we’d like to build a greenhouse for production of food for the school caf

1. we’d like to build a greenhouse for production of food for the school caf • mostly salad greens throughout the full school season • eventually we’d like to add supplemental heat by in-ground hydronic tubes (warm up the root zone) • floor plan will be about 16’x24’; cladding probably rigid polycarbonate plastic panels • we’d like to do the gothic arch design: bend the wood; some pictures later show the process (I’ve been to a workshop where we constructed one of these). • But maybe it’s simpler and “better” to do a “standard stick frame”... ? • once you have the template set up for bending the wooden arcs, one arc takes about 10 minutes to construct... then you just replicate that single arc as many times as you need it...

2. framing walls 2x4 ; roof/rafters 2x6 wall material and roof material single- or double-layer polycarbonate Dynaglas

3. this one uses 2’ OC walls and has ceiling framed same plan dimensions 16’x24’ do you think we would need the ceiling crossbracing?

4. there would need to be horizontal purlins at minimum 3’ intervals on the walls and roofs for the proper attachment of the polycarbonate panels. (I just didn’t know how to draw them.) Since there’s purlins, could we get away with 4’ OC walls and roof studs?

5. here’s what we’d prefer to do; still same plan dimensions of about 16x24; • use roughcut hemlock to bend for the gothic-style arch • polycarbonate panels can be bent and attached directly • ends would be framed, and also cladded with polycarbonate. • height of this – about 11’ at peak

6. rough idea of peak shape and size; we have some much more detailed diagrams showing plan view still somewhere around 16x24 would use 4’ OC arcs, and have horizontal purlins maximum 3’ apart manufacturer recommends this will be strong enough for heavy snow loads, especially with steep sides

7. polycarbonate cladding

8. with horizontal purlins inserted first arc constructed; note spacers for purlin insertion