Agritecture: Merging Production + Consumption

Agritecture: Merging Production + Consumption Adriana Perez-Leyva | Design + Research Studio II | Spring 2019 Thesis

Table of Contents PART I: The Arguement The First Seed Is Planted We All Live Downstream Two Worlds (Must) Collide Pioneers Pave the Way Growing Up Agritectural Explorations Food Retail Typologies

PART II: The Proposition Thesis Statement Food Issues in the USA Food Deserts in Atlanta Performance Specifications Master Plan: Garnett Station Design Thinking Program Diagrams Agritecture Elements Perspectives Bibliography Appendix

PART I: The Arguement

The first seed is planted.

Ten thousand years ago, farming was invented. It may sound funny to refer to something so seemingly closely related to nature as an invention, but farming is indeed a human creation.

Before our ancestors learned how to cultivate crops, humans were hunters and gatherers, living off of whatever they could find along their nomadic journeys across the lands. Approximately in 8,000 B.C., a rather surprising switch in the nature of humans occurred. Our ancestors around the globe traded their nomadic lives with settled ones by establishing farms. This allowed civilizations, such as the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Mayans, and Incas, to flourish.

Along with the invention of farming came the formation of religious figures associated with agriculture. When crops were plentiful, our ancestors would praise their respective gods. When the crops failed, they believed their gods were displeased, unaware of the fact that ‘nature abhors a vacuum’. In other words, crops often fail due to diseases, pests, soil depletion, or climactic circumstances.

The world has an agricultural land area the size of South America to feed all seven billion of us.

We all live downstream.

Despite all the environmental factors that threaten our crops, farming “appears” to be working well. Fast-forward to today, and most of the world population is still sustained by the agricultural methods that have been passed down for many generations.

Unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving.

Like our ancestors in ancient China and Egypt, many presentday farmers lead stressful lives praying for a successful season amidts the threat of climate change. Crop failure has been linked to an increase in the suicide of farmers in the U.S., India, China, and other countries as well.

Although we grow enough food for the entire world, one in nine people do not have access to nutrition due to an irresponsible and unfair distribution of food worldwide. Additionally, many countries, including the U.S., have suffered food shortages due to the unintentional consequences caused by farming. Farming on the land too much can cause soil depletion and adverse environmental effects, as it occurs in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.

Agricultural runoff, which is polluted by pesticides, make their way to our rivers and oceans, thus poisoning our coral reefs, crustaceans, and fish supply.

Currently, the world has an agricultural land area the size of South America to feed all seven billion of us. With the rise of population, it is alarming to note that we will need an additional agricultural land area the size of Brazil to feed the next three billion by 2050. If we are to maintain a consistent food supply, we must rethink how we grow food.

Two worlds (must) collide.

Even if one is not convinced of climate change as a real threat, one cannot deny that crop failures often happen due to unexpected weather conditions or soil depletion. All fieldgrown farms are at the mercy of nature. A switch to a more controllable, dependable, and environmentally-friendly method of growing our food will help us address population growth and alleviate the stresses agriculture has caused on our lands and oceans. As a result, two worlds must collide: these being the bio- and technospheres. On a philosophical level, the manner in which most humans have chosen to live has not been a healthy choice. Living in dense urban environments that consume all of nature’s resources, but give very little back, has caused harm to ourselves and the environment.

As Dr. Dickson Despommier describes in his book, The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, perhaps we should look at designing our cities to function more as ecosystems.

What if a city could harness the energy of its waste and use it for consumption in a neverending loop? It would essentially be a biomimic city. Such a concept may seem far-fetched, but urban agriculture is a good start towards that reality. Urban agriculture is the introduction of farming within city boundaries.

As depicted on the diagram to the right, there is a spectrum of urban agriculture and its use of technology. At the bottom, The Battery Park is low-tech because all of its food is field-grown. At the very top, Aerofarms grows all of its food with no soil and 95% less water than conventional farming irrigation. With the advent of this agricultural revolution, new businesses focusing on growing food indoors and within cities have sprouted.

Agritecture Consultants, for example, focuses on helping pioneering vertical farmers jump-start their indoor farming businesses.

Furthermore, Agritecture Co. hosts events, classes, and workshops to the general public to increase awareness.

Agritecture (2011): The art, science, and practice of incorporating agriculture into the built environment.�

High-Tech

Aerofarms Commercial Vertical Aeroponic

Spectrum of Urban Agriculture Technology Gradient

Sky Vegetables Rooftop Hydroponic Greenhouse

Harlem Grown Community Hybrid

Low-Tech

Brooklyn Garage Commercial Rooftop Engineered-Soil

The Battery Park Community, Soil-Based

Credit: Agritecture.com

Pioneers pave the way.

Aluma Urban Farm Atlanta, GA A local example of urban agriculture, Aluma Urban Farm was established to address the needs of an adjacent food desert. Currently, nearby residents visit frequently and enjoy fresh produce grown on their 3.5 acre property. Food is grown both on field and through hydroponic means.

Aerofarms Newark, NJ Named one of the ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies’ by Fast Company, Aerofarms have a patent on their state-of-the-art aeroponic system. Nine farms strong, Aerofarms are leaders in the agricultural revolution, with hopes of addressing the needs of the growing population.

Badia Farms Dubai, UAE As the first vertical farm in the UAE, Badia Farms provides gourmet micro-greens to Dubai’s top restaurants, caterers, and chefs. Ultimately, their goal is to close the gap between the farm and the chef’s kitchen.

Despite being located in the desert, Badia Farm is successful.

Farm.One Manhattan, NYC Local. Rare. Fresh.

Farm.One produces over 500 different specialty crops for New York City’s finest restaurants. Just hours after harvest, their crops can be delivered via bike or subway. They use software programs to track the health and maintenance of each plant.

Bringing farming closer to cities.

Vertical Farm by Weber Thompson Architects

The Dragonfly Tower by Vincent Callebaut

The Harvest Tower by Romses Architects

Growing up!

Imagining the Future of Urgan Agriculture

Thesis Project at GSD Harvard University by Jung Min Nam

Agritectural Explorations

Windows

Walls

Roofs

Windows

Roofs

In order for urban agriculture to have a place in our cities, it must have a place in our buildings to inhabit. These studies explore how basic architectural elements - walls, windows, doors and roofs - can be redesigned to host food production.

oors

Doors

Food Retail Typologies

Convenience Stores

Warehouse Clubs

Hypermarkets

In this proposal, a critical stance is taken against typical food retail markets.

The typology consists mostly of “big box” store schemes, which oftentimes lack in character and community enrichment opportunities. Perhaps the most successful model is the European-style food hall on the lower right. How can we transform these lifeless “bix boxes” into more productive spaces?

Super Markets

Food Halls

PART II: The Proposition

The

establishment

of

cities

was

historically

based on the success and dependability of local agricultural production. Today’s practices of mass food production, however, place agriculture at a distance and alienate it from our daily urban lives. How can we meaningfully relink these two worlds in the 21st Century? This proposal challenges the current typology of food retail markets by merging productivity and consumerism through a new kind of market. This market will host reimagined basic elements of architecture – walls, windows, doors, and roofs - that grow food while also providing shelter and enclosure.

To further facilitate the connection between urban inhabitants and fresh foods, this market is set as a transit-oriented development adjacent to the Garnett Transit Station in Atlanta, GA.

Thesis Statement

Inflation-Adjusted Prices for Fresh Produce

40%

Price Increase of Fresh Fruits + Vegetables between 1985 - 2014

Amongst all food categories, fresh produce has increased the most.

Food Insecurity in the USA

12.3%

American Households that Struggle with Food Insecurity

Most households experiencing food insecurity live in food deserts.

“Ugly Food� Waste

30-40%

Amount of Rejected Fruits + Vegetables from Grocery Stores

Produce may be rejected for aesthetic reasons. Although it is still fresh, it is unmarketable.

American Household Fruit + Vegetable Waste

52%

Amount of Fruits + Vegetables Tossed Out by American Households

Amongst all food categories, fruits + vegetables is tossed the most.

Food Issues in the USA Unhealthy Food Choices American Food Consumption as a Percentage of Calories Plant Food Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes, Nuts + Seeds, Whole Grains Note: Up to half of this category may be processed, for example almonds in candy bars or apples in apple pies; of course, these would not be healthy choices. The focus should be on whole unprocessed plant foods.

Processed Food Added Fats + Oils, Sugars, Refined Grains Animal Food Meat, Dairy, Eggs, Fish, Seafood

Guide to Healthy Eating Eat LESS from the animal and processed food groups and MORE whole foods from the plant food group. In general, food from the animal and processed food group contribute to disease, while WHOLE foods from the plant group contribute to good health.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service

Food Deserts in Atlanta

Garnett Transit Station This location is considered a food desert, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income communities located more than one mile from a reliable source of fresh produce and other healthy whole foods. Residents of food deserts who lack a reliable source of transportation are often forced to shop at convenience stores, where prices are higher than full-service supermarkets and selection is typically limited to processed foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

Source: https://www.ajc.com/news/food-deserts-map/

Performance Specifications 1. MARKET A Market that Produces + Sells Food

2. AGRITECT Architectural Elements that Support Agriculture

3. PRODUCE Moderate to High Food Production Capacity

4. EMPOWER Empower Community with Work + Volunteer Opportunities

5. EDUCATE Educate Community on Healthy Food Consumption

6. ACCESS Greater Access to Fresh Foods for Local + Greater City Community

Forsyth Street SW

Peachtree Street SW

Trinity Avenue NW

Start with the Big Box...

Extend it...

Summer Winter

W

S

E

N

Slope it...

Design Thinking

AGRITECT!

Program Diagrams Market

Quality Control

Packaging + Distribution

Gathering Space

Roof Garden

1 - MARKET FLOOR

2 - MARTA FLOOR

n

Terraced Garden

Retail

Office Space

Residential

Parking

Circulation

3 - MEZZANINE FLOOR

4 - ROOF GARDENS

Agritecture Elements

On the weekends, the community can gather for a farmer’s market organized outside the Garnett Food Hall facing Peachtree Street. It is an exciting environment offering a variety of fresh produce grown on site and by other local urban farms.

Upon arrival, customers witness fruits and vegetables cultivated through different means, from raised beds to hydroponic systems along the building’s envelope.

Inside, the Garnett Food Hall provides a grand production and consumption space. Customers meet their grocery needs surrounded by produce grown along its tall vertical surfaces and structures.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Garnett Food Hall is its visibility to the MARTA station. Shoppers on the market level can watch the train arrive and leave, while commuters can easily see and access the unique retail space from the platform. This design facilitates food accessibility and mobility for those traveling from near and far. One may even begin to imagine a city-scale food distribution system along public transportation infrastructure as MARTA.

The roof of the Garnett Food Hall is where most of the production happens! As a sloping north-facing structure, it receives a generous amount of sunlight, which is harvested by solar panels to power the interior market space and its hydroponic systems. Water is also collected on the roof and stored underground until the hydroponic systems making up the building’s envelope need irrigation. Offering an array of low-tech and high-tech methods of food production, the roof offers locals and visitors an opportunity to learn about the various methods of urban agriculture, the key to adopting healthier and greener diets, and the importance of self-reliance. This agritectural landscape can also be the setting for positive community change by providing work and volunteer opportunities to the local homeless population.

Bibliography Could Indoor Farming Help Address Future Food Shortages? November 11, 2017. Accessed

February 15, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/could-indoor-farming-help- address-food-shortages.

Despommier, Dr. Dickson. The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. London,

United Kingdom: Picador, 2011.

Jaffery, Rabiya. “Growing up - Why the UAE’s First Vertical Farm Could Be a Regional...” Reuters.

May 10, 2018. Accessed April 22, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates- food-innovation/growing-up-why-the-uaes-first-vertical-farm-could-be-a-regional- gamechanger-idUSKBN1IB2CX. Mickel, Ben. “What’s the Real Problem With Urban Agriculture: Misinformation.” AGRITECTURE.

June 30, 2015. Accessed February 15, 2019. http://agritecture.tumblr.com/ post/122853128671/whats-the-real-problem-with-urban-agriculture.

Ryan, Kevin J. “How This Vegetable-Growing Startup Became 400 Times More Productive Than

Traditional Farms.” Inc.com. June 06, 2018. Accessed February 15, 2019. https://www.inc. com/magazine/201806/kevin-j-ryan/aerofarms-vertical-farming.html.

Smart Agriculture for Smart Cities. February 12, 2018. Accessed February 15, 2019. https://youtu. be/ZiO7z8dC0aI. Steinbeck, John Ernst, Margaret Tarner, and Jenny Thorne. The Grapes of Wrath. Oxford, UK:

Heinemann International, 1978.

Stella, Rick, and Rick Stella. “Will Vertical Farming Continue to Grow, or Has It Hit the

Greenhouse Ceiling?” Digital Trends. April 25, 2017. Accessed February 15, 2019. https:// www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/future-of-food-vertical-farming/.

Weingarten, Debbie. “Why Are America’s Farmers Killing Themselves?” The Guardian. December

11, 2018. Accessed February 15, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/ dec/06/why-are-americas-farmers-killing-themselves-in-record-numbers.

The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century

by Dr. Dickson Despommier

AGLANTA Conference Hosted by Agritecture Consultants Link: https://youtu.be/ZiO7z8dC0aI

Appendix The Atlanta BeltLine’s Grow Lab Addressing the Food Dessert Issue

Duration: 16 Weeks Instructor: Debora Mesa Molina Media: Revit, AutoCAD, + Photoshop Square Footage: Approx. 45,000 SF

This thesis is a thematic continuation of the fall 2018 studio semester project. While the spring 2019 thesis aims to inspire a paradigm shift in food production through a reimagined food market, the fall 2018 project focused heavily on productive capacity through high-technological means.

Derived from the dimensions of an acre, The Grow Lab is an enclosed, climate-controlled, fullyoptimized vertical farming system. As population growth, climate change, and economic pressures threaten to increase in the decades to come, this proposal seeks to utilize the BeltLine as vessel to proactively bring farming education and production closer to city dwellers. More specifically, The Grow Lab’s main mission is to serve a neighborhood classified as a food dessert on the souteast side of the Atlanta BeltLine trail.

Scan to Watch Studio Trailer

The Atlanta BeltLine’s Grow Lab Serving the Neighborhood

Food Deserts Site BeltLine Railroads Chosewood Park Neighborhood

Chosewood Park Population: 3,988 Number of Households: 12,324

The Atlanta BeltLine’s Grow Lab Serving the Neighborhood

Case Study

Aluma Urban Farm On the southwest side of the Atlanta BeltLine, there is already a successful model of urban agriculture taking place. Aluma Urban Farm is run by two farmers with the help of local volunteers. On their 3.5 acre property, Aluma supplies enough food to serve households within a three-mile radius of its location. As a result, its neighborhood, which was once a food desert, is no longer classified as such.

Aluma Urban Farm Interviews

Amount of Food Provided to Household per Grow Lab

The Atlanta BeltLine’s Grow Lab Translating an Acre to a Tower One tower can grow one acre of food.

See how the translation occurs:

1 ACRE = 43,560 SF GROUND LEVEL

1 CROP LEVEL = 43,560 SF / 40 = 1,089 SF

1 CROP TRAY = 1,089 SF / 6 = 181.5 SF Thus, each tray is 5’ X 5’.

TYPICAL LEVEL - LOADED CROP LEVEL

The Grow Lab Experience

TYPICAL LEVEL - LOADING CROP LEVEL

ROOF LEVEL

Operations of The Grow Lab

Food is strength, and food is peace, and food is freedom, and food is a helping hand to people around the world whose good will and friendship we want.

- John F. Kennedy