The Grange has been recognized with a 2019 National Design Award from the Society of American Registered Architects. The architectural firm, Voith & Mactavish Architect LLP of Philadelphia, accepted the award in Chicago during a ceremony on Nov.1.

Since it was acquired in 2004, Fairfield Farm has grown to become a vital part of the community, providing students with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture by empowering them to grow, harvest, and process produce, which is used in the Dining Hall.

Completed in spring 2015, the Grange stores the farm’s 23,000-plus pounds of produce and provides an ideal setting for student and faculty retreats, class reunions, and outdoor concerts in the summer. The building includes a teaching kitchen for cooking classes, a processing space for farm produce, and a porch that has served as a classroom, place to dine, and an impromptu stage for concerts. A vegetable washing stand flanks the loading area, from which produce is processed and/or stored in a highly insulated full basement below grade. For much of the year, two of the three storage areas maintain the temperatures passively.