response from the clients has been great and people love getting fresh vegetables.” She also said that the number of clients using the food bank is on the rise. In 2012 the SFCSC food bank served over 1000 adults and 660 children, an increase of 29% from 2011, and Linton said she predicts that increase to rise to over 30% this year.

With her first project under her belt, Amber said she now plans to work in her field and then travel before returning to school in May, where she will studying for her master’s degree.