3D Farming
Now agricultural towers are coming to town?
We humans multiply us on Earth, without the possibility to expand. Not later than in the Years around 2050 we will be more than 9 Billions. And all want to eat and drink!
Basics
Urban farmers do exist very long in Europe. Namely since the medieval ages. They live in a town and have their fields within the town or in the outskirts. Often the town is grown around these farms and fields. But urban farmers exist even today.
A younger variant of agriculture are Allotment gardens. The Allotments are commonly found in towns. Those gardens were very important in Europe after WW2 to supply the people with food. Within the years the agriculture came up again. So the Allotments lost their Importance. Today they are only used as Hobby. But this doesn’t mean that they will disappear. Quite the converse! They are still very popular and are growing again.
A new trend are agricultural used roof gardens. No, not potato or grain fields, but small herb gardens on top of Hotels, for example, come into fashion.
Also on cruise ships.
In Tokyo a roof garden is now obligation on bigger buildings. So they try to reduce the warming of the city. Will these roof gardens also be used agriculturally?
But even in small areas can something be done: An increasing number of balconies and terraces are going to be green oasis!
Farm Towers
Some Designers and Architects are planning a bit bigger: Multistorey greenhouses in the town! Keyword „Vertical Farming“.
Inspired by the visionary Dickson Despommier. He argues, conventional agriculture needs to much space, to supply the people in the future. And suggests to use the 3rd Dimension. In a town such vertical greenhouses can at least deliver fruits, vegetables and herbs. And maybe even livestock production.
Some ideas on Farm Towers on verticalfarm.com http://www.verticalfarm.com/designs.html
Of course such construcions are a new challenge for architects and designers: Plants need light, water and warmth! All that can be found in classic greenhouses, but not on common multistorey buildings.
Maybe one fact is helpful: Around the world arise more and more buildings with high plant population. Whether as experiment like „Biosphere 2“ or at intensive agricultures like the “Mar del Plastico” called area in the province of Almeria (Spain). There, the operators of the plantages are confronted with an increasing problem of watering. Rainfalls are decreasing, so that groundwater will be barely. Unfortunately the drinking water is also extracted from groundwater.
Water
In a farm tower one can try to make the watering as far as possible autonomous. This means the building has to be almost tight and without water condensation can harm the technics.
Air
The higher a tower, the stronger the warm air flows to the top. So, a good air condition is needed. Otherwise there is the risk that the lower rooms in the building are much cooler than the higher ones. A problem that is occured in the big hall of the Tropical Islands near Brand in Germany.
Light
If the building stands in the south, there is mostly enough. So, that big windows may be sufficient. At the northern hemisphere this will be in the winter a problem. Then the plants have to be lighted additionally.
Energy
The power consumption for lighting and heating will be enormous. Trying to supply the whole power by photovoltaic and/or wind power alone will not work. The additional power requirements are to be supplied by power plants. Except every roof in the town is equipped with photovoltaic modules. Then the needed power may be lesser and the difference can be used for the agricultural towers.
Geothermics I can also imagine as good power supply.
On Iceland for example, enough electric power can be generated environmental friendly. Instead damaging the environment with aluminium factories, I think greenhouses will be the better choice. A good idea, isn’t it?
Final thoughts
Wether such beautiful projects like the Living Tower from Atelier SOA will be really built, we will see.
Whereby the combination of offices and agriculture in one building seems to me more promising. If we are able to build the next generation of buildings to such criteria, then the higher amount of effort in service will be lesser and surely also easier to handle. Perhaps whole buildings only for agriculture will not be necessary. This fact is remarkable due to the high land prices in towns.
Those crops, of course, have to be maintained. The whole time of the year! Then there will be specialised farmers needed for this urban agriculture. Maybe the profession of a city farmer will be more attractive to young people? Who knows?
This is only a small article about an enormous topic. But I hope I could share with you my fascination about vertical farming.
Lillypad City by Vincent Callebaut
Last Updated (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 18:05)
