Thesis report - Abraham George

A Thesis report submitted by: ABRAHAM GEORGE 1|Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................................5

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................10 PROPOSAL.................................................................................................................................................12 Aim ...........................................................................................................................................................12 Objective ..................................................................................................................................................12 Goals.........................................................................................................................................................12 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................12 Scope ........................................................................................................................................................13 Limitations...............................................................................................................................................13 PRECEDENT STUDY ...............................................................................................................................14 What is Vertical Farming Systems? ......................................................................................................14 Components of a Vertical Farm ............................................................................................................15 1.

Structures and Growing Systems..............................................................................................16

2.

Environmental Control Units ....................................................................................................16

3.

Nutrient Supply and Control ....................................................................................................16

4.

Air Conditioning.........................................................................................................................17

5.

CO2 Supply Unit .........................................................................................................................17

6.

Lighting .......................................................................................................................................17

System Analysis .......................................................................................................................................18 Hydroponic Systems ...............................................................................................................................19 1.

Nutrient Film Technique ...........................................................................................................19

2.

Deep Flow Technique.................................................................................................................20

3.

Aeroponics ..................................................................................................................................20

4.

Aquaponics .................................................................................................................................21

Vertical farming vs Traditional farming ..............................................................................................22 Vertical farming vs Greenhouses ..........................................................................................................24 SITE SELECTION .....................................................................................................................................31 Scenarios ..................................................................................................................................................31 Land Utilization Map .............................................................................................................................32 2|Page

Population Density ..................................................................................................................................33 Topography and Land Use Pattern .......................................................................................................34 Site Location ............................................................................................................................................35 Site Proximity ..........................................................................................................................................36 Satellite View of Site ...............................................................................................................................37 SITE ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................38 Trondheim History .................................................................................................................................38 Famous Attractions.................................................................................................................................38 Culture .....................................................................................................................................................41 1.

Friluftsliv: the Norwegian love for the outdoors .....................................................................41

2.

Kos (cosiness) ..............................................................................................................................42

Agriculture ..............................................................................................................................................43 Architecture Typology ............................................................................................................................46 Climate Study ..........................................................................................................................................48 Layers.......................................................................................................................................................53 1.

Contour Analysis ........................................................................................................................53

2.

Hierarchy of Roads ....................................................................................................................54

3.

Vegetation Mapping ...................................................................................................................55

4.

Land-use Pattern ........................................................................................................................56

5.

Sun and Wind Analysis ..............................................................................................................57

6.

Water Body and Parks...............................................................................................................58

7.

Site Context .................................................................................................................................59

CASE STUDIES..........................................................................................................................................61 The Living Tower....................................................................................................................................61 World Food Building ..............................................................................................................................65 The Eden Project ....................................................................................................................................68 Summarization of Case Study Research ...............................................................................................72 DESIGN STRATEGIES.............................................................................................................................73 Passive Strategies ....................................................................................................................................73 1.

How do we strike a balance? .....................................................................................................73

2.

Community Supported Agriculture .........................................................................................74

3.

Local Roots Farming Distribution ............................................................................................75

4.

Community Supported Farming...............................................................................................76

5.

Farm Crop Selection ..................................................................................................................76 3|Page

People .......................................................................................................................................................77 1.

Farmer’s Market ........................................................................................................................77

2.

Market Cafe ................................................................................................................................77

3.

Education Kitchen......................................................................................................................77

Innovation................................................................................................................................................78 1.

Seeding Systems Design .............................................................................................................78

2.

Hydroponic System Design........................................................................................................79

3.

Aquaponic system design ...........................................................................................................80

DESIGN .......................................................................................................................................................81 Concept ....................................................................................................................................................81 Program Analysis....................................................................................................................................82 1.

Main Program ............................................................................................................................82

2.

Hydroponic Farm Program.......................................................................................................82

3.

Biodome Program ......................................................................................................................83

Area Statement........................................................................................................................................83 Zoning ......................................................................................................................................................84 Masterplan...............................................................................................................................................85 Plan...........................................................................................................................................................86 Sections ....................................................................................................................................................87 Elevations.................................................................................................................................................88 Structure ..................................................................................................................................................89 Structural Concepts ................................................................................................................................90 1.

Geodesic dome ............................................................................................................................90

2.

Structural Components .............................................................................................................91

3.

Load Distribution .......................................................................................................................94

Renders ....................................................................................................................................................96 BIBLIOGRAPHY .....................................................................................................................................100

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TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 "Agriculture's Evolution" _______________________________________________________________ 9 Figure 2 " drought hit farmland" ______________________________________________________________ 10 Figure 3 "The projected distribution between urban and rural" ______________________________________ 11 Figure 4 "Stacked productive layers greatly increase productivity" ___________________________________ 14 Figure 5 "Typical Vertical Farm components" ____________________________________________________ 15 Figure 6 "System and subsystem elements in the general VF process flow design" _______________________ 18 Figure 7 “Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponic System” ____________________________________________ 19 Figure 8 "Deep Flow Technique Hydroponic System" ______________________________________________ 20 Figure 9 "Aeroponic System" _________________________________________________________________ 21 Figure 10 "Aquaponics system" _______________________________________________________________ 21 Figure 11 "land area for Vertical farming & Traditional farming" ____________________________________ 22 Figure 12 "More miles equals fewer nutrients" ___________________________________________________ 23 Figure 13"Key model parameters for the design of plant factories and greenhouses in Sweden (SWE), the Netherlands (NLD) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)" ___________________________________________ 24 Figure 14 "Energy load of plant factories and greenhouses in UAE, NLD and SWE, normalised for cultivation area (MJ m−2) and for dry matter production (MJ kgdw-1)” _______________________________________ 25 Figure 15 "Electricity use per kg lettuce dry matter production (kWhe kgdw-1)” ________________________ 25 Figure 16 “Water use of vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates” ____________________________________________________________________________ 26 Figure 17 “Yield potential for a vertical farm, semi-closed greenhouse (UAE), conventional greenhouse (NLD and SWE) and open field cultivation” ______________________________________________________________ 27 Figure 18 “The use of fertilizers in vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation. It is assumed that no dependence exists in fertilizer use and location” __________________________________________________ 27 Figure 19 “The use of CO2 in vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation” ____________________________ 28 Figure 20 "Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in Sweden with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy” __________________________________________________________________________ 28 Figure 21 “Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in the Netherlands with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy” ______________________________________________________________________ 29 Figure 22 “Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in the United Arab Emirates with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy” ___________________________________________________________ 29 Figure 23 “Influence of light efficiency on Global Warming Potential of vertical farming” _________________ 30 Figure 24 “Estimation of the advantages of plant factories versus greenhouses based on relative electricity use efficiency (red) and water scarcity (blue). Water scarcity is subdivided into (approaching) physical and economic scarcity” (UN, 2012) ________________________________________________________________________ 31 Figure 25 "Norway" _________________________________________________________________________ 31 Figure 26 “Abu Dhabi” ______________________________________________________________________ 31 Figure 27 "Land utilization map of Norway" _____________________________________________________ 32 Figure 28 " Major populated cities in Norway" ___________________________________________________ 33 Figure 29 " Topography and land use pattern in Trondheim" ________________________________________ 34 Figure 30 "street map of Trondheim showing site location" _________________________________________ 35 Figure 31 "Site proximity from city centre" ______________________________________________________ 36

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Figure 32 "Google satellite map of the site" _____________________________________________________ 37 Figure 33 " Nidaros Cathedral” ________________________________________________________________ 38 Figure 34 "Aerial view of Trondheim"___________________________________________________________ 39 Figure 35 "Sverresborg, Trøndelag Folk Museum” ________________________________________________ 40 Figure 36 "Friluftsliv: the Norwegian love for the outdoors” _________________________________________ 41 Figure 37 "KOS - is norwegiean for having a good time" ____________________________________________ 42 Figure 38 " Norwegian culture" _______________________________________________________________ 43 Figure 39 "Norweigian agricultural Trade" ______________________________________________________ 43 Figure 40 "Land use in Norwway"______________________________________________________________ 44 Figure 41 "Agricultural areas in Norway by main crops" ____________________________________________ 45 Figure 42 "Main field crops and Greenhouse crops in Norway" ______________________________________ 45 Figure 43 "Old Architecture in Trondheim" ______________________________________________________ 46 Figure 44 "Modern Architecture in Trondheim" ___________________________________________________ 47 Figure 45 "Average high and low temperature in Trondheim" _______________________________________ 48 Figure 46 "Average hourly temperature in Trondheim" ____________________________________________ 48 Figure 47 "Cloud cover categories in Trondheim” _________________________________________________ 49 Figure 48 "Hours of daylight and twilight in Trondheim" ___________________________________________ 49 Figure 49 "Average incident shortwave solar energy in Trondheim” __________________________________ 49 Figure 50 "Average monthly rainfall in Trondheim” _______________________________________________ 50 Figure 51 "Average liquid-equivalent monthly snowfall in Trondheim” ________________________________ 50 Figure 52 "Average wind speed in Trondheim” ___________________________________________________ 51 Figure 53 "Average water temperature in Trondheim” _____________________________________________ 51 Figure 54 "Tourism score in Trondheim” ________________________________________________________ 52 Figure 55 "Growing season in Trondheim" _______________________________________________________ 52 Figure 56 "Contour analysis" _________________________________________________________________ 53 Figure 57 "Hierarchy of roads" ________________________________________________________________ 54 Figure 58 "Vegetation mapping" ______________________________________________________________ 55 Figure 59 "Land-use pattern" _________________________________________________________________ 56 Figure 60 "Sun and wind analysis" _____________________________________________________________ 57 Figure 61 "Water body and parks" _____________________________________________________________ 58 Figure 62 "Site context" _____________________________________________________________________ 59 Figure 63 "Contextual site pictures" ____________________________________________________________ 60 Figure 64 "The living tower" __________________________________________________________________ 61 Figure 65 "site plan: The living tower" __________________________________________________________ 62 Figure 66 "Interior renders: The living tower" ____________________________________________________ 62 Figure 67 "Plans: The living tower" _____________________________________________________________ 62 Figure 68 "Section: The living tower" ___________________________________________________________ 63 Figure 69 "Construction details & facade" _______________________________________________________ 64 Figure 70 "Energy production: The living tower" __________________________________________________ 64 Figure 71 "Site Plan: World food building" _______________________________________________________ 65 Figure 72 "Section: World food building" ________________________________________________________ 66 Figure 73 "Symbiotic relationship: World food building" ____________________________________________ 66 Figure 74 "Render: World food Building" ________________________________________________________ 67 Figure 75 "The Eden project" _________________________________________________________________ 68 Figure 76 "Site Plan: The Eden project" _________________________________________________________ 69 Figure 77 "Section: The Eden project" __________________________________________________________ 69 Figure 78 "Plan & Site section: The Eden project" _________________________________________________ 69

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Figure 79"Exotic plants and waterfalls are encountered as visitors walk along the various trails the biome has to offer" __________________________________________________________________________________ 70 Figure 80 "Structural details: The Eden project" __________________________________________________ 70 Figure 81 "Up-close look at the transparent glazing of the ETFE pillows and ventilation. Each hexagon (or pentagon) is a slightly different size allowing the structure to better conform to the site” _________________ 71 Figure 82 "How do we strike a balance"_________________________________________________________ 73 Figure 83 "Farm to market" __________________________________________________________________ 73 Figure 84 "Benefits of the box scheme" _________________________________________________________ 74 Figure 85 "Benefits of wholesale operation" _____________________________________________________ 75 Figure 86 "Community supported farming" ______________________________________________________ 76 Figure 87 "Selected crops" ___________________________________________________________________ 77 Figure 88 "Life cycle of a crop in a plant factory" _________________________________________________ 78 Figure 89 "Hydroponic and aquaponics seeding tray system" _______________________________________ 78 Figure 90 "Aeroponic seeding system" __________________________________________________________ 78 Figure 91 "Aeroponic seeding system section" ___________________________________________________ 78 Figure 92 "System stacking" __________________________________________________________________ 79 Figure 93 "Hydroponic system section" _________________________________________________________ 79 Figure 94 "Hydroponic system component" ______________________________________________________ 79 Figure 95 "Aquaponic system cycle" ____________________________________________________________ 80 Figure 96 "Aquaponic system arrangement" _____________________________________________________ 80 Figure 97 "Aquaponic system section" __________________________________________________________ 80 Figure 98 "Aquaponic system component" ______________________________________________________ 80 Figure 99 "Concept" ________________________________________________________________________ 81 Figure 100 "Main program" __________________________________________________________________ 82 Figure 101 "Hydoponic farm program" _________________________________________________________ 82 Figure 102 "Biodome program" _______________________________________________________________ 83 Figure 103 "Area Statement" _________________________________________________________________ 83 Figure 104 "Zoning" ________________________________________________________________________ 84 Figure 105 "Masterplan" _____________________________________________________________________ 85 Figure 106 "Plan" __________________________________________________________________________ 86 Figure 107 "Section" ________________________________________________________________________ 87 Figure 108 "Elevations" ______________________________________________________________________ 88 Figure 109 "Sructure" _______________________________________________________________________ 89 Figure 110 "Plan of geodesic dome" ____________________________________________________________ 90 Figure 111 "Advantages of geodesic domes" _____________________________________________________ 91 Figure 112 "ETFE pillow to bracing connection detail" _____________________________________________ 91 Figure 113 "Honey comb bracing" _____________________________________________________________ 92 Figure 114 " Space frame" ___________________________________________________________________ 92 Figure 115 "The bowl node" __________________________________________________________________ 93 Figure 116 "Hinged connectors" _______________________________________________________________ 93 Figure 117 "Foundation connectors" ___________________________________________________________ 94 Figure 118 "Load path diagram 1" _____________________________________________________________ 94 Figure 119 "Load path diagram 2" _____________________________________________________________ 95 Figure 120 "Load path diagram 3" _____________________________________________________________ 95 Figure 121 ""Load path diagram 4" ____________________________________________________________ 95 Figure 122 "View from Blygerbet hill view point" _________________________________________________ 96 Figure 123 "Exterior view of main entrance" _____________________________________________________ 96

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Figure 124 "Interior view of farmers market" ____________________________________________________ 97 Figure 125 "Interior view of biodome" __________________________________________________________ 97 Figure 126 "Interior view of biodome from restaurant" ____________________________________________ 98 Figure 127 "Interior view of restaurant" ________________________________________________________ 98 Figure 128 "Interior view of Hydroponic Farm" ___________________________________________________ 99 Figure 129 "Aerial exterior night view __________________________________________________________ 99

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ABSTRACT The Earth has only a limited supply of Resources. Climate change, population growth, and Urbanization together contribute to a major future problem for our beautiful planet. With a projected population of 9.1 billion people by the year 2020, 80% of which will be in an urban environment, we must find a way to feed the people of the world.

With limited land, farmers of the world need to think up instead of out. Vertical Farms could be our greatest solution to maintaining a healthy diet for the whole world. By creating an environment within the building suitable for plant growth, we can place these vertical farms anywhere in the planet - Maybe even galaxy. Our traditional agricultural ways have brought us this far, but it is time for yet another advancement in our methods to reach our full potential.

Vertical farming is the urban farming of fruits, vegetables, and grains, inside a building in a city or urban centre, in which floors designed to accommodate certain crops. These heights will act as the future farmlands and as architects; we can shape these high-rises to sow the seeds for the future. The objective of this dissertation was to create a unique gathering place in the heart of the city, harnessing the incredible power of natural “green energy” to provide a calming experience whatever the weather.

Figure 1 "Agriculture's Evolution"

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INTRODUCTION

A silent revolution is underway in the agriculture sector, which is going to be quite evident in the days to come. With the global population is set to reach near ten billion marks by 2050, the food production must increase by 70 per cent, estimates the United Nations.

NASA reports that the majority of the world's fresh water supplies are draining faster than replenished with freshwater demand set to increase by 55 percent by 2050.

Currently, agriculture is responsible for 92 percent of the global freshwater usage.

A 2017 report found that more than 75 percent of Earth’s land areas have suffered from erosion and water degradation. The continual plowing of fields, combined with heavy use of fertilizers, has degraded soils across the world with erosion occurring at a rate 100 times greater than soil formation.

Collectively, this means arable land is decreasing, and poor soil health is contributing to less healthy agriculture, while water demands continue to rise. However, there is a global appeal seeking restrictions on the forests converted into the farmlands in the wake of global warming.

Figure 2 " drought hit farmland"

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The world’s growing population is becoming increasingly urbanized where today’s urban population exceeds that of its rural population. With almost 70% of the world expected to live in cities by 2050, the strain on the food, energy and water system is increasing at an unsustainable rate.

Based on our urbanization trends, cities are becoming the hubs for the biggest human settlements and feeding the world population is now becoming practically ‘’feeding the cities’’.

Figure 3 "The projected distribution between urban and rural"

A Vertical Farm is a viable solution to not only improve our way of life, but also improve the efficiency of how humans eat and survive. By utilizing various technologies implemented in today’s modern society, we as a human population can change the way we view food.

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PROPOSAL Aim Today architecture, under the materialistic world of consumerism, is been exploited to a tool of strengthening the capitalistic world: the only possible reaction is a return to order, to the once fascinating subjects of searching for better environment of living.

Architecture must adapt to work with nature and not in spite of it. Adapting solutions that are applicable on a wider scale factoring both sustainability and socio-economic growth can create productive relationships between local problems, individual accountability, and the urgent environmental challenges.

Objective To design a unique gathering place in the heart of the city, harnessing the incredible power of natural “green energy” to provide a calming experience whatever the weather. In addition, aims to offer visitors time and space to nurture their inner self reflect on and appreciate the goodness of nature.

Goals     

To provide a new way of thinking for the agricultural world.

To supply enough energy to power the growing facilities passively.

To provide Trondheim with a feasible example of sustainable living.

To encourage less vehicular use.

To create visibility and awareness around the importance of preserving ecology.

Methodology 



Literature reviews to examine whether the current agricultural practices were exhausting our natural resources, and whether it was sensible to explore other farming options.

Detailed case study on vertical framing and bio climatic structures to know the design process and approach.

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  

Comparative studies of crop cultivation and yielding in a conventional method and vertical farming.

Finding out solutions for the correct implementation of techniques and materials for the same.

By utilizing forward thinking and showcasing modern technological advancements

Scope The vertical farm market is estimated to reach 5.8 billion USD by 2022, with an annual growth rate of 24.8% (2016-2022) industry will dwarf all other industries. A movement that brings more freshness into the cities and reclaims urban spaces for food production. Vertical farming will be able to secure the food supply for the cities of tomorrow.

The modern city have been built with clear zoning distinctions, from residential to commercial to industrial zones, whether if inherited from historical urban fabrics or from industrial revolution of the past century. By bringing in agriculture into cities, which has always been a part of the rural realm, is a step towards decentralizing the city.

By introducing, urban agriculture that brings an ecosystem into a single structure is a step to regaining the lost environment, thereby reducing pollution, carbon emissions and climate change. In return achieving a smarter city.

Limitations    



The initial phase will be cost intensive, and certain flaws integrated in the system that may appear during its initial run can still dampen efforts for its full maximization.

There will be fewer varieties of foods to choose from because not all plants and vegetables are suitable in a controlled and limited environment.

The public will find it hard to reconcile with the idea of using black water for food production.

“Blackwater”, or the wastewater and sludge from soils, from the vertical farms need an additional costly filtration system in order to be recycled and conservative of the water resources.

Displacement of agricultural societies, potential loss or displacement of traditional farming jobs.

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PRECEDENT STUDY What is Vertical Farming Systems?

Vertical Farming (VF) is an agricultural technique involving large-scale food production in high-rise buildings that enables fast growth and planned production by controlling environmental conditions and nutrient solutions to crops based on hydroponics, using cuttingedge greenhouse methods and technologies. Prof. Dickson Despommier, who envisaged that high urban buildings could start producing food and change this scenario, first created the term “Vertical Farm”.

The main advantage of this high-density production is that control over many variables not only drastically reduces the amount of inputs but also allows for control of insects and pathogens. Vertical Farming also allows significantly shorter crop cycles and year-round production, with no need for many fungicides and pesticides. The result is not only faster growing plants but also food that is almost organic due to this lack of pesticides and other additives. Interest in these new farming techniques is growing rapidly, and several entrepreneurs are taking a serious look at this innovative farming system, especially in mature markets and in high-density populated areas. In many countries, conventional agriculture is not able to produce food year-round, due to the weather conditions, which clearly gives an advantage to Vertical Farming in the market.

Vertical Farms are not a replacement for conventional greenhouses or open-field production.

Rather, the rapid development of Vertical Farms (or PFALs – Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting) has created new markets and business opportunities. Vertical Farms are in the US, Japan and other Asian countries and some countries in Europe, for production of leafy greens, herbs, transplants and seeds to feed urban populations with local and fresh food.

Figure 4 "Stacked productive layers greatly increase productivity"

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Components of a Vertical Farm Vertical Farms can be very diverse, both structurally and technologically. Some farms rely solely on artificial lighting for plant growth, whereas others grow plants vertically, still utilizing some of the sun’s light. In addition, plants grown are either using soil (potted) or using hydroponic methods, which are much more common. Usually, a commercial Vertical Farm relies on an artificial, warehouse-like structure, thermally insulated, in which ventilation is at a minimum, and artificial light is the sole light source for plant growth. In such Vertical Farms, the environment for plant growth can be controlled as precisely as desired, regardless of the outside weather. In addition to the recirculating nutrient solution in a hydroponic or aeroponic system, the water transpired by plants can be condensed and collected at the cooling panel of the air conditioners and then recycled for irrigation.

Figure 5 "Typical Vertical Farm components"

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1. Structures and Growing Systems

Vertical Farms are housed in controlled environments, and these are generally insulated and isolated from the outside world via air locks, or by operating in entirely clean-room conditions.

They are in a variety of settings, from purpose-built warehouses to re-purposed semiconductor factories. Growing systems comprise a series of up to 20 vertical layers of grower racks, with troughs that contain the nutrient-rich water in which plant roots grow. Each layer incorporates its own lighting. Historically, growers have mostly chosen to build their own growing systems – using everything from basic, PVC pipes to professionally engineered racking systems. A plethora of firms now offers turnkey solutions.

2. Environmental Control Units

Environmental Control Units (ECU) monitor, and sometimes adjust, a range of indoor farm factors, for instance, pH, nutrient and humidity levels. Companies such as Argus Controls, Autogrow and Priva offer many products, from the simplest pH monitors to sophisticated systems that track worker productivity. Several have cloud-based options that allow users to remotely access and control their farms. Thanks to the advent of big data – vast data sets that can be analysed to identify patterns, trends, and associations – control systems are one of the most promising areas for further development, as market commentators anticipate better crop yields from the application of results from big data analytics.

3. Nutrient Supply and Control In hydroponic systems, a plant’s nutrient needs are supplied through the root solution and differ according to plant type and life stage. Some growers use commercially available nutrient mixes, while others choose to create their own custom mixes and view these as part of their unique approach to growing plants.

Hydroponic nutrient solutions are composed of many essential elements, essential for crop growth. These nutrients are generally taken into plants in various ionic forms, such as NO3-, H2PO4or HPO42-, and K+.

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4. Air Conditioning

Creating optimal temperature and humidity conditions is vital for plant health, so growers devote a good deal of attention to selecting air conditioning equipment. A large range of options are commercially available, and the grower’s selection is generally determined by a combination of initial capital cost, unit capacity and operating costs, as air conditioning typically comprises 20-30% of electricity costs. There are substantial economies of scale in air conditioning, so that larger farms have lower capital and operating costs per square meter of planted space.

5. CO2 Supply Unit

Creating optimal temperature and humidity conditions is vital for plant health, so growers devote a good deal of attention to selecting air conditioning equipment. A large range of options are commercially available, and the grower’s selection is generally determined by a combination of initial capital cost, unit capacity and operating costs, as air conditioning typically comprises 20-30% of electricity costs. There are substantial economies of scale in air conditioning, so that larger farms have lower capital and operating costs per square meter of planted space.

6. Lighting

Lighting design is a vital component for Vertical Farms, as it provides the only source of illumination for plant growth in a closed system. It is also an important financial decision for the grower, typically comprising around half of the build-cost of a farm when LEDs are used, and a substantial part of the electricity costs of a Vertical Farm.

LEDs emit a relatively low level of thermal radiation, have no hot electrodes, and have no highvoltage ballasts. LEDs also have a long operating life, which makes them a practical alternative for long-term usage involving plant production. One of the most appealing features of LEDs is that it is possible to modify the radiant output frequency to approximate the peak absorption zone of chlorophyll. Some LED lamp arrays allow for fine-tuning of the individual wavelengths, so the grower can adjust the frequency distribution of the emitted light according to the most efficient light absorption for each crop. A few companies have even developed ‘light recipes’ that are intended to deliver the optimal light spectrum required by a plant through its lifecycle without grower intervention or adjustment.

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System Analysis

Figure 6 "System and subsystem elements in the general VF process flow design"

The general design flow includes: the plant production process, the climate management compo-nents, nutrition delivery system (NDS) elements and, the structure itself. Inputs into the system in-clude: seeds, energy (light & heat/cooling), carbon dioxide and irrigation water with nutrients. The returned intermediate outputs, are the water coming from the runoff or the reclaimed water vapor and the heat surplus in the air management system (AMS). The final outputs obtained through the harvest are inedible matter (waste) and edible matter (product).

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Hydroponic Systems Hydroponic production systems are not a new concept. They have been widely used in food production facilities for years; the biggest benefits are higher yields, shorter crop cycles, usually higher plant densities and a significant reduction of water usage.

Hydroponic systems are essential tools for any indoor farming system, and most commercial Vertical Farms rely on this soil-less cultivation method. A hydroponic system, simply put, consists of a technique of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil.

There are many variations of the techniques used, and among these, the most common and with best results for commercial purposes are Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Deep Flow Technique (DFT), Aeroponics, and Aquaponic symbiotic systems. All these systems are widely used with re-circulated nutrient solutions.

1. Nutrient Film Technique

In the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), a thin film of water continuously flows through the pipe/gutter, so it is always in contact with the roots. This ensures constant availability of nutrients to the plants. NFT also supplies ample oxygen to the plants, since the roots are exposed above the thin film.

Figure 7 “Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponic System”

This system requires the nutrient solution to be continuously in circulation, which results in no stagnant water in any point of the system. This translates to the pump being always on, and as observed by some Vertical Farms that were visited, like Farm.One, the NFT systems are more sensitive and prone to problems with clogging and power cuts. If the pump fails, the system immediately runs dry, and if a particular section clogs, plants suffer immediately.

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2. Deep Flow Technique

Deep Flow Technique (or Deep Water Culture), as opposed to NFT, always has some amount of nutrient solution at some depth. More nutrient is periodically pumped in and through the overflow pipe and the excess nutrient solution goes back to the reservoir and is recycled.

Figure 8 "Deep Flow Technique Hydroponic System"

Even when there is a power outage, or other problem preventing the pump operating properly, there is always some water to keep the plants alive. This system allows more control over water temperature when compared to NFT. Most commercial Vertical Farms that have scaled up their operation prefer to use DFT systems since they have a lower risk, being easier to maintain and less prone to errors and problems.

They also present a labour benefit, since the roots are easily accessible.

3. Aeroponics

Aeroponics is a method of growing plants that works by suspending the roots in air and applying nutrients and water with a fine mist. There are numerous benefits that come with growing with aeroponics. Plant roots are in full contact with oxygen at all times and roots thrive on oxygen. Also, the nutrients dissolved in the water are being directly applied to the roots, making them readily available for plant uptake.

According to NASA’s website, which developed and tested Aeroponic setups in zero-gravity conditions, “Aeroponics systems can reduce water usage by 98 percent, fertilizer usage by 60 percent, and pesticide usage by 100 percent, all while maximizing crop yields. Plants grown in the aeroponic systems have also been shown to uptake more minerals and vitamins, making the plants healthier and potentially more nutritious.”

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Figure 9 "Aeroponic System"

4. Aquaponics Aquaponics refers to any system that combines hydroponics (DFT or NFT) with conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system, where the animal by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria initially into nitrites and subsequently into nitrates. These are utilized by the plants as nutrients, and the water is then re-circulated back to the aquaculture system.

Figure 10 "Aquaponics system"

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Vertical farming vs Traditional farming VERTICAL FARMING Land use and space



Water

TRADITIONAL FARMING

Uses only 6m2 to produce 150kg of produce per month.

Crop rotation is not required Multi-layer system to maximise the use of space





Uses recycled water (12l to produce 1kg of produce)



Uses 300-400l to produce 1kg of vegetables

Energy





Requires more energy tot run the water pump for irrigation

Labour



Artificial lighting is a substantial part of the electricity costs of the VF Requires less labour (max 9hrs for 5-week cycle for each tower)



Requires higher man power for the farming process (min 12-15 days for a 5-week cycle)

Soil, Seed & Nutrients

 

Consumes 75% less raw materials No nutrient wastage from water runoff Zero impact on ocean pH

 

Requires more raw materials Overuse of nutrients causes runoff into water bodies, affecting aquatic life

Climate change



Growing close to consumer, cutting carbon and more space for replanting trees Use of renewable sources to cut the need for fossil fuel



Destroying carbon sinks by clearing land Heavy dependence on transporting produce and heavy machinery, produces CO2

 





  



Requires at least 72m2 to produce 150kg per month Requires crop rotation Monolayer farming Deforestation for more land

Figure 11 "land area for Vertical farming & Traditional farming"

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Figure 12 "More miles equals fewer nutrients"

A Vertical Farm is a viable solution to not only improve our way of life, but also improve the efficiency of how humans eat and survive. By utilizing various technologies that are already implemented in today’s modern society, we as a human population can change the way we view food.

Traditional farming techniques require vast amounts of land, time, and resources. Fuel usage for the massive machinery, chemical pesticides, and GMOs are among the major problems farming places upon our environment. Drought, poor soil quality, pests, and severe weather make up part of the long list of problems farmers of today face out in the fields.

Drought alone places a major stress upon the shoulders of farmers everywhere. Drought means farmers require irrigation to not only water plants, but to protect their crops from fire and soil erosion. Eradicating drought can be costly to farmers and too many others in need of freshwater. Also adding to the modern farmer’s problems is the amount and price of land. With an expanding population, we humans require more food, and I am not meaning just plants. The Beef, poultry, and pork industry also need land to raise these animals, which is made more difficult with less land to do so.

With an enclosed farm to grow crops in, we greatly reduce many of the previously mentioned problems farmers face, today. Water usage is reduced due to less evaporation, and more easily controlled watering techniques - i.e. Hydroponics. Plants do not require soil for any other purpose than to anchor to the ground

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Vertical farming vs Greenhouses The comparison is shown by this study consisting of a performance analysis of plant factories and greenhouses at three different locations. To this end, we analyse resource expenditure for lettuce production.

Location and typology Three sites were selected to represent diverse latitudes and climates namely Kiruna in Sweden (SWE: 67.8° N, 20.2° E), Amsterdam in the Netherlands (NLD: 52.0° N, 5.7° E) and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE: 24.5° N, 54.7° E).

Figure 13"Key model parameters for the design of plant factories and greenhouses in Sweden (SWE), the Netherlands (NLD) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)"

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Energy use

Figure 14 "Energy load of plant factories and greenhouses in UAE, NLD and SWE, normalised for cultivation area (MJ m−2) and for dry matter production (MJ kgdw-1)”

Figure 15 "Electricity use per kg lettuce dry matter production (kWhe kgdw-1)”

Plant factories are more suitable than greenhouses for lettuce production at higher latitudes.

This is illustrated by the fact that the energetic performance of SWE GH+ considerably improves with artificial lighting. At even higher latitudes, heating is supposed to require more 25 | P a g e

electricity than lighting. This supposition concurs with the idea that plant factories are effective in minimizing electricity consumption in extremely dark/cold regions. However, the idea that plant factories may also minimize electricity consumption in hot and arid regions seems to be erroneous, as suggested by the energetic efficiency of facilities in UAE. Here, freely available solar energy saves more electricity than is needed for cooling purposes.

At all three locations the greenhouse is more efficient in terms of purchased energy. It may be surprising that the benefits of solar energy exceed the need for climatisation even in the harsh environments of Kiruna and Abu Dhabi. The turnover point, where plant factories may be more energy efficient than greenhouses, lies in even more extreme environments. However, greenhouses in our most extreme locations (Kiruna and Abu Dhabi) were not viable without incorporating features of plant factories, such as artificial lighting and active cooling, respectively. This suggests that there is not a specific turnover point. Instead there is probably a gradual shift from a nearly natural to a fully controlled interior production climate. A shift in applicability of each typology is closely related to the energy use efficiency in greenhouses versus plant factories.

Water footprint

Figure 16 “Water use of vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates”

The water use of vertical farming is not dependent on the climate of the location unlike in greenhouse cultivation in which systems are not closed and the water use and consumption are highly dependent on the rate of ventilation.

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Land use

Figure 17 “Yield potential for a vertical farm, semi-closed greenhouse (UAE), conventional greenhouse (NLD and SWE) and open field cultivation”

The drastic difference between greenhouse cultivation and vertical farming is the land use efficiency. The VF with 6 layers to cultivate crops on yields more than seven times more yield compared to the semi-closed greenhouse in the UAE and more than 12 times more yield compared to the conventional greenhouses in Sweden and the Netherlands.

The yield capacity of open field cultivation is only 1.2 % of the yield capacity of the VF.

Fertilizers use

Figure 18 “The use of fertilizers in vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation. It is assumed that no dependence exists in fertilizer use and location”

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CO2 use

Figure 19 “The use of CO2 in vertical farming and greenhouse cultivation”

Global warming potential

Figure 20 "Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in Sweden with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy”

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Figure 21 “Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in the Netherlands with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy”

Figure 22 “Comparison of global warming potential of lettuce production in the United Arab Emirates with different sources of energy. The figures are calculated based on the energy consumption and life cycle GHG emissions for the sources of energy”

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Figure 23 “Influence of light efficiency on Global Warming Potential of vertical farming”

Conclusion Vertical farming is significantly more energy intensive due to the artificial lighting while in the greenhouses in Sweden and the Netherlands heating causes the highest greenhouse gas emissions. Water and CO2 use are highly dependent on the rate of fogging and ventilation.

Thus, water use in greenhouses in Sweden and the Netherlands was drastically higher compared to the greenhouse in the United Arab Emirates and vertical farms which were assumed as completely closed systems in terms of water use. In fertilizers use, VF seems to be more efficient in phosphate and nitrogen while in potassium the difference is small.

Extremely efficient land use is the advantage, which marks vertical farming stand out of singlestorey systems. The six-storey VF can achieve higher than a ten-fold efficiency in land use compared to a conventional GH and a 100-fold efficiency compared to open field cultivation.

Since VF is a closed system, seasonal changes of climate are not taken into account. However, GHs, in this study especially those in the Netherlands and Sweden are fairly far from a closed system and thus their resources use efficiencies are strongly dependent on the seasons.

As climate change is challenging open field cultivation areas with extreme weather conditions, increasing droughts and floods, food production sector has to react and reconsider the conventional food cultivation technology.

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SITE SELECTION Scenarios

Figure 24 “Estimation of the advantages of plant factories versus greenhouses based on relative electricity use efficiency (red) and water scarcity (blue). Water scarcity is subdivided into (approaching) physical and economic scarcity” (UN, 2012)

The viability of plant factories depends on the efficient use of local resources; particularly water and land area may be scarce. Plant factories are also more efficient in extreme climates.

Based on these criteria’s the scenarios were ‘Norway’ and ‘Abu Dhabi’. At both locations plant factories use these resources more efficiently than greenhouses.

Figure 25 "Norway"

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My preferred scenario was Norway over Abu Dhabi just because of the fjords, the landscape, the people and the culture mesmerized me.

Practical reasons were:   

Number of farms reduced by 50 percent in 30 years Only 3 percent of Norway’s total land area is farmed land Due to geography and climatic limitations for crop production, most of the produce consumed in Norway are imported

Land Utilization Map

Figure 27 "Land utilization map of Norway"

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Geographical location and climatic conditions play a significant part in the basic agricultural patterns. The country has Arctic and sub-Arctic characteristics. Agricultural production is limited by the length of the growing season, which is about 190 days in the southern parts and only 100 days in the northern parts of the country and in the mountainous regions. Climatic conditions have a strong influence on yields and increase the risk associated with crop production. In addition, Norway has a long and severe winter. The indoor period is approximately 230 days a year in the south and up to 290 days a year in the north. Thus, the livestock production requires isolated houses and good storing facilities for fodder. A positive effect of the cold climate is less plant diseases than in southern countries.

Population Density

Figure 28 " Major populated cities in Norway"

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Norway; the land of the midnight sun, a thousand waterfalls, the magical northern lights, fjords and coastal islands and nature lover’s paradise. Norway’s land makes up approximately 241,000 square miles (including Svalbard) and their population just recently reached 5 million inhabitants in 2012. The country’s topography is dominated by mountains, fjords and glaciers implicating that the 5 million people dwell primarily in small towns and bigger cities. A third of the population dwells in the six biggest cities ranging in population of almost 1 million in Oslo to 100,000 in Drammen.

Topography and Land Use Pattern

Figure 29 " Topography and land use pattern in Trondheim"

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The topography within 2 miles of Trondheim contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 925 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 159 feet. Within 10 miles also contains very significant variations in elevation (1,844 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (4,728 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Trondheim is covered by artificial surfaces(74%) and water (25%), within 10 miles by water (47%) and trees (26%), within 50 miles by trees (32%) and water (20%)

Site Location

Figure 30 "street map of Trondheim showing site location"

Based on the land utilization map and the population density the ideal location for the site is Trondheim.

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Trondheim Norway’s central city of Trondheim is definitely a college town, home to The Norwegian University of Science and Technology and is surrounded with plenty to do and see. The city is the fourth largest in Norway and has a population of 170,000. With students included the number spikes to nearly 200,000. Trondheim was a religious hub for Europe during the Middle Ages and its iconic Nidaros Cathedral has been around for over 700 years. Be sure to walk over the Old Town Bridge and under the Lykkens Portal for good luck. With its rich history dating back to the Viking Age, Trondheim offers plenty of museums and walking tours. Because of its large population of college students there are an abundance of good restaurants, music concerts, cultural findings and nightlife.

Site Proximity

Figure 31 "Site proximity from city centre"

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From the city centre, the site is 3.2 kilometres away. By car, it takes 12 minutes, 15 minutes by bus and 25 minutes by cycling.     

From Trondheim Airport, the site is 37 kilometres away.

From Trondheim Ferry, the site is 6 kilometres away.

Nearest railway station: Mareinborg, 3.1 kilometres away.

Nearest light rail station: Breidablikk, 1.5 kilometres away.

Nearest bus stop: Gamle Oslovei, 350 metres away.

Satellite View of Site

Figure 32 "Google satellite map of the site"

The site is 3.5 acres. Located in Sverresborg town.

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SITE ANALYSIS Trondheim History Trondheim was founded in 997, and holds a special place in Norwegian history and culture. It is the third largest city in Norway, with more than 170000 inhabitants. Trondheim is surrounded by lovely forested hills, and the Nidelven River winds through the city. The charming old streets at Bakklandet bring you back to architectural traditions and the atmosphere of days gone by. It has been, and still is, a popular pilgrimage site, due to the famous Nidaros Cathedral which is incorporated in the official European Cultural Routes on the same terms as Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Most of the museums are within walking distance. Trondheim has excellent hotels and restaurants, many attractive shops, historical attractions and activities.

Famous Attractions 1. Nidaros Cathedral Duration: 1-2 hours Distance from Trondheim Harbour: 1.5 km.

The Nidaros Cathedral is the most northerly gothic cathedral in the world. Building began in 1070 over the tomb of St. Olav. Open for guided tours all year. Museum shop and cafeteria.

Figure 33 " Nidaros Cathedral”

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2. Ringve Museum Duration: 2-3 hours Distance from Trondheim Harbour: 2.5 km Norway’s national museum of music and musical instruments with collections from all over the world. Situated at Ringve Gård, one of the distinguished mansions just outside the city centre.

3. Guided tour of the city Daily at 12.00 from 30.05 – 28.08.

Languages: Norwegian, English and German Duration: 2 hours, start from the market square.

Capacity; 50 persons.

Tickets are sold at the Tourist Information Office.

A tour of Trondheim and its outskirts. We visit Haltdalen Stave Church at the Folk Museum, pass the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Kristiansten Fort, the Royal Residence and the Cathedral. A brief stop at the viewpoints for photography.

Figure 34 "Aerial view of Trondheim"

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4. National Museum of Decorative Arts Duration: 1-2 hours Distance from Trondheim Harbour: 1.5 km The museum has three stories filled with historic and modern collections of craftsmanship and design through the centuries. Glass, silver, textiles, furniture and ceramics. High quality art and design can be bought in the museum shop.

5. Rockheim Duration: 2 hours Distance from Trondheim Harbour: 0 km Trondheims new national museum of Norwegian pop and rock history. Here you can take an active part at the museum when you pass through the decades from the 1950s up until today.

6. Sverresborg, Trøndelag Folk Museum Duration: 2-3 hours Distance from Trondheim Harbour: 3.5 km Museum of cultural history around the ruins of King Sverres medieval castle. Large open air museum with buildings from Trondheim and the Trøndelag area, including a stave church from the 12th century.

Figure 35 "Sverresborg, Trøndelag Folk Museum”

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Culture 1. Friluftsliv: the Norwegian love for the outdoors The concept of friluftsliv – or “outdoor life” – is as Norwegian as cross-country skis and woollen sweaters. Friluftsliv is not just a thing. It’s a whole philosophy. A way of life regardless of the season and weather forecast.

Friluftsliv activities include everything from extreme skiing and hiking excursions to peaceful pursuits like berry picking, walking the dog, and spending a night – or an afternoon – in a hammock.

A nature-loving nation.

Friluftsliv is not connected to a specific activity. For Norwegians, the word has a deeper meaning, like ‘disconnecting from daily stress’ and being part of the cultural ‘we’, which binds us together as human beings as a part of nature.

As a philosophy, friluftsliv is basically about a simple life in nature without destroying or disturbing it. The concept is also tightly connected to “kos” (cosiness) – the unique Norwegian word for having a good time.

Figure 36 "Friluftsliv: the Norwegian love for the outdoors”

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2. Kos (cosiness)

The most important word in the Norwegian language consists of only three letters, but in return it’s glowing with warmth, kindness, caring, togetherness, and laughter.

Say “kos”, and Norwegians expect everything from a cosy gathering around a candle light on a wooden kitchen table to holding hands whilst standing in the middle of nature at night, watching the northern lights.

“Kos” is also simple things as enjoying a cup of coffee and a freshly baked cinnamon bun – and Norwegians drink more coffee than most people to keep themselves warm and happy, at home, in their cabins, or in the numerous coffee bars that keep popping up with award winning baristas behind the counters.

Figure 37 "KOS - is norwegiean for having a good time"

The importance of “kos” in the Norwegian way of living is elevated to an unseen level with the country’s special fondness for music and food festivals.

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Figure 38 " Norwegian culture"

Agriculture   

Number of farms reduced by over 50% in 30 years.

Only 3% of Norway’s total land area is farmed land.

Most of the food consumed in Norway are imported.

Figure 39 "Norweigian agricultural Trade"

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The Norwegian Parliament has identified four main objectives for the Norwegian agriculture policy:    

Food security Maintaining farming activities throughout the entire country Increased value creation Sustainable agriculture

Figure 40 "Land use in Norwway"

Agricultural land in 1998 comprised 902,000 ha (2,229,000 acres), or about 3% of the country's total land (excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen). While the area under wheat and mixed grains has dropped sharply since 1949, that for rye, oats, and barley has more than doubled. The greater part of these crops is used to supplement potatoes and hay in the feeding of livestock.

In 2002, the area planted with barley, oats, rye, and triticale covered 80% of all the 18,415 holdings for grains and oilseeds. Grain production utilized 320,600 ha (792,200 acres) in 2002.

With steep slopes and heavy precipitation, Norway requires substantial quantities of fertilizers to counteract soil leaching. Smallholders and those in marginal farming areas in the north and in the mountains receive considerable government assistance for the purchase of fertilizers.

Mainland Norway is situated between the 57th and 71th lati-tude. Cold climate makes the growing season short (106-159 days/yr). The area of cultivated land is less than three percent of the total land area. These areas are spread out between fjords and mountains in all the counties and almost all munici-palities. The productions are diverse, as are the size of the farms.

In Norway you will find agricultural production in all climate zones and in all types of landscapes.

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Figure 41 "Agricultural areas in Norway by main crops"

Norway has small areas of fully cultivated land, while areas of rough grazing (utmark*) are substantially larger. The use of grazing in forests and mountains is an essential part of Norwegian food production. Grazing animals keep the landscape open and gives the meat a distinctive taste and quality. Every year, rough graz-ing provides Norwegian sheep, goats and cattle feed equivalent to a value of about 1 billion NOK. More than 50 percent of the feed in Norwegian sheep produc-tion comes from rough grazing.

Figure 42 "Main field crops and Greenhouse crops in Norway"

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Architecture Typology Trondheim can be called the cultural capital of Norway. This beautiful city cherishes the memory of important historical events. Its architecture is very different when compared to other Norwegian cities. It seems that a talented artist worked on creation of this city, carefully calculating each inch of spacious squares and picturesque streets.

Nidaros Cathedral is one of the major historical and religious buildings in the city. This is the oldest shrine in Scandinavia. The cathedral is made in the excellent gothic style more than ten centuries ago.

OLD

Figure 43 "Old Architecture in Trondheim"

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Trondheim has witnessed an architectural boom in recent years, which has seen a range of innovative and exciting projects pop up throughout the city.

MODERN

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Climate Study In Trondheim, the summers are cool and mostly cloudy; the winters are long, freezing, and overcast; and it is wet year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 24°F to 65°F and is rarely below 8°F or above 76°F. Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Trondheim for warm-weather activities is from early July to mid August.

Figure 45 "Average high and low temperature in Trondheim"

Figure 46 "Average hourly temperature in Trondheim"

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As exterior temperatures drop and the building heating system begins operating, building envelops begin to experience changes in air and vapour movement. The warm humid air drives towards the colder, dryer exterior. If the warm humid air contacts cold surfaces, such as uninsulated window panes or thermally bridged frames, condensation can occur. Unaddressed condensation can result in water damages to interior finishes and in, extreme cases organic growth.

With the most of the year round being very cold or freezing, adding a biosphere with a comfortable temperature all year round will aid anf benefit people improve their quality of life.

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Figure 47 "Cloud cover categories in Trondheim”

Figure 48 "Hours of daylight and twilight in Trondheim"

Figure 49 "Average incident shortwave solar energy in Trondheim”

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There’s a 7.2 months period where the clouds are on the clearer part, which makes it possible to use solar cells. If we were to use black silicon solar cells, solar energy could be even harvested on overcast days.

In the months of April – September an average of 16.5 hours of daylight is received.

Typically solar pabels receive 11 hours of daylight per day, with average peak sunhours may actually be closer to 5-6 hours.

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Figure 50 "Average monthly rainfall in Trondheim”

Figure 51 "Average liquid-equivalent monthly snowfall in Trondheim”

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With the wet season lasting for more than half a year the site would experience large volumes of rainwater surface runoff, snow and hail. To mitigate this climate responsive architecture is recommended.

The storm water runoff should be managed on site, through selecting locations with a minimum gradual slope to mitigate stagnation of water, use of soak pits and other methods.

Roof structural systems should be designed to support loads due to self weight of the structure, as well as from service loads, such as wind and snow.

Snow accumulation on roofing systems without adequate insulation can result in ice damming. When underinsulated, the roof is warmed by interior heat, causing heat dissipation and also snow in contact with the roof surface to melt. As the melted snow drains and migrates to colder areas of the roof, typically at the eave, the water re-freezes, creating an ice dam.

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Figure 52 "Average wind speed in Trondheim”

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8 kmph (2 mps) minimum is required to start rotating most small wind turbines. 12.6 kmph (3.5 mph) is the typical cut in speed, when a small turbine starts generating power. 36-54 kmph (10-15 mph) produces maximum generation of power.

With maximum speed of 8.9 mph and minimum speed of 4.1 mph, which is still above cut-in speed, makes it possible to harness winf energy on site as renewable energy source on site using wind turbines.

Figure 53 "Average water temperature in Trondheim”

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The ideal hydroponic water temperature range is somewhere between 65oF (18oC) and 80oF (26oC)

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Figure 54 "Tourism score in Trondheim”

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The tourism score favours clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65oF and 80oF. Based on this score, the best time to visit Trondheim for general outdoor tourist activities is from early july to mid-august with a peak score in the first week of august.

Figure 55 "Growing season in Trondheim"

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The growing season in Trondheim typically lasts for 5.3 months (162 days).

Plant factories would be able to provide more crops efficiently than the present greenhouses in a much larger commercial scale, even during the dark period.

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Layers 1. Contour Analysis

Figure 56 "Contour analysis"

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The 3.5-acre site sits at the foothills of the hill blyberget. The highest point is 182m, on top of the hill and the lowest point is 140m, on site.

The site has an average slope of 1:5 Water collection pits to be provided on site to mitigate stagnation of water.

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2. Hierarchy of Roads

Figure 57 "Hierarchy of roads"

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Trondheim has a good road system with pedestrian footpaths, laybys and avenue trees.

The access road to site needs to be widened

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3. Vegetation Mapping

Figure 58 "Vegetation mapping"

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Vegetation found are coniferous trees and grasslands.

Another reason for the site selection was to avoid destroying the ecology by cutting down trees.

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4. Land-use Pattern

Figure 59 "Land-use pattern"

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In the bigger picture, the site in a residential zone but still hidden away from the residential zone.

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5. Sun and Wind Analysis

Figure 60 "Sun and wind analysis"

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With average speed of 16kmph there is potential to harness wind energy on site.

Solar energy can also be another source of renewable energy on site but there’s not enough sun throughout the year to efficiently harness solar energy.

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6. Water Body and Parks

Figure 61 "Water body and parks"

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Popular recreational area among both locals and tourists, with benches, barbeque, ice skating and fishing spots

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7. Site Context

Figure 62 "Site context"

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Figure 63 "Contextual site pictures"

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The site is rich in cultural heritage.

King Sverre's castle (Sverresborg) are the remains of the oldest stone castle in Norway.

It was built in 1182–83. Sverresborg is today the name of this city area in Trondheim.

The castle is a part of Trøndelag Folk Museum.

Sverresborg is an open-air museum with more than 80 historical buildings, several indoor exhibitions, and two restaurants. The museum’s old town is comprised of buildings that were originally located in downtown Trondheim, and offers a charming representation of the wooden houses that have dominated the cityscape from the 18th century up until today.

The museum’s rural department is located around the ruins of the castle, and consists of farmsteads and houses surrounded by picturesque nature. The houses are all originally from the Trøndelag region.

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CASE STUDIES The Living Tower Architect

SOA Architects

Location

Renne, France

Project year 2005

The concept of the Living Tower’s aim is to associate the agricultural production, dwelling and activities in a single and vertical system. This system would allow making the city denser meanwhile a greater autonomy could be gained reliance in agricultural plains, reducing the need of transportation between urban and extra-urban territories. The yet unusual superimposition of these programs finally makes it possible to consider new practical and energetic relations between agricultural culture, tertiary spaces, housing and trade inducing a very strong energy saving. With a topographic game of opposition between full and unfilled spaces, the system of the Living Tower is designed as an autonomous ecological machine which associates places of production, places of consumption and spaces of life. The full spaces systematically fulfill the requirements of housing and the offices, in term of comfort, heat insulation, acoustic and sunning, while the unfilled spaces can adapt to various functions of production.

Figure 64 "The living tower"

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Figure 65 "site plan: The living tower"

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Figure 68 "Section: The living tower"

In section, it can be seen that the farming is actually sloped just as it is perceived from the façade. This is most likely for purposes of sun orientation so that the crops can receive the most.

In addition, the centre contains the core of the building with all circulation as well as harvesting and containment of the crops.

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Analysis    

Healthier products (no insects or need for pesticides) Regulation of climate (more reliable production of products) Use of renewable energies as power ( Wind and Sun ) no reliance on coal

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World Food Building Architect

Plantagon

Location

Linköping, Sweden

Project year To be completed.

Half of the 60-metre-tall building will be occupied by offices, while the other half will be used as an urban greenhouse. The north-facing side of the building contains 17 floors of office spaces, while a sloped glass facade covers the south side to allow the maximum amount of sun to pass into the farming areas.

A nearby waste incineration and biogas plant provides the building with heating, as well as fuel for food-production. Plantagon uses symbiotic solutions to develop large industrial foodproduction systems. These systems turn excess heat, biomass and even carbon dioxide emissions into assets for local food production.

The greenhouse receives and uses excess heat from the nearby power plant. The waste from the greenhouse is then sent to the biogas plant for composting, so there is a nice circular movement of energy.

Figure 71 "Site Plan: World food building"

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Figure 72 "Section: World food building"

Figure 73 "Symbiotic relationship: World food building"

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Figure 74 "Render: World food Building"

SWEDISH VERTICAL FARMING COMPANY "PLANTAGON INTERNATIONAL" DECLARES BANKRUPTCY. Due to cash flow problems and difficulty to attract enough capital to remain financially sustainable, the company has gone bankrupt.

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The Eden Project Architect

Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners

Location

Cornwall, UK

Project year 2001.

The Eden Project is a sprawling structure built along the side of a deep clay pit. The structure comprises three biomes, areas designed to represent three distinct climates found around the world. The Eden Project is the largest botanical garden in the world. The exhibition includes more than one hundred thousand plants representing 5,000 species from many of the world’s climate zones.

Client: Size: Completion: Cost: Structural Engineer: Services Engineer: Cost Consultant: Main Contractor:

The Eden Project 23,000 sq.m / 247,480 sq. ft March 2001 £ 160 millions / $ 239 millions Anthony Hunt Associates Arup Davis Langdon and Everest McAlpine Joint Venture

Figure 75 "The Eden project"

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Figure 77 "Section: The Eden project"

Figure 78 "Plan & Site section: The Eden project"

The strict criteria for such an innovative structure created many design challenges. First, the structure was to be the world’s largest plant enclosure. This involved coming up with a design scheme that could span for great distances without the use of a single internal support. Second, the structure must be as light as possible. This was needed for transportation reasons primarily because all the materials would have to be brought in from other cities, a long distance away.

In addition, a lighter structure would put less stress on the soil and allow for smaller footings and less site impact. Last, the enclosure must be ecologically friendly helping it to be used as an educational demonstration of sustainability

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There are essentially three biomes in the Eden Project: the humid–tropics biome, the warm temperate biome, and the moderate temperate biome. The humid–tropics biome, the largest biome at over 240m long, houses tropical plants from all over the world. Trails and various waterfalls enclosed inside the structure allow visitors to totally immerse themselves in a unique environment that would otherwise be impossible.

Figure 79"Exotic plants and waterfalls are encountered as visitors walk along the various trails the biome has to offer"

The official name for the bubble-like geodesic structure mentioned earlier is a “hex–tri–hex.”

Though the final structure looks very similar to half a sphere, the entire building uses straight planes with straight edges. It incorporates an outer shell of primarily hexagonal pieces, (some pentagons) which attaches to an inner network of triangles for stability. The design is so structurally stable that it does not need any internal supports even in the 240m span of the largest biome. In addition, all the steel tubes that make up the grid-like network could be easily transported to the site in small pieces reducing costs. The structure transfers loads to the ground uniformly around its base, which helps to eliminate large footings that otherwise, might have been needed to support such a large enclosure. Energy efficiency-wise, the hemisphere shape helps to conserve the heating that is needed especially in the humid–tropics biome. This is because of the fact that a sphere has the largest amount of volume compared to its surface area of any form.

Figure 80 "Structural details: The Eden project"

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Cushions of ETFE (ethyltetraflouroethylene) transparent foil are used for the glazing. This very lightweight material weighs approximately 1% of glass. In addition, its strength and the fact that it is selfcleaning makes it the perfect product to use for this project. Last, it also has excellent ultraviolet transmittance which is essential for the healthy development of the plants grown inside. This also means that it is important to wear sunscreen when hiking through the biome. Since each of the hexagonal pieces of the biome is a different size, Grimshaw worked with others to come up with a specialized 3D computer program that determines the dimensions of each piece. These data are then transferred to a machine that correctly cuts and labels each piece before it is shipped to the construction site.

Figure 81 "Up-close look at the transparent glazing of the ETFE pillows and ventilation. Each hexagon (or pentagon) is a slightly different size allowing the structure to better conform to the site”

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Summarization of Case Study Research With no real world examples of this project’s scale to base my research on, I looked into features of existing buildings that would apply to vertical farming. Almost as if assembling a puzzle where the pieces match, but not the picture.

Looking back at the choices made for my thesis’ case studies, they all share one thing in common. This shared commonality was what made me choose them as well, except for the accidental gold mine of the Eden project. Their glazing features were the main reason I sought them out. Growing plants indoors does not require sunlight, but that is not the only premise to the case at hand. I want to design a vertical farm that does not come with a huge start-up cost, and can provide more than just the plants that grow inside of them. I also want to bring awareness to the conflict going on in the world in regards to the human race destroying it. We can do better.

The Living tower is a gorgeous combination between earth and water - concrete and glass. I found that by making your core, walls, transition space, and bathrooms all into the same feature, you are really left with nothing to put in the rest of the building. An open floor plan lets in the light and carries it throughout the building. The Living tower made me realise that the project cannot be a standalone vertical farm structure. For it to be viable, it needs to be a mixed-use structure.

Plantagon may indeed have been ahead of its time in terms of the size of its project, and the speed at which it wanted to get there. Plantagon’s past interviews have shown the company had plenty of optimism and vision for the future. What got mentioned less were the complications the vertical farm industry is still grappling with as it tries to scale — business models, energy consumption, the cost of not just building but running a facility that relies on software and machine-generated light to function.

This shows us that it is still too early for large-scale plant factories.

Vertical farming is progressively becoming more and more popular with each passing year.

Along with each passing year, we have a rapidly expanding global population and temperatures. The entire concept around vertical farming was just that, a concept; at least until Plantagon and Farmed Here took matters into their own hand and carved a path for a bright future for vertical farming. Plantagon especially has given me the inspiration to keep exploring for the next person to innovate another aspect, unless that person should be me - good one right.

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DESIGN STRATEGIES Passive Strategies With the world’s obsession with fossil fuels, an example of clean energy needs to come forth and show that there are alternative methods. By leading as an example we can educate the youth of today for a better tomorrow and a guaranteed future on this beautiful planet.

1. How do we strike a balance?

Figure 82 "How do we strike a balance"

Based on current technologies, Plant factories are not viable as a stand alone building. For it to be profitable and sustainable a mixed use program with the active participation of local community and a symbiotic system is needed. The Symbiotic System combines municipal infrastructure such as cooling, heating, biogas, waste, water and energy with food production.

Figure 83 "Farm to market"

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The success of the farmers market DEPENDS on the vertical farm grow rooms for produce.

The effectiveness + impact of the vertical farm on the community DEPENDS on the farmers market.

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2. Community Supported Agriculture “THE BOX SCHEME” Community Supported Agriculture is a form of an alternative food network and a socioeconomic model of argriculture and food distribution.

The community pledges to support the farming operation by purchasing seasonal or annual memberships. Both the growers and the consumers share the risk and the benefits of the farming operation.

CSA members can only get what the vertical farm grows but they are guaranteed a box full of fresh vegetables every week.

Figure 84 "Benefits of the box scheme"

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3. Local Roots Farming Distribution

WHOLESALE OPERATION The wholesale operation of the Local Roots Vertical Farm will specialize in farming leafy greens like kale, spinach and different types of lettuce. Local groceries and restaurants can purchase organic, locally grown and harvested crops at a wholesale price throughout the year.

Leafy greens are excellent crops to specialize in. They are high in nutrients and can be used in millions of ways. If the vertical farm dedicates half of an acre of space to growing leafy greens, we can grow more than 300 plants per harvest. Using hydroponic and aquaponicns technologies, we can decrease the growth period of the plants to 50 days which gives us around seven harvests per year. Even though the farm will be selling the crops wholesale, it is still estimated that the operation will earn approximately $250,000 of revenue in it’s first five years.

Figure 85 "Benefits of wholesale operation"

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4. Community Supported Farming

The success of the vertical farm depends entirely on the support of the community. The farm itself will provide crops for a variety of community-based program elements but in order for the whole system to be cyclical, the community must be able to actively support the farm.

Figure 86 "Community supported farming"

5. Farm Crop Selection

The crops that will be grown in the vertical farm were selected based on a number of factors.

The overall business model of the whole vertical farming operation aims to maximize diversity and yields through crop selection while maintaining positive profit margins.

A sustainable-farming economic model achieves strength in crop diversity. Crops with offsetting growth patterns and market prices will produce the most stabilized revenue. In order to create this offset, crops were selected based on profits at market, volume per harvest, yields per year and number of harvests per year.

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Figure 87 "Selected crops"

People With a lot of the urban areas today focusing on the vehicle more than the person, this project will focus on how people can interact with the site and building aside from vehicular methods.

1. Farmer’s Market The farmer’s market will be available to the general public. Non-CSA members can purchase fresh vegetables from the vertical farm in a boutique grocery setting. The market will also help encourage CSA. 2. Market Cafe Adding a cafe to the farmer’s market will further encourage visitors to eat local produce from the vertical farm. It will be a great way to showcase different recipes using the vegetables grown right upstairs.

3. Education Kitchen An educational lab and test kitchen will be available to CSA members to use for sustainable food education, testing recipes. learning how to cook with their fresh vegetables. Non-members can also pay to take classes as well.

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Innovation With such a forward thinking idea it’s important to utilize the newest technologies to include into the entire project. Being a leading example of what is to be expected of future architectural projects.

1. Seeding Systems Design

Before a plant can be placed into a hydro-, aero-, or aqua- ponic system, they must be nurtured as seedlings in a seed lab, or nursery. The seed lab has specialized technologies that quickly accelerate the growth of seedlings and are specific to the different ponic systems.

Hydroponic and aquaponic seeds are started in the tray system. Two seeds are placed into each “plug” which is made up of inorganic material. Once the plants are 2-3 inches tall (from 1-4 weeks), they can be transplanted into the larger systems for full maturation.

Aeroponic seeds are nurtured in a separate system where each seed is implanted into 1-5/8” thick neoprene inserts in the plug trays. The vortex spray constantly sprays the roots with an oxygen-rich nutrient solution.

Figure 88 "Life cycle of a crop in a plant factory"

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2. Hydroponic System Design This system grows the plants in water without the use of soil. The water is infused with a mineral nutrient solution which is easily absorbed by the plant roots, thus eliminating the need for soil. The nutrient solution can also be reused which keeps water usage very low. This system is very versatile in that almost any terrestrial plant will grow in hydroponics and produce stable and high yields.

Figure 92 "System stacking"

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3.

Aquaponic system design

This system combines traditional aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the byproducts from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrient, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the fish.

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DESIGN Concept

AGRITECTURE A unique way of combining urban agriculture, innovative technical solutions and architecture to meet the demand for efficient food production within cities.

AGRICULTURE

TECHNOLOGY

ARCHITECTURE

Combining the physical, biological, economic and social conditions for successful and productive agriculture solutions in urban environments.

Applying existing technologies and developing new innovative ways to create efficient processes, systems and solutions for sustainable urban agriculture.

Developing esthetical and functional real estate solutions that integrate within the urban infrastructure.

Figure 99 "Concept"

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Program Analysis

1. Main Program LEGEND

Figure 100 "Main program"

2. Hydroponic Farm Program

Figure 101 "Hydoponic farm program"

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3. Biodome Program

Figure 102 "Biodome program"

Area Statement

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Zoning

Figure 104 "Zoning"

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   

The site being located in a residential zone the approach for the master plan was to mimic the surrounding context rather than a commercial approach, so that the site is more welcoming for the local residents.

The most important part of the site is the east side as the approach as the approach road is from east, also the other sides are facing a hill, river and grasslands.

The entries are from the east side and the farmers market is also placed nearby as it will be the most used space by the locals.

Necessary surface parking is provided along the setbacks.

Vegetaion cover is necessary to block noises and also to decrease bleeding of light from the site to the surroundings.

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Masterplan

Figure 105 "Masterplan"

LOCATION :

TRONDHEIM, NORWAY

SITE AREA :

13600 SQM

GROUND COVERAGE :

27%

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Plan

Figure 106 "Plan"

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Sections

Section A

Section B

Section C

Figure 107 "Section"

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Elevations

South Elevation

West Elevation

East Elevation

North Elevation Figure 108 "Elevations"

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Structure

Figure 109 "Sructure"

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Structural Concepts

1. Geodesic dome

Geodesic Dome is a spherical space frame which transfers the loads to its support by a network of linear elements arranged in a spherical dome. All the members in the geodesic dome are in direct stress (tension or compression). The geodesic dome is developed by dividing platonic polyhedrons. The loads are transferred to the support points by axial forces (tension and compression) in the frame members.

Under uniform loading in a hemisphere geodesic dome, all upper members those about approx 45 degrees will be in compression, lower near horizontal members will be in tension, while near vertical members will be in compression. Hemisphere domes generate a small amount of outward thrust. Quarter sphere domes generate considerable outward thrust that must be resisted by buttresses or a tension ring. Three quarters sphere domes develop inward thrust which must be resisted by the floor slab or a compression ring.

The layout of the project was based on significant criteria like column free space, maximum sunlight intake, optimum volume for required function and visual appearance. The geodesic domes fulfilled all these criteria and were also best suited to fit the structure on the undulated site surface.

Figure 110 "Plan of geodesic dome"

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Figure 111 "Advantages of geodesic domes"

2. Structural Components

A. ETFE              

Ethelene tetra‐fluoro‐ethelene Trade name “Tefzel” High corrosive resistance Three times larger load carrying capacity Bears 400 times its self weight Compared to glass, ETFE is 1% the weight Transmits more light Installation cost reduced by 24% to 70% Self cleaning and recyclable Ability to stretch to three times its length without loss of elasticity Three layered pillow Each pillow attached to air supply system Inside pressure is about 300 pascals Maximum height of inflated pillow is 10‐ 15% of the maximum span

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B. Honey Comb Bracing Grid consists of series of hexagons and pentagons Rigid connections through bowl nodes Maximum grid span is 11 m, member size is 193 mm dia.

Figure 113 "Honey comb bracing"

C. Space Frame Single layer domes are restricted to a span of approximately 100ft. ( 30m). Domes greater than this span employ a double layer space frame configuration for greater stability and rigidity.

Figure 114 " Space frame"

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D. Connectors

a. The Bowl Node Rigid connection for the Honey comb bracing members.

Figure 115 "The bowl node"

b. Hinged Connectors Hinged connections for the Space frame members.

Figure 116 "Hinged connectors"

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c. Foundation Connectors Fixed connection for Honey comb bracing members and Space frame menbers.

Figure 117 "Foundation connectors"

E. Truss The Hex‐net and tri‐hex‐net of the domes meet the top chord and the bottom chord of the triangular truss

3. Load Distribution

Figure 118 "Load path diagram 1"

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Figure 119 "Load path diagram 2"

Figure 120 "Load path diagram 3"

Figure 121 ""Load path diagram 4"

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Renders

Figure 122 "View from Blygerbet hill view point"

Figure 123 "Exterior view of main entrance"

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Figure 124 "Interior view of farmers market"

Figure 125 "Interior view of biodome"

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Figure 126 "Interior view of biodome from restaurant"

Figure 127 "Interior view of restaurant"

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Figure 128 "Interior view of Hydroponic Farm"

Figure 129 "Aerial exterior night view

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BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. http://www.verticalfarminstitute.org/vertical-farming/#challenges 2. https://www.usf.edu/pcgs/documents/food-conference-steffanie-presentation.pdf 3. https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2016/04/08/confronting-the-dark-side-of-urbanagriculture/ 4. http://www.verticalfarms.com.au/advantages-vertical-farming 5. https://www.igrow.news/igrownews/2011/10/13/vertical-farms-from-vision-to-reality 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_Norway 7. https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/vertical-farm-feeding-world-21st-century 8. http://www1.wfp.org/zero-hunger 9. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/ 10. Vertical Farming: Can it change the global food production landscape? by Luciano Jan Loman 2016 Nuffield International Scholar.

11. Vertical Farm 2.0: Designing an Economically Feasible Vertical Farm - A combined European Endeavor for Sustainable Urban Agriculture. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321427717 12. Plant factories versus greenhouses: Comparison of resource use efficiency. www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy 13. Eero Hallikainen : Life Cycle Assessment on Vertical Farming 14. https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Norway-AGRICULTURE.html 15. https://www.trondheim.com/ 16. https://norwayconnects.org/2015/01/19/norways-major-cities/ 17. https://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Norway.html 18. https://www.visitnorway.com/ 19. http://www.plantagon.com/about/business-concept/the-linkoping-model/ 20. http://faculty.arch.tamu.edu/anichols/courses/applied-architectural-structures/projects631/Files/eden.pdf 21. https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/arch504ukgreenarch/casestudies/edenproject1.pdf 100 | P a g e