Written By: David Perkes

A greenhouse is being planned for the backyard of the Sipp Culture White Oak property.  The site for the greenhouse slopes away from the house, presenting an opportunity to work with the topography to create an outdoor classroom that steps down to form places to sit on the uphill side of the greenhouse.  The greenhouse will be around 1600 square feet, providing ample room to significantly expand growing and teaching opportunities.  This greenhouse will have a single sloped roof with a gutter to collect rainwater. It is noteworthy that one inch of rain on the roof of the greenhouse will result in 1000 gallons of collected water. In our climate it is certainly possible to collect enough rainwater to essentially replace using the pubic water system for irrigation. 

The collected rainwater will be stored in a cistern (tank for storing water) at the top of the hill taking advantage of gravity to provide water pressure.  The roof and walls of the greenhouse will be clad in polycarbonate panels, which will be easy to work with during construction, will let in light and be wind resistant.  In addition to the greenhouse, there will be an office and restroom.  These attached rooms are planned to be made of salvaged brick forming a textured curved form in contrast to the smooth rectangular form of the greenhouse. 

The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio is pleased to be a long-time partner of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production.  We have been able to assist with design and community engagement activities for the past several years.  The greenhouse design is a continuation of the work that we have been doing in collaboration with Sipp Culture to repurpose the White Avenue Housing into the center’s workspace and teaching garden.  We value the opportunity to be a part of Sipp Culture’s work.  It is a pleasure to work with partner organizations that are striving to make a difference in the community.  We look forward to helping the greenhouse project get built and be well-used as a key resource for Sipp Culture.