Wilder Fields

About this Project

JLK is providing architectural design services, lab planning and engineering for a phased construction, high-tech hydroponic facility. Wilider Fields is scaling up its proof of concept operations in the back of the yard neighbor hood, to a full facility. The concept is to bring fresh grown greens for consumption year round, by reusing existing infrastructure, reducing the carbon footprint by growing locally, decreasing the use of arable land, and increasing production without the use of chemicals.

Selecting a vacant Target store in Calumet City, the Wilder Fields facility will be a new source of employment in the area. The volume of the main store area will be occupied by a series of 24 grow rooms, each filled with four to five eight-level racks. Through hydroponic gardening, organic greens will be grown in trays which will be harvested by robots. Almost 20,000 trays will be harvested every six weeks.

The final facility will contain the harvesting, weighing and packaging in the former back-of-house area in a food safe environment, plus a public café serving the products produced, and an education area with tours for school trips to understand this revolutionary method of food production.