THE AGRITECT

The 2024 NAFDMA Agritourism Farm Tour in Michigan provided valuable insights into various farms, including Gull Meadows, Thistleberry Farms, Bowerman Blueberries, Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo, and others. Key takeaways included the importance of traffic control, accessibility, diverse product offerings, branding, photo opportunities, and careful planning for infrastructure and layout to ensure functionality and efficiency in agritourism endeavors.

Kennel Design Ideas Unleashed on 42 Now that you’ve learned about authorities, laws, codes and rules, set your building on the site. You can now do the fun stuff: Design the layout!   Make a list of all the spaces you think you might need and how big they should be. Think about all the operations, […]

Unleashed on 42 One of the biggest decisions is where to place your kennel building on the site? There are lots of factors to consider, but here are some of ours when we get started! Noise – this is really important to maintaining neighbourly relations, and likely your personal sanity. Depending on how many dogs […]

How to Start Your Kennel Project – Authorities Review Unleashed on 42 You love dogs, and you know there is a need in your community for dog boarding, but you don’t know where to start. In this blog, I will go over both design principles and the authorities/permits needed to get started. Starting any project […]

“My Barn has been standing for 100 years. It should be good to go!”  This is the phrase I am often greeted with when a client asks me to help them with a barn conversion. Unfortunately, this is the biggest myth about barn conversions: Why can’t I just move in and use it? While that statement may be true, we want to make sure it stands […]

Design and Code Considerations for Commercial Kitchen Design The main feature of the existing Brantwood Farm Bakery is preprepared pies and donuts! Working with Legge Design, we are reusing equipment to save on costs and building a much more functional and larger space! We interviewed Scott Legge from Legge Foodservice Facilities Design to discuss important […]

What is sustainable tourism? Creating Meaningful Connection In the pursuit of mindful living and conscious consumption, regenerative agritourism emerges as a beacon of sustainable harmony, weaving together the threads of mindful stewardship, ecological balance, and agricultural heritage. In this article, we delve into the essence of regenerative agritourism, exploring its transformative potential and the profound […]

The sun is also one of our design tools in architecture! And here are some examples of how to inspire people to connect with the sun through buildings!

Looking for tips on how to treat outdoor timber? This guide covers everything you need to know to keep your wooden surfaces and structures looking great and protected from the elements. From cleaning and sealing to staining and painting, this guide has got you covered.

Learn all about custom home costs and the extra costs associated with high-performance homes like passive and pretty good houses. Find out what factors affect the cost of building your dream home, what to watch out for, and general principles to keep in mind.

Why is your farm stay a mini resort?! You’ve probably never thought about your farm stay as a resort, but to many people, it is. So, it’s essential to treat it that way, and there are a few criteria you should consider when you plan it. Tourism spending around the world is shifting from spending in […]

What is Site Plan Control, and how to navigate your agritourism project through it smoothly? Master planning an on-farm winery with a restaurant. Co-credit South2010 architects. You may have heard your municipality mention Site Plan Approval when you go to them with a building permit or agritourism request. And you are probably wondering what the […]

What are the OMAFRA guidelines for On-farm Diversified uses?  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) created the “Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas” to assist municipalities in what OMAFRA feels protects “prime farmland” while providing opportunities for different income streams for farmers. It’s important to remember that it […]

What are the details and considerations that make a passive house or high-performance house different than a typical building? In our previous article, What is the Passive House building standard, we introduce you to the program and outline how it differs from building codes and other programs. In this article, we dive a little deeper […]

And what is the difference between passive house, net zero, and building codes? What is a passive house all about? is a question we hear often. In this article, we explain the programs and standards (like Passive House, LEED, Net Zero, Energy Star, etc.) that are out there for high-performance building and construction. All these […]

Discover the art of converting a barn into your dream home. Some practical tips for transforming a barn into a functional living space

So, we convinced you to keep your barn! Now, what are you going to use it for? Here are some ideas to give your old barn a new life. We hope these suggestions ignite your creativity for repurposing your old barn into something unique! Barn Restoration for Agriculture Uses: There is nothing wrong with reusing […]

Good design is good business! A customer who has a great experience will share that great experience! So how do you create a great experience? I firmly believe it starts with thoughtful design of the property, the buildings, the product, the branding, and the story. All this is designed; it can’t just happen, it has […]

Discover the joy of adopting a barn and preserving our rich heritage. Support sustainability, restore architectural treasures, and make a lasting impact.

“How much will my barn conversion cost?” is the most common question we get, and the answer is it depends! In this blog, we explain the SIX factors that will impact your barn conversation budget. For those who like videos over blogs, we highly recommend you check out our video on barn conversion myths to […]

Master Planning farm market and pick your own play farm One of our clients has a really good motto for covering the main bases for your agritourism operation. Beyond “what are they going to do?” you need to be able to handle these other questions if you want to keep people at your property. And […]

Second dwellings are being encouraged by the Provincial government on all properties in Ontario to help with the housing crisis. This means farm properties, too, but with some caveats. The provincial planning act tries to help by encouraging all municipalities to allow second dwellings on all their property zones and types with fewer restrictions. In […]

And Why architect’s fees are a steal of a deal! A few more questions in case you’re still wondering. Or jump down for further explanation.