Grace Farms

Great space for any architecture nerd like me. We did the tea and architecture tour that ran about 1.5 hours. We got to have tea in the tea pavilion and walk around guided to learn about the architecture of the structure. I believe the tickets are $ 25 a person that goes back to the Grace Farms Foundation that runs the property and hosts many programs.
SANAA, the architect, thought of everything from the grains of wood, furniture and multi function of each space. The building lays perfectly with the landscape and folds into the natural topography. There is the Commons where you can eat breakfast and lunch, a library, a great space to study and read, the Sanctuary, tea pavilion, indoor Basketball court (amazing! even played 2 rounds of basketball with my bf) and great meeting spaces. There are many activities planned for summer and a great space for family and kids~

This place is amazing!!! Came here for a quick visit with my girlfriend (she’s an architect and helped work with sanaa on this project). The buildings look very unique and do blend into hills!
The library has some amazing books, they even had Dan barbers new book! I just wanted to grab it and sit by the window and read.
The commons had some pretty good food and very well priced! For a «community center» this café had some pretty tasty choices. Grilled cheese… Superb, creamy with thinly sliced tomatoes. And the beef empanadas are a great snack!
Came in March when it was cold out, would love to come back when it’s warmer.

Nice and quiet area, interesting architecture. The staff are very nice. The food is a bit pricey and not that great. Eat first, then come by for a visit.

This place is an amazing facility with a great café. Reasonable prices great food. Come for lunch and a walk.

Lone this entire experience. The grounds are amazing and the river building is my favorite. Had a nice fresh reasonably priced lunch.

I went there on Saturday with my family for what I thought would be a lecture on empathy. It was a dance interpretation and great live, music. We were blown away by everything it represents. I will be back. I have told everyone I know about this blissful sanctuary.

Grace Farms – where nature and building infrastructure unite. If you’re interested in architecture and/​or nature, you need to go here. I went here in October with my boyfriend and his parents, and it was a great day adventure. The River Building opened recently, and the pictures simply do not do it justice. Every single detail for this building was constructed with a purpose. As their website suggests, «The walkways, courtyards and glass-​wrapped volumes that form beneath the roof are remarkably transparent and invite people to engage with the expansive natural surroundings.» The building was created with nature in mind.
It is completely free to enter. There is a café where you can purchase food or drinks, but we brought our own lunch and had a picnic outside. It might be a bit chilly in the cooler months, but when we went, it was beautiful. I definitely recommend going in the fall to see the fall foliage. The colors were absolutely breathtaking, and it was fantastic to be surrounded by nature no matter which part of the building you entered.
Within the connected buildings there is a theater/​sanctuary, library, basketball court, eating area, various rooms to hold conferences, an underground big screen TV, and more. There are also plenty of places to explore outside. We didn’t make it to the ponds, but apparently there are some. Perhaps we will venture back on a spring day to see them.

Stunning architecture!!!

This was one of the most stunning places I’ve been in a while. The architecture, the staff, the landscape, the tea, the program. It had it all. It was quite a surprise.
My girlfriend and I drove up from the city and were expecting a FINE place. Instead, we were BLOWN away by its beauty and its clear intentionality.
The tea service was really fun, and we’d recommend that you meet Frank and Courtney! We will certainly go back.

Based on a visit during their opening Community Day, Grace Farms offers a stunning landscape dedicated to faith and nature, featuring sustainable, cutting edge architecture in a pastoral setting with spaces intended for education and growth for those of all ages. In addition to more traditional buildings including school and multi-​purpose rooms and a coffee shop, it features a major core structure designed by SANAA Architects ([Kazuyo] Sejima and [Ryue] Nishizawa and Associates) of Japan who won the Pritzker Price for Architecture in 2010. Called The River, the central building (s) consists of five pavilions linked by elaborate, curving covered walkways as they flow down the New England hillside. At the top is The Sanctuary (an auditorium that will be used for worship and performances), followed by The Library, The Commons, The (Tea) Pavillon and at the bottom of the hill, The (Basketball) Court. Although the landscaping wasn’t entirely complete on opening day, the early fall foliage provided a striking frame and the surrounding acres provide an inviting setting for strolling and contemplating, in addition to buildings for gathering and celebrating; they also have a number of site-​specific artworks. Although some of the slopes are a bit steep, the complex, which has facilities scattered through-​out, is designed to be fully accessible and offers on-​site parking, particularly important in an exclusive neighborhood that frowns on leaving your car on the street.