When it comes to the distinction between the old and new, a line is often drawn between the insecurity of the future and the assurance of past times long ago. With that idea in mind, it’s interesting to think about the development of agriculture as it is representative of one of humanity’s prime achievements, and although it may not be as marvelous as the great pyramids, temples, or cathedrals, its importance is still relevant. These grassroots, such as they were, helped put us on the road to civilization, and although advancements in technology, science and evolution are always occurring, we have yet outgrow our founding roots for farming, agriculture and harvests.
The Acadia Parish Conference Center, created by Trahan Architects represents refreshed ideals, a new world order in respects to traversing the space between urban development and agriculture. Located north-east of Crowley, Louisiana the “Rice Capital of America” it was important for this project to create balance within the site, where modern architecture can be explored and experienced but the importance of the local agriculture was not lost and neglected as it represents such a large part of the community. Emboldened by design’s that complement the harmonic state of nature rather than take from it, the building naturally penetrates the landscape with an intricate balance of sterile whites, glass and purely clean looking angles, hidden in grass.”
Courtesy of Trahan Architects
The entire structure can be seen as four bars housing different programs including a dining room, lecture hall, conference center, and a ballroom. In order to allow for a more intuitive user interface, subtle variations were made to each space, as dictated by the program, which allowed the center to remain uniform while hinting at the different usage from room to room. The effort put forth by Trahan Architects signifies the plausible and undeniable changes in modern development as their vision shows a strong appreciation of the culture around that area, drawing upon it to design not only a green building, but a thoughtful one as well that seeks to preserve the landscape and agriculture itself.