The project designs for the headquarters of Soil Foundation, a new NGO proposed for the project to advocate for sustainable organic farming practices. Hoping to raise awareness of the importance of soil health, the foundation is sited on a remediated Superfund site near Madison, Wisconsin. The 60-acre campus combines education, research, and office buildings with farming test fields which are both working sites and open to public visits. Steering away from the industrial regular grid system, the plan follows the natural topography, which works the best for soil and water. The foundation experiments on regenerative farming through incorporating fungus into the practice to enhance soil conditions. The buildings take on separate volumes on the ground level while sunken patios and pathways are created underground to connect the volumes and to let in natural sunlight. The three sunken gardens each bring awareness to a different sensorial quality of soil with the themes of smell, touch, and taste. Sarah Shi
