Abbey Shaffer
The entrance to GREEN welcomes guests with a bold, eco-friendly design. A lush green wall and curved menu signage highlight the restaurant’s sustainable mission. The open-concept bar, warm wood tones, and natural lighting create an inviting space for dining and community gathering. Warm wafts of fresh baked bread and pizza draw customers in.
This community lounge space seamlessly integrates a fresh produce market, a greenhouse, and a gathering area. The warm wood tones, gold-accented seating, and lush greenery create a welcoming environment where visitors can shop, dine, and connect with sustainability.
The greenhouse and produce market create a seamless connection between growing, harvesting, and preparing food. Guests can buy prewashed produce or harvest their own from the greenhouse, using a community sink to wash fresh fruits and veggies.
The upstairs seating area provides a bright, open space overlooking the entrance below. With a skylight allowing natural light to flood in, guests can enjoy a mix ofcommunal tables, counter seating, and views of the greenery, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
This modern teaching kitchen is designed for hands-on cooking classes. Featuring sleek workstations, a tiled backsplash, and lush vertical gardens, the space integrates sustainable materials and natural elements, creating an inviting environment for learning about food, harvesting, and sustainable cooking practices.
GREEN: Green Rise Engine 10 Empowerment Nexus
GREEN is a 100% self-sustaining business and educational space housed in Franklinton’s historic Engine 10 firehouse. Focused on Growth, Resilience, Empowerment, Energy, and Nature (G.R.E.E.N.), the center has a mission to address food waste and unemployment in the community, while also providing health and education support to the residents of Franklinton.
Originally inspired by composting and closed-loop food systems, the project evolved into a fully integrated, self-sustaining ecosystem guided by the four elements—Earth, Water, Fire, and Air:
- Earth: Indoor, outdoor, and rooftop gardens supply fresh produce for the kitchen,
market, and sandwich shop. - Water: A rainwater harvesting system irrigates indoor plants and powers showers
and toilets through a gravity-fed cycle. - Fire: A wood-burning pizza oven serves as the heart of the kitchen, complemented
by solar panels providing renewable energy. - Air: Open lounge and dining areas foster community connection while promoting
passive cooling and ventilation.
The project preserves the firehouse’s original brick structure and hose tower, utilizing it to show material sustainability and water conservation and adaptive reuse. Research informed multi-use flexibility, community amenities, and greywater recycling, ensuring
minimal environmental impact.
At its core, GREEN is a learning hub, offering cooking classes and wellness programs. The rooftop garden hosts educational sessions on composting, urban agriculture, and renewable energy, inspiring a self-sufficient, resilient future. More than a space, GREEN: Green Rise Engine 10 Empowerment Nexus is a catalyst for sustainable living, where nothing is wasted, and everything is connected.
I’m Abbey Shaffer, an interior designer based in Columbus, Ohio, working at Glavan Group LLC. I specialize in commercial design and am passionate about sustainability, striving to integrate it into every project I take on. It has been incredibly exciting to apply my skills in real-world settings, where I can blend functionality and aesthetics to design spaces that are both beautiful and innovative.
