LOCAL SPIRIT
DAVIS FOOD Co-Op
For the community that shops together
DAVIS, CALIFORNIA / 1998
The Davis Food Co-op is the largest cooperative food store in the western USA. It is globally known for its leadership role in the cooperative movement. This project was an expansion and renovation of their existing big-box grocery store at the end of a strip mall. The design process, which drew from cooperative principles, was an intensive collaboration, with two years of bi-weekly meetings and workshops with Co-op management, staff, building committee members, and the board, as well as feedback from the general membership.
The final design makes grocery shopping fun. It is a vibrant expression of what I witnessed in those meetings: the Co-op membership’s distinctive, trailblazing sense of community, lively spirit, and local-first approach to food. The building is at once forward-looking and an ode to its roots. Central Valley-inspired colors, shapes, and materials connect to the global cooperative movement’s culture and history through elements such as a giant, joyful, yellow Co-op sign, bright green pops of color, and a 70s-inspired flower mural. It is a daily social gathering place and a prominent community symbol of the Co-op’s brand and values.
MATERIALS
Big box grocery store
Oversize signage
Steel and wood beams
Vibrant colors
Edible plants
Concrete art pedestals
Giant tomato
RECOGNITION
AIA San Francisco
San Francisco Examiner Magazine
BEST OF THE BAY AND BEYOND HONOR AWARD
The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter recognizes the best annual design and technology architectural achievements regionally and internationally each year. The Davis Food Co-op was one of two non-local projects chosen.
AIA California Council
HONOR AWARD
The American Institute of Architects California Council is the US’ largest state architecture organization. Its annual awards program recognizes architectural excellence within built projects worldwide for their aesthetic and community contributions. The Davis Food Co-op received one of eight Honor Awards—California’s highest architectural achievement.
As the building celebrates its 25th anniversary, the membership continues to make the design their own with kiosks, benches, mature plants, and new art for the original five outdoor art pedestals, including large tomato and carrot sculptures, adding new layers of texture and heart to the original architectural vision.
The core big box becomes a playful, spatial element set at an inviting angle to welcome shoppers. The large covered entry is a community meeting place for visitors arriving by car, bike, or foot.
The entry extends to a metal and wood dining patio for catching a bite and hanging out with friends.
Inside the store, symbols of the international cooperative movement—including rainbow-colored skylights and a repeating pattern of the Twin Pines logo across the green produce wall—celebrate interconnectivity with cooperatives worldwide.
The new design not only fostered community, but it was also good for business. Sales rose significantly in the months after reopening.
A custom 1970s-inspired green and yellow flower mural references new growth and the international cooperative movement’s brand colors.
We added a public-use conference room overlooking the dining patio, providing the community with much-needed collaboration and meeting space.
The exterior landscape focuses on edible plants, including a citrus grove that serves as a buffer between the dining patio and the parking lot and a garden featuring high-yield plants used for demos and workshops.
The large, bright yellow Co-op sign invites end-of-day shoppers and the wider community, signaling that all are welcome.
Photos #1, 4-10, 12 by Luke Ogrydziak
Photos #2-3, 11 by Sharon Risedorph
PRESS MENTIONS
Central Valley Architecture New Ag Roots (2013) / Davis Food Co-op
San Francisco Examiner (1999) / Davis Food Co-op
Smith and Hawken (1999) / Davis Food Co-op
Sacramento Bee (1998) / Peer Pleasure
Limn Magazine of International Design (1998) / The most fist-clenching, mud-slinging, award-winning architecture in town
New Village (1998) / Davis Food Co-op
Metal Architecture (1998) / Davis Food Co-op