Vertical Farming Case Studies

F RMING 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Colbert

FOOD-SUSTINANCE: VERTICAL FARMING

Vertical Farming Iniative •Developed by Columbia University Professor-Dickson Despommier

Issues • 2050- 80% Of world population will be around Urban Centers + 3 Billion more People • •70% Of all Fresh water is used in irrigation for traditional agriculture.

• •Unsustainable factory farming techniques.

• Approximately 800 million hectares of land being used for farming= area of Brazil.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Food/ sustenance

Environmental Advantages •Efficient • Year Round Crop Growth • Organic- No reliance on Pesticides/Herbicides/ Genetic modification • No Agricultural Runoff • Water recycling •Fewer Fossil fuels used in production • Convert Abandoned Urban Properties into production centers • 1 Acre of Vertical farm= 10 Acres reclaimed on the ground •Protection from weather related crop destruction

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

Bondarenko, Tavrof, Shahlamian, Weigand

Food/ sustenance

Reclamation of landscapes •Example of Yanomani tribe in the Brazilian Jungle.

•Shifting agricultural methods •Cut down trees to farm, burn to enrich soil .

•Grow crops on one plot of land, allow another to regrow.

•Replace acres of farmland (monoculture) with natural overgrowth.

•Allow natural ecosystems to rebuild themselves.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Food/ sustenance

Goals •Supply sustainable food sources for urban centers •Allow agro. Land to revert to natural landscape •Sustainable organic farming techniques •Black/grey water remediation •Appropriate unused and abandoned urban spaces •End food contamination •Year round food production •End reliance on pesticides, herbicides and petro based fertilizers

The Living Tower by SOA Architects

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Create sustainable urban space

Food/ sustenance

1 Bushel of Corn

Crop Possibilities

31.5lbs. Of Starch Or

•Sugar- typically grown in

33lbs of sweetner

tropical location, extreme demand in the US. Need constant moisture monitoring.

Sugar Cane,Sugar Beets

Or 2.8 gal of ethanol fuel + 13.5 lbs. of gluten feed 2.6 lbs. of gluten meal And 1.5lbs of corn oil

•Corn- 80.9 million acres planted in the US. Yield of 11.8 billion acres, $23 Billion •Ethanol production

•Rice- 2.5 billion people rely as a food staple.

•Hydroponics •Nitrogen absorption

•Pharmaceuticals- Use plants as sources for drugs.

The Living Skyscraper: Farming the Urban Skyline- Blake Kurasek- University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

•Aquaculture- Tilapia fish

Food/ sustenance

Systems •Hydroponics-Cultivation of plant life through continuous flow of oxygenated, nutrient rich water.

•Nutrient-flow technique.

Network of narrow channels of recycled nutrient rich water.

•Float Stem- rectangular reservoirs filled with water.

•Aquaponics- combine hydroponics and aquaculture.

One system, fish waste as nutrient for plants.

•Drip/container culture- Soil less indoor growing- media bags •Aeroponics- exposes roots, nutrient rich mist pumped into air chamber 100% humidity

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Food/ sustenance

Chris Jacobs – Vertical Farm

Mithun Architects

Eco – Laboratory – Webber Thompson 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

Vertical Farms

In March 2009 the city of Vancouver ran an idea’s competition which asked the contestants to address the problems of sustainability and urban density.

Harvest Green Project Vancouver, BC

Vancouver based Romses Architects won the Secondary category for their housing proposal and received honorary mention for the Harvest tower in the primary category.

Both proposals were focused on sustainability and vertical farming. The Harvest tower was a proposed mix use tower that devoted a majority of space to vertical farms. The Housing proposal is a scheme to turn a portion of people’s backyard into a laneway.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

Advantages of Vertical Farming -Crops are protected inside the building, thus eliminating failure due to natural disasters (floods/droughts/locusts) -Crops are grown organically; no need for chemical use -Agricultural runoff is captured and recycled before it gets a chance to damage the ecosystem -Small scale indoor vertical farming eliminates the need for heavy machinery like tractors and plows -Vertical farming is extremely local and thus eliminates the need to ship food vast distances -It is estimated that every acre used for vertical farming is equivalent to 4 acres of horizontal farming 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

Harvest Tower The prominent piece of the Harvest Green Project is the proposed tower that will house the actual vertical gardens.

Besides vertical farming, the tower also makes room for a aquaponic fish farm as well as a livestock grazing plain for chickens and cows.

These additions expand the notion of the vertical farm to the idea of a vertical food production plant for the surrounding neighborhood.

The tower also boasts its use of green energy to power its functions. Wind turbines and solar panels collect renewable energy, while the decomposing of organic material creates methane which is then turned into energy via a turbine.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

The Program Vertical Farming is not all that the Harvest Green Project houses. Included in the program of the tower is a transit line and station, Live/Work lofts, an organic food store, super market, as well as a ‘Harvest Green’ restaurant that utilizes produce grown in the tower.

This diverse program really sets the Harvest Green Project apart from other Vertical Farming towers in that it is not only productive (i.e. producing food) but also performative in that it utilizes the locally grown food on site (i.e. the store/super market and restaurant).

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

Residential Laneways The second part of this proposed project deals with the residential condition of low density housing and its unsustainable nature. This secondary proposal serves as an appendage to the main Harvest Green Tower.

The idea initiating these residential laneways is that the large backyard space behind residential houses sits empty and unutilized.

Reclaiming 10m at the end of the residential plot creates a new laneway that can be filled with sustainable and productive buildings of varying sizes.

These buildings could be small residences, community gathering places, or even small recycling collection centers. Either way they would serve to reconnect the residential neighborhood.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

Modular Prototype The interventions that would be inserted into the residential plots are designed to be modular and thus are vastly adaptable to various needs and uses. In addition, these modular pieces would be manufactured off-site and trucked in, thereby reducing construction waste as well as carbon emissions.

These modular buildings can be adapted to many uses but are all linked by their glorification of sustainability and energy production. They feature vertical/urban farming, water collection cisterns, green roofs, solar panels, wind turbines, and wild bird habitats.

They would create a new street behind the houses and produce a new sense of community.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

Bondarenko Shalamian Tafrov Weigand

Harvest Green Project

PIG CITY

MDRDV - Research Project 2000

Issues: Land Use, Consumption, Food Safety Concept: What if the desire to save open space otherwise consumed for the production of grain (to feed pigs) and pig farming for leisure/human use made it economical to pork-farm in high-density towers? Could decreased transportation / production costs make this feasible?

Km3 Excursions On Capacity – MDRDV Architects - 2003

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Pig City Data •As the leading exporter of pork in Europe, the Netherlands currently devotes 29% of its land to the production of “porkers” •The population of the Netherlands in 1999 was 15.5 M people and 15.2 M pigs •In order to keep pace with increasing demand, up to 19 M pigs would need to be produced annually.

Km3 Excursions On Capacity – MDRDV Architects - 2003

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

•The 29% land use reflects unsustainable pig-feed production, based on 50% grain and 50% industrial byproducts. With the Advent of diseased pork, pigs must be farmed organically; increasing the required area (footprint) of pork production to 75% of the Netherlands.

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Issues •Environment – the current means of production leads to ammonia emissions and soil degradation, compounded by; transportation emissions •Welfare – various groups are fighting for proper treatment of the animals with regards to their shelter, transport, and access to land •Economy – the revenue of pig farming helps to sustain the economy of the Netherlands, and as such is valued.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Questions •The proposed quantity of land devoted to pig-farming would be impossible, leading to the question of what to do?

• Either eat less pork (across Europe) or…..

Can the Production / Consumption of meat be reconsidered to work in a manner that is better for the environment?

•Condense Pig Production in a complete Taylorization of the process - an all inclusive abattoir; from grain production to packaging the product for consumption •Vertically stacked and integrated production would reclaim land for human use, to support an ever increasing density of human population.

•Use “environmentally friendly” organic processes to farm the pork.

Pig Hospital

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

Pig Truffle Park

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Staff

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Pig Farn 2.0 •An urbanist – architectural modification of the pig farming process

Eros Zone Pregnancy Pen Delivery Den

Seaman Center

•“Improved Organic Method” in which 2400 pigs are managed by 2 People on 1 Floor of a pig tower •Stacking of Production Process allows for no transportation of live animals, and instigates a closed production process – piglet birth rate = chop consumption rate •As a result, it becomes an exercise not only in production but also pig breeding – life cycle production of the pig product.

Piglet Premises Porker Park

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Flows 1 Tower = 1 Slaughterhouse; fed by 40 stacked farms, each 100x100m; 1 Floor plate = 1 Farm 40 Farm Tower Req. 30km2 Of Arable land, and the water collected from that quantity of land. Each year.

Ammonia from pig waste is used over the same quantity of arable land; biogas from waste is collected and routed to a storage/fermentation bubble atop the building, where it ferments and is divided into manure and gas; the manure feeds fish that feed the pigs, and the gas is used in CHP plants or for home heating.

44 Towers to maintain current production/exports; with req’d land, 5% of Netherlands Land Use

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Vertical Farming – Pig City

The Question: Architecture or Consumption?

MDRDV first questioned whether or not it was possible to maintain current and future consumption levels. While they realized that this in itself is probably unsustainable, their response positions architecture as a facilitator to consumption.

•The project’s goal is reducing the footprint of the pork production process, there would still be massive material and embodied energy costs associated with building Pig Cities which would extend beyond the 5% Land Use required to feed / filter the pigprocess.

Pig City

•However, in its sheer rationality and completeness, the project also allows for a reframing of the situation and a reconsidering of the reasons which would/could drive us to such excessive means to produce food.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

BLT MAX

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Vertical Farming: Future Fact or Eternal Fiction?

Vertical Farming requires a certain level of density to become sustainable, due to the relationship between the cost of land and agricultural production.

In the same way that high-rise structures are not yet viable in certain areas (ie. Syracuse, with lower population density), Vertical farming will become an option only in the event that the portion of land which people inhabit or have fouled outweighs that which is available for agricultural production. Just as with most other issues, the economic concept of supply and demand applies. Unfortunately, this also means that until it is economically viable, forested land will be cleared to make room for new farms; leading to decreased ability to process CO2.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

S

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Agribusiness / Food Future Fact or

Eternal Fiction?

The resultant clearing of land leads to problems; related to CO2 processing, water runoff issues, and species loss (among others).

How could initiatives begin to change this imbalance, making it more difficult (economically or otherwise) to clear land vs. re-use existing land with new techniques; institute vertical farming, or re-think production to account for smaller areas of arable land – “3 sisters” concept – Corn / beans / squash “AGRIDENSITY” Or not mis-using corn to produce ethanol; rethinking medians as agricultural filters; Brownfield redevelopment, etc.

NASA Earth Observatory, 2004, MODIS TerraSatelite

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO.SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

DeForestation

Vertical Farming – Pig City

Concept – Reality

“We live vertically. Why not farm vertically?”

Manila, Philippines: 41,014 p/k2 Cairo, Egypt: 36,618 p/k2 Mumbai, India: 21,665 p/k2 Lagos, Nigeria: 20,000 p/k2 Macau: 16,521 p/k2 Seoul, South Korea: 16,391 p/k2 Dhaka, Bangladesh: 14,688 p/k2 Buenos Aires, Argentina: 13,680 p/k2 Jakarta, Indonesia: 11,360 p/k2 New York, New York: 10,452 p/k2 Taipei, Taiwan: 9,835 p/k2 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: 9,516 p/k2 Hong Kong: 6,341 p/k2 (only 23% is people space)

VERTICAL FARMS ARE ONLY VIABLE WHERE LIVING IS TRULY VERTICAL 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Why not?

-Floor Area in Towers is the most expensive form of land available; -The project states “The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and operate).”

Right now, they are not; Farm: $1/sf vs.

Tower:$200+/sf  Food Prices could not sustain this shift in land costs.

From an article by Philip Proefrock and Hank Green 10-26-09 Ecogeek.com 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – the Farmery • Reinvents small farming to better compete in an industrial farm economy by providing an environmentally sustainable growing and food retailing system that encourages the growth and success of small, environmentally sustainable farms.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – the Farmery •An Economic model is included as part of the design idea; realizing that material and energies exist in a context of commerce.

• Economic Impact: The Farmery positions the growing cycle above the retail site to reduce costs and add value to the crops by showing the ethical growing process where decisions to purchase are made.

•Social Impact: The Farmery helps to restore local food systems by providing a more profitable alternative to selling wholesale, to restaurants and farmers markets.

•Environmental Impact: The Farmery is an organic farming system that reduces fossil fuel and chemical use in transporting and growing the crops.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Tower or Garden?

“Such buildings, by the way, are not the only structures that could house vertical farms.

Farms of various dimensions and crop yields could be built into a variety of urban settings — from schools, restaurants and hospitals to the upper floors of apartment complexes.”

-A Farm on Ever Floor NYT article 08/23/09 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – Organitech produced a shipping container sized automated farming module for high density living. floating hydroponic trays automate movement through the system Eliminates costly labor and low productivity levels single container unit produces several hundreds of heads of lettuce per day space-efficient stackable design, located anywhere optimal growth conditions create a short, highly productive growing cycle

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – Liberty Garden In 1943, Americans planted over 20 million Victory Gardens, and the harvest accounted for nearly a third of all the vegetables consumed in the country that year.

Emphasis was placed on making gardening a family or community effort -- not a drudgery, but a pastime, and a national duty.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – SF Victory The Slow Food Nation Victory Garden is a living quilt of plants and people, a garden of communities. Featuring a wide variety of heritage organic vegetables suited to the Bay Area microclimate, the garden will demonstrate the diversity of urban food production practices.

Food grown in the garden will be donated to those with limited access to healthy organic produce through a partnership with local food banks and meals programs.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – PS1 PF1 Guerrilla Gardening •P.F.1 (Public Farm One) is an urban farm concept that evokes the look of a flying carpet landing in the P.S.1 courtyard.

Constructed from large cardboard tubes, its top surface will be a working farm, blooming with a variety of vegetables and plants. The structure will create a textured, colorful, and constantly changing surface

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – Flow Kitchen Oregon-based Studio Gorm has created a complete kitchen in which energy is conserved and cooking waste is recycled and used to grow plants.

Dubbed the flow kitchen, the design successfully integrates nature and technology into a system where drying dishes helps water plants and composting food waste helps to fertilize them.

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

Case Study – Flow Kitchen How can we innovate to re-think the basic ways that we act on a daily basis to reduce waste / redundancy?

500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.07.09

BONDARENKO .SHALAMIAN.TAFROV .WEIGAND

Reality?

QUESTIONS? 500.2 Ecology of Cities – Prof. Vassilev

10.25.09

BONDARENKO . SHALAMIAN . TAFROV .WEIGAND

FOOD-SUSTINANCE: VERTICAL FARMING