General Contractor, Rob Smith of E2Homes, along with project managers, Matt Cox and Jan Vandegriff.
For four years, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Culinary Garden’s organic soil had been cultivated making it loose, fluffy and easy to plant—filled with air that plant roots need — and with plenty of minerals essential for vigorous plant growth—then along came construction of the Kitchen House.
Of course, the desire of the EdibleEdExp team and garden volunteers was to “SAVE the GARDEN” however, with heads hung low, all were willing to make the short-term sacrifice of the soil in order to get the job done.
Enter the picture, Rob Smith of E2Homes, and heads popped back up, again! Smith while being in the construction business for 10+ years is also an engaged dad of three kids. Rob and Denise, as parents, are deeply invested in sustainable ways of living and look to keep their kids active in the great outdoors. It was Smith who stepped forward to say the garden soil can be saved and should not be compacted by heavy construction equipment throughout the construction process. As general contractor, Smith and his team have remained committed to this concept which included providing specifications when High Reach 2 donated large-sized equipment to span over the garden rather than driving atop the garden.
E2Homes, along with architect of record HuntonBrady and design architect Jose Venegas, has brought other sustainable concepts to the Kitchen House project such as a metal roof for cooling, cisterns for water catchment and solar panels which are being provided by Universal Solar.
“THANK YOU,” to E2Homes, architects, pre-construction engineers, and our professional trades who are creating a place where kids will benefit from grounding education in a garden experience.
Edible Education Experience looks forward to the construction project completion in February and sharing this new community kitchen classroom with kids where cooking and gardening are integrated into school curriculum and beyond . . .
For a complete list of project donors visit www.EdibleEd.org/Donate.
For the most up-to-date photos go to: Facebook.com/EdibleEducationExperience or Instagram: EdibleEdExp.