United Tribes Technical College (UTTC)
Bismark, ND

Designed with the incredibly talented team at DSGW, the new United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) retractable roof greenhouse. With the goal of making enough food to serve the cafeteria and onsite cafe, the greenhouse is both an educational tool and real life lesson is sustainability.

“The 140x140ft greenhouse will serve to benefit students of UTTC all year and will assist in multiple research and educational opportunities for students in the school’s Sustainable Ag. and Food System program.

In the greenhouse, students will receive additional training in crop production, sensor utilization, and analyzing remote monitoring, production, and energy cost data to help develop a greater understanding of economics.”

“With energy-efficient materials and innovative design, this greenhouse will produce enough energy to sustain its own needs. The DSGW design team has implemented the use of exposed concrete acting as a thermal mass on the south facing interior walls, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and insulated concrete forms (ICFs), for superior thermal performance.

Also included is an innovative retractable glazed roof enclosure by OpenAire that can be operated at the push of a button that can be used year-round, outperforming a typical greenhouse roof.

UTTC is actively teaching Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) alongside modern methods and this project will continue their path forward toward Indigenous Food Sovereignty.”

Read more… https://www.buffalosfire.com/uttc-introduces-first-net-zero-greenhouse-at-a-tribal-college/