On Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., architect Matthew Stanfield, 41, can be found at the Carousel District Farmer’s Market in downtown Mansfield. Stanfield is the principal architect and owner of Field9: Architecture and brings flyers and information about his business to the Farmer’s Market. But that isn’t the only reason Stanfield is there.
“My main focus is rain barrels (RainCRATE) and raised beds (VegeCRATE), but I’m also available to just talk about architecture in general or to answer specific questions people have about architecture,” explained Stanfield.
Architecture is just one area in which Stanfield believes strongly in sustainable, environmentally-friendly, designs and approaches. The Northlake Community Garden on Rowland Avenue is one of his pet projects. “My wife and I kind of spear-headed it five years ago. The property belongs to a neighbor who is part of the neighborhood watch group and lets us use it.”
There are currently three families involved in the garden but it’s not divided into individual plots but one large garden they all work on together. The three families make sure the garden is weeded and kept up. This year, due to the rain, there wasn’t as much activity at the garden.
The Community Garden project partnered with an intern from the Mansfield Art Center, artist Drew Rauschenberger, to create a colorful raised bed mural and found-art sculpture. The mural and sculpture add a splash of color to the Rowland Avenue neighborhood.
Stanfield works with exhibit designers Splash Makers, a project at the new Richland Pregnancy Services building now under construction. “The building will be a little unusual for Mansfield,” said Stanfield. “It will have more of an urban feel as far as aesthetics. It will look like an old factory-type building with exposed wood.”
In addition to his architecture firm, the Farmer’s Market and the Community Garden, Stanfield is also a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. “I help with projects. Recently, I helped with a demolition over in Shelby where we reclaimed materials from houses being demolished. I also helped with the building of a new house out by the Diamond Cathedral.”
He sits on the boards of the Mansfield Art Center and Little Buckeye Children’s Museum as well as being involved with Richland Moves, a local transportation advocacy group.
Stanfield, originally from Ashland, moved to Mansfield in 1997. He commuted from Mansfield to The Ohio State University in Columbus to earn his Masters of Architecture. He and his wife, Amanda, have seven children ranging in age from 5 to 18. His older children go to Senior High and the younger five attend the Richland Academy.
Stanfield worked eleven years for Marion Zaugg where he assisted in the designs of the new addition to the Child Support Enforcement Agency, the Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center and an expansion to the information building at the Gorman Nature Center.
Somehow, Stanfield also finds time to blog on his website. In his blogs, he offers advice on anything from types of business permits to how to use raised beds for gardening. He even talks about his own difficulties of being a somewhat soft-spoken person connecting with people at the Farmer’s Market.
“My main focus is rain barrels (RainCRATE) and raised beds (VegeCRATE), but I’m also available to just talk about architecture in general,” said Matthew Stanfield.
