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The Food-Focused USA Pavilion At Expo Milano Will Be An Eco Haven

Biber Architects are building vertical farms, rainwater irrigation systems, and tons of food trucks for the sustainability-focused Expo. You won't leave hungry.

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Today, it was announced that Biber Architects is building the USA Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015, an international exhibition focused on the challenges and progress in sustainable food systems and energy. We've already seen the epic smog-eating building that will appear in Italy between May 1st and October 31st, 2015, but the States' contribution is a fitting addition for the Expo's theme, "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life."

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A collaboration between the James Beard Foundation and the International Culinary Center in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, America's pavilion will be serving up eco-eats at the Expo with "American Food 2.0: United To Feed The Planet." As the name suggests, the exhibition will feature green design projects like a vertical farm and solar energy installation, as well as a swath of food trucks scattered around a massive boardwalk. That last part sounds very American, indeed.

The press release elaborates:

Entitled “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet,” the USA pavilion features an open, airy, barn-inspired structure, moving visitors through a series of exhibits to facilitate conversations about America’s role in the global food system. Plans include ecological elements including a harvestable vertical farm, rainwater irrigation system and photovoltaic panels as well as uniquely American features such as regional food trucks and an expansive boardwalk.

The main architectural feature is a floating vertical farm running the length of one side of the pavilion. The hydroponic facade will feature a variety of harvestable crops, set into panels that will track the motion of the sun, which are sustained by a rainwater irrigation system. The wall is a “didactic display talking about the past, present and future of the American farm and the American diet,” comments Biber. With the pavilion doubling as a backdrop for interactive exhibits, state-of-the-art digital media and live performances, the farm will also become a dynamic spectacle where aerial performers will act out a harvest ballet. Meanwhile, on the other side of the pavilion, a perforated metal structure in rusted, galvanized and blued steel will create a subtle reference to Old Glory.

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According to James Biber, founder and principal of Biber Architects, “The pavilion itself is a scaffolding for ideas, a rethinking of the nature of the expo pavilion and of America as a force in the food world.” It's also a response to the "closed box architecture of recent expos," in an attempt to encourage "openness, transparency, and accessibility with considerate references to American culture."

The Expo expects to attract upwards of 20 million people, so let's hope they've got enough food trucks to keep everyone satiated. But, that's kind of the whole point anyway. Seem some concept photos of Biber's pavilion below, and head over to [Expo Milano's site](http:// http://www.usapavilion2015.net/) for more info on the project.

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