Architect working on urban greenhouse project to improve food security in Mattapan
He is currently working on a project with Velarus and David to build a year-round greenhouse in Mattapan, a neighborhood of Boston with a large Haitian population.
By Rachel Yang
MIT News correspondent
July 13, 2022
Excerpt:
A major goal of the greenhouse project is to improve food security in Mattapan through urban agriculture. Brazier is taking a holistic approach to the project, informed by the neighborhood’s input. “We’re thinking about the agricultural process in a full cycle, where we have pollination to food growth to composting,” he says. Besides the main greenhouse, the community space will have a bee apiary, several outside grow beds, and a composting area.
The space will also serve as a place for the community to get together. People can relax in the patio seating area or host an open-air farmer’s market out back. Brazier also hopes to introduce educational programs in the space for kids to learn about agriculture and climate. “We want to create a space that contributes to the overall sustainability of the neighborhood, culturally and socially,” Brazier says.
The greenhouse will sit on a corner lot on the highly trafficked Morton Street. The lot is a short five-minute walk from the street’s major intersection with Blue Hill Avenue. “It’s a prominent area that can really show off what the community is able to do,” Brazier says.
