Windmill Market
A green business incubator and green building education site in the heart of a coastal community.
Designed by Mac and Gina Walcott of Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, the Windmill Market was designed as an open air marketplace in downtown Fairhope, AL featuring local, seasonal, and sustainable wares. In response to the recession of 2008, it was conceived as a green business incubator, supporting the craftspeople, farmers, and artisans at the heart of this coastal community.
The market is no longer in operation, but was intended to act as a demonstration site for many green building technologies. By offering green building tours to students and the general public, visitors to the market were encouraged to go on “Green Detective” scavenger hunts, where they could try to identify all of the building materials with a “past life.” The Windmill Market was recognized by the City of Fairhope as an outstanding green building education site.
Project type: commercial new construction
Location: Fairhope, AL
Key Stats:
Windmill and solar panels produce energy
Primary lighting through skylights
Rainwater used to flush toilets
Waterless urinals and dual flush toilets
“Grey water garden” purifies water naturally
Stormwater captured in pervious parking lot
Recycled materials showcased throughout
