An idea to repurpose 58-miles of land along the Rio Salado River corridor and create a living and agricultural infrastructure won local architect, Michael Krause, first place in an International Ideas Competition,

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Urban Land Institute Arizona and Arizona Forward sponsored the competition, Rio Reimagined.

Architects, urban planners, developers and community leaders were invited to submit visionary proposals that would help restore the river’s natural ecosystem and spur economic vitality.

The river’s corridor encompasses six municipalities, two Native American communities and Arizona State University.

The centerpiece of Krause’s design is GrowHaus 2.0, which is an education and neighborhood resource center to advance new technological ideas for agriculture in extreme environments.

In an area such as Phoenix that is already considered a food desert, the center would provide the means for the surrounding area to nourish itself, said Krause.

A community-driven food system would serve as a hub for distribution, production, education, and economic opportunity.

“Agriculture is culture, and we seek to build culture using food as our lens” Krause said. “A place where we can view the challenges of a changing climate, social issues and food access to the region.”

As contemporary cities and deserts grow, a common issue is how to repurpose underutilized land and resources for urban development, said Krause.

He explained his concept would provide an “insurance policy for the region while showcasing how urbanity and agriculture can be interwoven to enhance the relationship to people and the land.”

A Fountain Hills native, Krause knew at an early age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps to become an architect. His father founded his own architectural firm in 1995.

After graduating from Fountain Hills High School in 2006, Michael followed three generations of alumni to attend Iowa State University to earn a bachelor of architecture degree,

Early in his career, he lived and studied in Rome, Italy and Shanghai, China, for his first job with Woods Bagot Architects.

For the past seven years, he has worked at Fentress Architects in Denver and Tryba Architects. He was involved in the Google campus in Boulder, Buell Public Media Center and large international projects overseas.

Returning to Arizona and joining his father’s firm was always foremost in his plans.

“Michael has an incredible sense of self, family and this community,” said his father, Brad. “He has the unique ability to see the best in this state, in those around him and innate capabilities of doing wonderful things in the near future.”

Krause Architects’ office is located at 2141 E. Camelback Rd., suite 200, Phoenix. The contact telephone number is 602-867-2200.