Enjoying wholesome, healthy food is central to the project which begins with an edible garden on the rooftop and is centered on the northern end of the second floor of the building. Carlo Petrini, Founder of Slow Food, emphasizes taste as a gateway to appreciating healthy food. Reflecting this philosophy, the spaces are designed with beauty in mind to make the pursuit of these educational goals exciting.

Rausser College of Natural Resources has its origins in the University’s College of Agriculture. The 1,600 square-foot kitchen supports Rausser’s courses in cooking and nutrition. The Kitchen features double-height spaces with dramatic hoods. The Classroom opens to the Kitchen through a giant folding door.

The Student Pantry connects to the Kitchen visually through large glass walls. In the Pantry, students explore their culinary interests. It has a fully equipped kitchen, cookbooks in a library space with lounge furniture and a great communal table.

Next to these facilities is the Sequoia Dining Room and Catering Kitchen. The Dining Room is also a double-height space that is clad in redwood paneling sourced from a single redwood tree from Sequoia National Park. Great abstracted tree columns support the ceiling. The space is designed to also be used as an informal library-like reading room and can be transformed for lectures and performances by rolling away its tables.

All three spaces can be used separately or together in conjunction with the building’s main courtyard.