Plant Your Future Fiona Demeur
Plant Your Future
Plant Your Future Retrofitting existing structures to provide ecosystem services and food
Fiona Demeur Metabolic Cities Thesis Advisors: Mathilde Marengo Eugenio Bettucchi Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia Master in Advanced Architecture 02 2018-2020 Submitted: Barcelona, September 2020
Thesis presented to obtain the qualification of Master Degree from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
Plant Your Future
ABSTRACT In a world that faces constant and increasing challenges from climate change and resource scarcity, to population growth and economic instability, designers are also faced with many challenges. As an increasing number of people migrate from rural areas to the city, there is a greater pressure to provide food in urban centres. However, on the other side, humans are throwing out food in huge quantities, in fact 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year (FAO, 2011). The current infrastructure in the city could provide architects and designers with many opportunities to deal with and to solve the issues stated, as well as to provide multiple ecosystem services to the residents and building. This thesis explores the possibility of regreening existing buildings by retrofitting them for food production, pollination and urban biodiversity, by designing a circular economy strategy, focusing on nature based solutions, more specifically using plants. The final goal being to implement the strategy across cities. Through designing with existing products and approaches, the metabolic strategy is designed to be scalable and replicable. Plant Your Future impacts the existing linear food production system, by bringing food production back to people’s doorstep, while, simultaneously, providing multiple benefits to the residents, community, building and urban biodiversity. The benefits range from economic and social benefits to environmental benefits. Analysis was conducted at the building scale and then at the city scale to understand the impact on various ecosystem services, building performance and the food production system. Through retrofitting existing buildings in our cities we can redefine the urban tissue while adding value and providing new opportunities. Architecture is at the forefront for dealing with many of the issues our planet is facing. Working with nature is key for the future survival of our cities and to succeed in delivering the UN Sustainability Goals. Keywords: Circular Economy, Nature Based Solutions, Ecosystem Services, Retrofit, Food Production, Plant Power, Urban Biodiversity
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Foreword
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Scientific Interest
Thesis Statement
Food is fundamental for the survival of any species and plays a big part in our daily lives. However, with a population that continues to grow at an alarming rate, finding innovative ways to match the increasing demand in food is essential. Examples of alternative food production methods have already appeared on the market including hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic solutions. In order to provide the optimum environments to implement these methods, architects are designing new greenhouse-like structures that can house these new solutions. However, this is more resources-intensive, especially in terms of land scarcity in cities. By 2050, it is predicted that 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities, resulting in the majority of food being required and consumed there. So, is there a way to reorganize the food system through architecture, by learning from the past where food production happened on our doorstep?
Plant Your Future explores the regreening of existing buildings by providing design solutions for food scarcity and food waste management in the city, enabling citizens to take an active role in food production and consumption, creating a circular food-based economy and ecosystem services through nature based solutions, more specifically plants.
Although there are numerous examples of bringing food production back into the cities, they; however, often require new structures. Furthermore, they rarely take into consideration the bigger picture. For example, besides food production, the ecosystem services plants can also enhance the building’s performance and support urban biodiversity. In order to produce food from plants, a thriving ecosystem is a must, and community involvement is key to creating successful projects. There is an opportunity in cities, using the existing structures and infrastructure to provide a canvas to produce food and create new ecosystems housing urban biodiversity. Can retrofitting lead the way to create multiple ecosystem services while keeping resources low through a circular economy system?
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Aims, Objectives and Methodology Aim: To design and develop a circular economy system that can be applied to existing structures and buildings, for the primary reason of food production, but also considering urban biodiversity and building performance through effective resource management. Objective 1: To collect and analyse information about the current food production system and its implications Methodology: Mapping and cross referencing existing data from official reports to extract parameters for design Understand the physical and physiological needs of plants and the way they behave through experiments and research Objective 2: Design and develop a retrofitted performative system to grow food and house urban biodiversity Methodology: Use Ladybug Analysis to find the optimum zoning for various plants Combine existing methods of food production for retrofitting purposes Analyse the system in terms of performance and ecosystem services Objective 3: Evaluate and design a circular economy system for food production using the performative system Methodology: Cross read the output from Objective 1 and Objective 2 Comparative analysis on the impact and feasibility at both the building and city scale Comparing existing systems with the proposal in terms of economics, feasibility, social and environmental implications
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Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank my family for their continual support and patience with me. Next I would like to thank my friends across many time zones for providing relief from the stress of pursuing a Masters in Architecture. Finally, I would like to say a special thanks to the faculty at IAAC for providing me with the opportunity to explore topics of my interest, for their continuous support and insightful feedback, in particular: Thesis Advisor Mathilde Margeno Thank you for your endless time and support in helping to develop my thesis. I really appreciate all the insights you have given me as well as the countless laughs. Thesis Computational Assistant Eugenio Bettucchi Thank you for all your help and time spent developing analysis through grasshopper, as well as your feedback and support. Feedback and Support Chiara Farinea Mohamad Elatab Anna Diaz Gonzalo Delacamara
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Index
Abstract
1
Foreword
3
Scientific Interest Research Statement Aims, Objectives and Methodology
Acknowledgements
4 4 5
7
Introduction
11
The Current State of Food
15
A Problematic Linear Food System Food Loss versus Food Waste Global Food Production A World of Changing Diets Agriculture’s Ecosystem & Destructive Impact A Need for Change
16 18 20 22 26
Architecture as an Agricultural Host
31
Agriculture as a Catalyst for Architecture The Current State of Urban Agriculture Key Concepts and Influential Parameters The Benefits of Ecosystem Services A Need for Rethinking Architecture as an Agricultural Host
32 34 36 42 44
Understanding Plants
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Flora’s Anatomy Medium Tests Plant Benefits Impact of LED’s
48 50 55 56
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Plant Your Future: Superilla
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Agriculture and Food Production in Spain Understanding the Context: Superilla Analysis Understanding the Context: Local Flora and Fauna and their Relationships Understanding the Context: The Chosen Building Metabolic System Design A Catalogue of Parts A Changing Landscape Towards a Circular Economy Replicability and Scalability
60 64
78 86 102 106 110
The [Plant Your Future] City
115
Impact Analysis & Vision: Plant Your Future Superilla Impact Analysis & Vision: Food System Impact Analysis & Vision: City Scale
116
Conclusions
123
Importance of Replication and Scalability A Change in Behaviours Suggested Future Developments
124 125 127
List of Figures
128
Bibliography
132
68 74
119 120
Introduction
Context and Framework
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Context and Framework From the day agriculture was born, agriculture and architecture had and continue to have a close relationship. An evolution occurred from food production being the catalyst for settlements and the birth of cities, to architecture being a host for food production. Humans have transitioned from hunting and gathering, where food dictated where they lived, to humans dictating where food will be grown around settlements, to now a global market. This evolution in the relationship humans have with food has had both positive and negative impacts. It has been predicted that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities. In order to sustain the population, by 2050, food production will need to increase by 70% (FAO, 2011). These are staggering numbers considering that we are constantly depleting resources in order to grow food for the current population. A more in depth research of the current food system found that every year, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted. This is equivalent to one third of food currently produced for human consumption (FAO, 2011).
â…“
of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted per year
70%
increase in food production is required to sustain the population, by 2050
Many organisations are working towards supporting a growing population, while striving to reduce the amount of food humans throw out. The United Nations is at the forefront of dealing with the issues. In 2011, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations released a report titled Global Food Losses and Food Waste. This report highlights the issues associated with food in relation to both consumers and producers, and why so much food ends up in the landfill. It further analyses the impact of different food groups in terms of their carbon footprint demonstrating the negative consequences of throwing out food. Furthermore, the OECD released a document titled Policy priorities for the global food system. It details all the sectors involved in food production and the trade-offs that would occur as a result of certain changes or interventions. Finally, the report that most of the world is working towards is Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
70%
of the population will be living in towns and cities, by 2050
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Development by the United Nations. While the 17 goals work together, four goals have been highlighted as the most relevant to this thesis and the first to address in this research proposal. The first being Goal 2: Zero Hunger, through creating resilient agriculture through architecture and sustainable food production. Next, Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation looking at the integration of water resources and water efficiency. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production will focus on responsible resource management and reducing food waste. Finally Goal 15: Life on land, will be addressed through the integration of ecosystems and providing habitats of biodiversity. Together, these documents set the basis for the research and proposal’s development.
(FAO, 2011)
As mentioned above, the relationship between agriculture and architecture has always existed, but it has evolved with the times. The world is in a complex situation where resources are limited and the human population still continues to grow. As people migrate in greater numbers to the city, this is where the food will increasingly be needed. Therefore, the city as we know it needs to be rethought. There is already so much existing infrastructure and surface area in cities that could be modified or used to rethink our current food production system. Most humans are not taking an active role in food production and the existing linear food system easily leads to food to be thrown out at all stages. This thesis explores the concepts of retrofitting the existing building infrastructure for food production while engaging the community throughout the process. This will also allow for a circular food based economy where full advantage can be taken of ecosystem services and plants.
(OECD, 2019)
(General Assembly, 2015)
Figure 1: Influential Reports
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The Current State of Food
A Problematic Linear Food System Food Loss versus Food Waste Global Food Production A World of Changing Diets Agriculture’s Ecosystem & Destructive Impact A Need for Change
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A Problematic Linear Food System These days food travels the world and while it often states where the food comes from, we have little understanding of the path it has taken to reach our plate. Often this means a large carbon footprint follows the food as well as the negative impact of the countless resources that go into the entire food production system.
As a result of the long journey the food goes through before reaching our plate, food production is constantly adding to the production of Carbon, but also other greenhouse gases like methane. In the diagram Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste, Figure 3, the ratio between the Carbon footprint and waste can be seen for each of the phases. The outer ring represents the Carbon footprint and the inner ring the food waste. In the first two phases, agriculture and harvesting produce more waste than Carbon; however, in the last three phases the Carbon footprint is higher than the food waste, especially at the consumption level. Carbon is produced by not only the transportation, use of materials like plastic, operation of large machinery, but also during the biodegradation process. In addition, the extensive food production process also uses up many resources including labour, energy, materials and natural resources.
There are five main stages that food goes through before entering our bodies. At each phase there is an opportunity for food to be thrown away for various reasons, but very often this is down to the way the product looks. During the agricultural phase, large machines can cause damage as well as physical loss while sorting. In some cases, farmers plant more produce than is needed to account for any damage or food that is lost. While this may seem like a smart decision, it often results in a surplus that will then be lost. Many farmers also have technological limitations which can also contribute to loss. During the harvesting phase, there are several risks for food to be spilled and, while being stored, to degrade, especially fruit and vegetables. The processing phase is similar to that of the harvesting, but produce will go through sorting based on their appearance. If it does not look aesthetically pleasing, it will be thrown out. During transportation, the next phase, if not carefully packed, produce can get damaged and spoiled. Finally, the distribution (supermarkets) and the consumption phases, where food is wasted. This is due to aesthetics, or the “best before date� label. As consumers, we are often sucked into purchasing more than what is really needed because of supermarket deals and discounts. However, all this contributes to a huge amount of food being thrown out during these phases. Every year it amounts to 1.3 billion tonnes of food equivalent to one third of the food produced for human consumption (FAO, 2011). This does not take into account all the food produced for livestock and animals.
When food is thrown out and ends up in the landfill, several greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Certain food products produce more Carbon Dioxide than others, due to the way in which the food decomposes. For example, meat is one the products that is thrown out the least, yet, while degrading, it produces a larger amount of Carbon Dioxide in comparison to fruit and vegetables. Therefore, minimizing the amount of food ending up in landfills is crucial to cut the Carbon footprint. According to the IPCC, spoiled or wasted food accounts for 8-10% of the greenhouse gas emissions (Agudo and Delle Femmine, 2019). While global food production cannot be eliminated for economic reasons and the wellbeing of people in the developing world producing bananas and cocoa for example, rethinking the current food production system is a must. Our resources are finite and thus we need to produce in a way that is sustainable in the long run and gives back more than we take. Historically, we produced and took only what we needed, but today, we see fully stocked or overstocked supermarket shelves.
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Figure 2: A Linear Food System
Food System
Food Groups
Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste
Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste
Agricultural Production
Fruit and Vegetables
Post Harvest and Storage
Grains
Processing
Meat
Distribution
Milk and Eggs
Consumption
Roots and Tubers Fish and Seafood Oil Crops and Pulses
Figure 3: Food System Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste
Figure 4: Food Groups Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste
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Food Loss versus Food Waste As discussed previously, the current food production system provides numerous opportunities for food produced for human consumption to be thrown out. The terms food loss and food waste are used to describe the action of food that is thrown out along the food production system. However, they refer to different phases of the food production system. Food loss refers to the initial stages, agriculture, harvesting, processing and distribution: the supply chain. Food waste refers to the consumption phases and the retailers (FAO, 2011).
of these countries are still developing and have lower incomes, people are less likely to throw out food. They will find a use for everything. On the other hand, North America, Oceania and Europe account for 16% of the world’s population and 57% of the world’s consumer waste. In Europe alone, 46.5 million tonnes of food is not eaten every year (Agudo and Delle Femmine, 2019). These are problematic figures. Imagine if the rest of the world produced the same ratio of food waste, imagine the amount of carbon and gases produced.
Where is all the food loss and waste coming from? When the world’s population is examined in relation to the producer’s waste and consumer’s waste, Figure 6, several conclusions can be drawn. The first is that, across the world, producers are throwing out approximately the same amount of food per region. In general it cannot be concluded that producers in different regions waste more than others. However, when the pie chart of consumer waste is observed, some shocking differences can be seen. For example, Sub Saharan Africa and South and South East Asia account for almost half the world’s population, yet only 17% of the world’s consumer waste. As most
It is clear that consumers in North America, Europe and Oceania are part of a huge problem. This is partly due to the relationship consumers have with food. While it is still an important part of their daily lives and culture, the disconnection between field and table often means food on a plate is taken for granted. Many no longer consider where the food has come from or how it has gotten there. If there is a little blemish on the produce it will be thrown out.
Figure 5: A Linear Food System: Food Loss and Waste
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% of Population
% of Producer Waste
% of Consumer Waste
North America and Oceania North Africa and Western and Central Asia Latin America Europe Sub Saharan Africa Industrialized Asia South and South East Asia
Figure 6: Where is the Loss and Waste Coming From?
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Global Food Production As seen in the producer waste pie chart, food loss is evenly distributed across the world. To further understand the world’s relationship with food, global food production has to be considered. Like anything, there are both positives and negatives to the global food market. The global market means that we can get whatever we want from wherever we want, at an affordable price, but this also contributes to the large Carbon footprint discussed earlier.
As stated earlier, some regions are more suited to growing certain crops and some are more specialized. The hexagon diagrams in Figure 7 demonstrate what areas produce what in relation to each other. Each hexagon ring represents 10% of the world’s production. Industrialized Asia produces the most in three out of seven categories, whereas North Africa and West and Central Asia produce the least in five out of seven categories. This can be due to a number of factors including climate, ground conditions, but also a country’s or region’s diet.
The world is divided into different climatic zones, Figure 8, each facilitating the growth of certain crops and plants. Hence, it also means that some produce cannot be grown in certain places unless the right climate conditions are met. The solution is to import products from around the world, often exploiting the local cheap labour and produce. On the other hand, some parts of the world like Africa and Asia, heavily rely on local agriculture to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Figure 9. They rely on the money made from local agriculture to contribute to the economy as well as providing jobs for a booming population.
Climatic Zones
Polar Continental Temperate Dry Tropical
Figure 8: World Climatic Zones
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Figure 7: Food Production Around the World Agriculture as a % of GDP
Not Ranked Less than 5% 5-9.99% 10-19.99% 20-49.99%
Figure 9: Agriculture as a % of GDP
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A World of Changing Diets Historically, our diets have been influenced by what could be grown locally and what was available throughout the year. This meant that diets across the world varied dramatically. Yet, nowadays the global food market has allowed diets to become more and more similar. A study conducted on changing global diets across 152 countries over the last 50 years, found that national diets have become more diverse, but are more similar. On average nine new crops were added to a country’s food supply, and there were declines in each country’s most abundant crop. The global food system has also contributed to more balanced diets across the world (Kammlade et al., 2017).
The exception is countries in Europe, Australia and the United States of America. While people are always discussing which diet is the best in terms of health and well-being, it is clear that across the world there are similar intakes of calories across the different food groups. This demonstrates again that our diets are much more similar these days. Furthermore, it can also be deduced that disposable income contributes to the types of food people eat. Often meat and dairy can be significantly more expensive than items like grains and pulses. Therefore, in countries where the disposable income is lower, items like dairy and meat are less part of the diet. There are many factors that contribute to how we eat. It is a fascinating topic; however, very complex as prices of food vary dramatically between countries. Therefore it can be difficult to compare countries, but it is intriguing to see the evolution of local diets and how varied diets across the world have become a more similar global diet. Like anything, there are positive and negative aspects to this evolution.
Different climatic regions also factor into the diets, as does the food’s lifespan. Peter Menzel published a series of photographs that documents diets from around the world. He photographed what a family would buy and consume in one week. In some cases the differences are very evident. For example, countries in Asia and Latin America have a diet based around fresh produce like fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, in Chad people rely on pulses and grains that do not go bad easily due to the heat and can be afforded on limited income. In some European countries, the diet includes many carbohydrates like bread, and dairy. The diet in the United States of America includes much more processed food in comparison to the rest of the world. In general, tropical climatic regions have a diet that is based around fresh produce and pulses. On the other hand, cooler climatic regions have a diet that is higher in carbohydrates and fat. The hexagons in Figure 11 displays the daily calorie intake per person from the different food groups. It is interesting to compare this quantitative data with the qualitative photos from Peter Menzel. In general it is clear that grains, sugar and fat contribute the most across the world to our calorie intake. However, unlike other countries, Hong Kong and China have a heavy meat diet. Dairy plays a small part of the diet calories in most places, due to their limited lifespan and requirement of refrigeration.
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Bhutan
Chad
China
Ecuador
Egypt
France
Greenland
Italy
Mexico
Norway
Poland
United States of America Figure 10: Food Consumption Across the World (Menzel, 2013)
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Figure 11: Diets Across the World
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% of Calories Across the World
Figure 12: Percentage of Calories per Food Group Across the World
Disposable Income Per Capita vs Gross Domestic Product Per Capita
GDP Per Capita
Disposible Income Per Capita
Figure 13: Disposable Income and Gross Domestic Product
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Agriculture’s Ecosystem & Destructive Impact Agriculture emerged around 12 thousand years ago, during the Agricultural Revolution (Harari, Purcell and Haim Watzman, 2018). Since then, we have relied on it to sustain the ever growing global population. Agriculture requires ecosystems for the plants and animals to thrive, yet instead of protecting the world’s ecosystems, we are destroying them at an alarming rate to build cities and create space for farming. The impact agriculture has is currently very negative and destructive. Even more worrying is that only 9% of the population acknowledges or realizes that agriculture is a threat to nature. Amongst the future leaders of the world and current youth, 11% see no connection between food and threats to nature, while 40% believe the threats are insignificant or nonexistent (WWF, 2019). This proves that education is failing to teach the children about how food is produced and where it comes from. Awareness is crucial.
Figure 14: Agriculture’s Impact
when considering agriculture is its greenhouse gas emissions: 24% of the world’s emissions comes from agriculture. This comes from the machines, the decomposing food and even the burning of land to make room for planting (WWF, 2019). Essentially our ecosystems are being destroyed for food production, but to produce food we need animals for pollination and fertilisation.
The global food system is one of nature’s largest threats. Agriculture accounts for 34% of all land use. Forests, meadows, fields to name but a few have been cleared in order to make way for large plantations. In the news, we hear about tropical deforestation on a regular basis, but food production has contributed to 75% of this kind of deforestation (WWF, 2019). While on a trip to Kalimantan in Indonesia, this was experienced first hand. Large areas of the rainforest were flattened to make way for plantations. For many living in the area, selling the rainforest for plantations provided a large income, yet they have not fully understood the long term implications. While there is an understanding of the threat to biodiversity and their way of life, often they have very little say or choice in the matter. Thus, food production has contributed to 70% of biodiversity loss. Not only is space needed to produce food, but a huge amount of freshwater is required. In fact 69% of all freshwater consumed goes towards food (WWF, 2019). In a world where many people are struggling with drought, it is crazy to think that this much water is going into producing crops and rearing animals. One factor that is often forgotten
On the right, one can see two maps. The first demonstrates ecological production and consumption. Food demand accounts for 26% of the world’s ecological footprint. It considers our demand for plant based food and fibre, livestock and fish, forest products, space for urban infrastructure and the ability for forests to absorb Carbon Dioxide (Laetitia Mailhes, 2018). As can be seen from the map, many countries are consuming much more than what they are putting back into nature. The second map illustrates biocapacity. Biocapacity is defined as biologically productive land and sea (Laetitia Mailhes, 2018). As resources have been exploited for years, many countries have a very low biocapacity. Land scarcity is and will continue to become a greater issue. This is worrying considering that the population continues to grow. It is time to rethink how and where we produce food to ensure a productive future.
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World Ecological Production and Consumption
Ecological Consumption (Global Hectares) Range 0.5-14.4 global hectares
Ecological Production (Global Hectares) Range 0.4-12.3 global hectares
Figure 15: Ecological Production and Consumption
World Biocapacity
Biocapacity (Global Hectares) Range 0.1-84.6 global hectares
Figure 16: World Biocapacity Map
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A Need for Change It is clear, more than ever, that the food system needs to be reevaluated. There are numerous issues with the current global food system that clearly fall into two categories. The first being transportation. The fact that we are no longer eating locally is contributing to a large carbon footprint and huge food miles. Food is often imported from countries on the other side of the world. Humans have gotten used to a convenient lifestyle where the supermarket is full and stacks all types of food from around the world. As mentioned above, eliminating global food production is not the solution, but customization or rethinking what can be grown where is crucial to reduce the negative impact of the current food system. The second category is education. People often take for granted where food comes from and have no idea what has gone into its production and its negative impact. In school, children are taught that an apple or strawberry should look a certain way and if it is not perfect they are often thrown out. Best before dates, results in fresh produce being thrown out while it is still perfectly fine. People are no longer using their senses for judgement, instead they follow a little sticker. By addressing these two categories, the impact on the food system and its loss and waste can be significant.
can be integrated into this, it is a win win situation. Designers and architects have the opportunity to address these issues and question how and where food is produced and distributed, customising food production to provide additional benefits. Can we answer the challenges of food scarcity and waste through the integration of ecosystems into architecture towards a performative built environment?
As mentioned earlier, a lot of land is dedicated to agriculture. While there are solutions, which will be further discussed in the next chapter, that minimize or optimise the use of land and space, we are constantly increasing the world’s surface area through new buildings and cities. Instead of concrete or brick facades, this surface area could be optimised to provide food and other ecosystem services. If the land is being used to build and surface area is increasing why not make use of this and make it productive. WOHA, a Singaporean architecture practice, has a philosophy that if their building takes up green land, they should plant more green on the building than what could have grown in the plot of land. This is something that everyone should strive for, and if food production
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Transportation
Lack of Education
Not Eating Locally
Lack of Knowledge
Huge Food Miles
Aesthetics
High Carbon Footprint
Loss/Waste of Fresh Produce
Figure 17: Food System Conclusions
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Can we answer the challenges of food scarcity and waste through the integration of ecosystems into architecture towards a performative built environment?
Architecture as an Agricultural Host
Agriculture as a Catalyst for Architecture The Current State of Urban Agriculture Key Concepts and Influential Parameters The Benefits of Ecosystem Services A Need for Rethinking Architecture as an Agricultural Host
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Agriculture as a Catalyst for Architecture The relationship between agriculture and architecture has always existed. However, over time their roles towards each other and society have evolved. Approximately 12000 years ago, the Agricultural Revolution was born. Farmers were now able to farm land and live a more permanent lifestyle rather than that of a nomad. They built permanent settlements from stone, wood and mud and were described as “artificial human islands” that were “laboriously carved out of the surrounding wilds” in the book Sapiens (Harari, Purcell and Haim Watzman, 2018). Agriculture had allowed architecture to develop starting with settlements which turned into cities, and cities that turned into Kingdoms and Empires. Agriculture was the catalyst for architecture to develop into what we know today.
Many factors have played a role in this transition from a nomadic way of life to one that is more permanent. The first, population growth, meant that people had to travel further to find food or were forced to look for food in less productive land (Lobb, 2013). Other factors included the changing climate, overhunting and thus, the extinction of species (Driver, 2016). Population growth, overhunting and climate change are all still at the forefront of discussions in relation to the planet and the environment. It is clear that a change is once again required. Instead of agriculture being a catalyst for architecture, can architecture become the host for agriculture within our cities?
The developments made in science and technology allowed agriculture to progress, but also to influence the types of buildings required. Inventions like refrigeration and the steamship altered the way food was produced,transported and stored. It allowed settlements to emerge in land that was previously uninhabitable as the food could now be transported or stored. In addition, the shift from subsistence farming to food markets meant that new warehouses to store and sell food were required (Lobb, 2013). The changing need driven by the agriculture and food industry, greatly influenced architecture, allowing it to evolve in parallel.
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0 AD Establishment of Mega Empires, including Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian Empires. Babylonia: the world’s largest city
2000 BC Establishment of Akkadean The first empire with 1 million subjects and 5400 soldiers
4000 BC
Establishment of the Egyptian Kingdom in the lower Nile Valley
Establishment of Catalhoyuk Approximately 5000-10000 People
6000 BC
Establishment of Jericho Large but cramped village. Approximately 1000 people
8000 BC
Establishment of Agriculture 10000 BC
Figure 18: Historical Timeline
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The Current State of Urban Agriculture Urban agriculture is a concept that has been around for a very long time, yet recently it has come to the forefront of dealing with the current and future issues that cities will face. Defined as “all forms of agricultural production (food and non-food products) occurring within or around cities,� urban agriculture is changing the urban tissue of the city, but also providing the opportunity to rethink how we grow plants. It often uses vacant land and green spaces bringing food production back to the consumers (Wagstaff and Wortman, 2013). It has been known for years that urban vegetation brings many benefits to the people, the ecology as well as the economy. By growing plants that produce food, this provides an additional benefit in terms of food security, and helps to reduce the future issue of food scarcity.
Furthermore, the second strategy, zero-acreage farming, known better as Z-farming, uses existing structures to farm within or on the outside of them meaning no new land is required. Examples include planting on rooftops, facades or in abandoned buildings using primarily soil based or hydroponic systems. Using this strategy can be very beneficial as growing with soil suits plants and provides ecological benefits as well as social and economic benefits at all scales of the city (Thomaier, 2013). On the right, Figure 19 further elaborates on five of the key methods of urban farming that are currently at the forefront. All provide benefits, but also have their weaknesses. If used in the right manner, food production can become more efficient and provide ecosystem services. The next subchapters further explore the architectural field in relation to urban agriculture and urban vegetation to better understand how these methods are implemented in design.
Two main strategies have been used for urban agriculture: vertical farming and zero-acreage farming. Vertical farming creates a closed loop system for water and avoids issues of soil degradation by vertically growing food in disused or new spaces. This is often achieved through hydroponic and aeroponic methods (Miller, 2018). Issues associated with these methods include the amount of energy required for lighting, pumping water, and temperature control as well as the amount of nutrients these crops produce. Often nutrients are added to make up for this loss; however, sourcing these nutrients is not sustainable as they are mined (Anslow, 2017). On the other hand, companies like AeroFarms claimed that, by using aeroponics, they were able to reduce water consumption by 95% compared to traditional farming methods (AeroFarmsLLC, 2016). Hydroponics and aeroponics are being explored in great detail and definitely aid in reducing the amount of resources needed like space; however, not all produce can be successfully grown using these methods. Leafy greens usually thrive the best and strawberries and tomatoes can also be grown through aeroponics.
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Benefits
Weaknesses
It already contains all the • nutrients plants need
Weight
• •
Closed loop system Less Water than traditional methods
Nutrient deficiency
•
Uptake more nutrients • and vitamins Uses 90% less water than traditional methods
Requires a controlled environment
• • •
Closed loop system Sustainable Provides produce and protein
•
Initial Ecosystem is very fragile
•
Capture CO2 and pump it into producing algae High quantity of protein produced
•
Requires nitrogen and phosphorus Requires a lot of light
Aeroponics
Hydroponics
Soil
•
Aquaponics
Process
Algae Farming
Method
•
•
•
•
Figure 19: Urban Agriculture Methods
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Key Concepts and Influential Parameters With the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and the pressing climate issues, architects and designers are rethinking how to design and construct buildings and cities. To better understand the current architectural field, 50 projects were researched and analysed from around the world. The state of the art either focused on food production or the integration of plants into the design. First, they were quantified in order to compare what is out there and understand the key concepts, before extracting the parameters driving the designs. This subchapter will begin by giving an overview of all the projects explored, before looking more in depth at 8 projects that covered the most parameters.
would benefit more, whereas the people that would really benefit from food grown on their doorstep are those with lower incomes. Looking at location, the majority of the projects are found in the city which is very promising as this means steps are being taken to rethink our urban tissue. Even though the majority of them are built in the city, almost half are new structures being specifically built. This is quite surprising considering the amount of surface area already available in our cities and the amount of buildings that are left standing empty. Many projects focusing on food production were designed to be like a large scale greenhouse. There is an opportunity here to redesign or add to our existing concrete jungles, giving the structure a new life and purpose.
The first step was to quantify the projects in terms of scale, accessibility, produce price, location and structure type. The scale of projects varied dramatically. From small household installations like Drop by Drop by Pratik Ghosh that filtered water for drinking through growing herbs, to master plans like Food Valley by Van Bergen Kolpa Architects. No matter the scale, many projects were successful. For projects to thrive and for people to be involved, accessibility is key. The majority of the projects were very community driven which led to their success. In some cases the state of the art was a residential building which means it was more private, but in general the projects were public. One of the key figures striving for community integration and initiation is Agamemnon Otero with projects like Energy Garden and Repowering London. By giving the tools to the community they are able to start and to sustain projects, he made the knowledge accessible to all. Next, produce price. This is more challenging to quantify. For many projects this was not applicable, and while some stated the food grown would be sold, it was not clear where they would sit in terms of price. Many aimed to keep the prices low or in line with those of the supermarkets, others produced food through organic means for example, with the consequence of higher prices. Often wealthier communities
Subsequently, common parameters were extracted to further understand what has been successful and what designers have strived for. These parameters were split into four categories, social, environmental, economic and technological parameters as seen in Figure 21. It was found that community interaction and communication is key for a successful project, but many state of the art are not open sourced. Environmentally, at the forefront was Carbon Dioxide fixation and air filtration. Interestingly, aspects like algae farming were not yet very popular although there are multiple uses and benefits of algae. While many projects focused on the reduction of food miles, developing a local economy and providing new jobs, one surprising aspect was that recycling food waste was not very common. When looking at technology it was clear that many focused on irrigation and finding a way to recycle their water, but harvesting energy was less common. After looking at the bigger picture, eight key state of the art were highlighted as projects that cover the most parameters in different categories. On the following pages, more details can be found explaining the projects and why they are successful.
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N/A: Not Applicable N/D: Not Defined Temp: Temporary P&P: Platform and Product N: Existing in Nature
Figure 20: State of the Art Quantification
Figure 21: State of the Art Parameter Extraction
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Reusing Existing Infrastructure: Incredible Edible: England Incredible Edible is a movement started by two women in 2008 to reclaim unused or unloved spaces with the purpose of growing food. They encouraged the local community to harvest the plants and thus, resulted in many conversations about food and its production. Now a national movement, communities have been taking over existing infrastructure, like sidewalks to grow food. A simple idea turned into a large scale movement to make fresh produce accessible for all (Incredible Edible, 2012). Why is it successful? • Community driven for the community. • Enhancing the existing landscape. • Providing food for the local community. • Creating habitats for urban biodiversity.
Figure 22: Incredible Edible (Incredible Edible) Parameters
Brooklyn Grange: United States of America By repurposing rooftops in New York, Brooklyn Grange is one of the leaders in rooftop soil farming. Through farming, education and events, they are able to sustain themselves producing 36 tonnes of fresh organic produce every year. Currently there are three rooftops occupying 250sqft. While the majority of produce is grown through soil means, they are also exploring hydroponics. Beehives have also been integrated in the roof spaces. Creating a thriving ecosystem is what they are striving to do (Brooklyn Grange, 2014). Why is it successful? • Helps to absorb stormwater. • Extending the life of the buildings, by protecting the rooftops. • Creating critical habitats, especially for bees. • Mitigating the impacts of the Urban Heat Island Effect. • Involves the public and educates people about farming and where food comes from. • Provides fresh and local food.
Social
3
Ecological
6
Economic
2
Technological
0
Figure 23: Brooklyn Grange (Brooklyn Grange, 2018) Parameters
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Social
4
Ecological
7
Economic
8
Technological
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New Buildings Integrating Food Production: Farming Kindergarten by Vo Trong Nghia Architects: Vietnam Designed to house 500 school children, the school works as a childcare centre. Many of the children’s parents work in the nearby shoe factory. It is also a training centre focusing on sustainability and our relationship with nature. A continuous green roof has been designed for workers to grow vegetables for lunch. The limited budget means that passive strategies were implemented to help control the buildings environment. These include solar water heaters, green facades, louvres and recycling water from the rain and the nearby shoe factory (Almut Grüntuch-Ernst and Institute For Design And Architectural Strategies, 2018). Why is it successful? • Saves 25% of energy and 40% of fresh water compared to baseline building performance (Vo Trong Nghia Architects, 2014). • Designed for the community, to suit their needs and thus, maintained by them. • The use of passive means to control the building’s environment. • Providing healthy and nutritious food to children and their families.
Figure 24: Farming Kindergarten (Vo Trong Nghia Architects, 2014) Parameters Social
2
Ecological
6
Economic
3
Technological
2
Tainan Xinhua Fruit and Vegetable Market by MVRDV: Taiwan This building has been designed to bridge the connection between consumers and producers. The large wholesale market is open allowing for natural ventilation and the green roof allows for produce to be grown directly on the roof. The green roof is accessible and allows people to take in the surrounding breathtaking views. The market also holds a museum and restaurant for the public (MVRDV). Why is it successful? • Brings together consumers and producers. • The rooftop provides space for social interaction while producing food. • Keeping produce local. • Centre for education.
Figure 25: Tainan Xinhua Fruit & Vegetable Market (MVRDV, 2019) Parameters Social
3
Ecological
4
Economic
4
Technological
1
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Hypothetical and in the Works: The Farmhouse by Precht Studio The Farmhouse is a building that combines residential apartments with urban food production. The triangular structure provides pockets for food to grow while keeping it sheltered, and excess heat from the building will help to grow the plants. Rainwater and grey water is filtered and used to irrigate the crops while food waste is collected and turned into compost for the plants. It is described by Precht as “a tent surrounded by nature” (Precht, 2020). Why is it successful? • The merging of farming with residential units for a tower block. • The prefabrication method means that on site it should be quick and easy to install. • It is a closed loop system where the building provides all the necessities for plants to grow. • Encourages social interaction and education.
Figure 26: The Farmhouse (Precht, 2019) Parameters
Urban Agriculture by Ilimelgo: France Located in a Parisian suburb, Ilimelgo has designed a giant greenhouse with two wings for vertical farming. The glass structure is designed to maximise sunlight and to have natural ventilation incorporating strawbale and wood fibre for insulation. It will also be a centre for education with the ground floor housing workshops and a teaching garden. The produce will be sold in a market to maintain the local production loop (Zorn, 2017). Why is it successful? • Currently, in the process of getting built. • Aims to have local economic impact by providing jobs and providing food. • Educating the community. • It is local, reducing the need for food miles.
Social
4
Ecological
5
Economic
1
Technological
1
Figure 27: Urban Agriculture (Ilimelgo, 2017) Parameters
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Social
4
Ecological
1
Economic
4
Technological
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Integration of Vegetation and Ecosystems: Bosco Verticale by Boeri Studio: Italy Bosco Verticale integrates a two hectare forest into the facades of two residential apartment blocks. The trees were carefully selected and vary in size in relation to the varying humidity levels and sun exposure. In the winter they would lose their leaves, maximising sunlight inside the building. Using a geotechnical pump, the building collects rainwater and reuses grey water for irrigation. A special composition of soil was created to be lightweight, but heavy enough to keep the plants rooted in high winds. The maintenance has been centralised with occupants looking after the plants (Almut Grüntuch-Ernst and Institute For Design And Architectural Strategies, 2018). Why is it successful? • Provides habitats for birds and insects. • Trees help to control the building’s environment. • The building gives and takes in terms of providing irrigation for the plants, but reaping the benefits of having them. • Centralised system for maintenance.
Figure 28: Bosco Verticale (Rosselli, 2015) Parameters Social
1
Ecological
5
Economic
0
Technological
1
Park Royal on Pickering by WOHA: Singapore When designing the building, the aim was to double the growing potential of the land occupied. The hotel’s design incorporates sky gardens at every 4th level, with all the rooms overlooking gardens. These gardens help to shade the rooms from the sun as well (Bingham Hall, 2013). The interior spaces have been designed with nature in mind, using planting and water features to help control the building’s environment without the need for air conditioning. Rain water is collected from the upper levels and photovoltaic cells generate electricity on the roof (Furuto, 2012). Why is it successful? • Provides a habitat for urban biodiversity, especially birds and insects. • By doubling the green growing potential, the number of plants that once lived on the site has been increased. • The integration of nature to avoid the need for air conditioning.
Figure 29: Park Royal on Pickering (Bingham Hall, 2013) Parameters Social
0
Ecological
6
Economic
1
Technological
3
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The Benefits of Ecosystem Services Ecosystems are a functional unit consisting of communities of plants, animals, microorganisms and the nonliving environment (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2003, pp.49). Ecosystems are fundamental in ensuring that the planet can sustain the population. Not only do we need them to thrive for the planet’s and our survival, but they can provide many benefits. These benefits are called Ecosystem Services. Defined as “the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfill human life” (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2003, pp.53). They also produce goods and maintain biodiversity and therefore are essential to consider in design. The benefits can be direct or indirect.
Verticale, whereas CO2 fixation applies to 11 of the projects highlighted. For projects to be more well rounded, there should be services achieved from each category. Many of these services impact one another, but also impact s the overall success of the project. Working with nature is essential to ensure thriving ecosystems. The Earth naturally creates ecosystem services; however, through human intervention some services have been increased. While this can be positive it also happens at the expense of other services. For example, agriculture produces food at the expense of land and ecosystems which are often destroyed to make room for it (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2003, pp.49–70). A balance needs to be reached that is less destructive.
To categorize the ecosystem services, they have been divided into 4 groups. • The first is provisioning services which includes things like food and fresh water, fuel and resources. • Next, there are the regulating services. These relate to air quality maintenance, water regulation, erosion control and pollination to name a few. • The cultural services include aspects like cultural diversity, educational values, social relations, and ecotourism. • The final group is called supporting services which refers to soil formation, the cycles of nutrients and primary production (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2003, pp.49–70). Using this information, the state of the arts were analysed. In Figure 30, one can see the projects that benefited from the most services. At the top is the list of primary services and on the bottom, the secondary services. Each colour refers to one of the four categories of ecosystem services. The primary ecosystem services are evenly distributed amongst the projects; however, when looking at the secondary benefits there are some that only apply to one state of the art. For example, rest stop for migratory species only applies to Bosco
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Figure 30: State of the Art Ecosystem Services
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A Need for Rethinking Architecture as an Agricultural Host From the research undertaken, certain conclusions can be drawn about the current state of urban agriculture. Firstly, many projects are driven towards the high end market. Instead of making produce affordable to all and limiting prices, often the produce costs more. While the majority aim to be more local, it does not necessarily mean they are more affordable. Secondly, the majority of projects are new builds. Hence, they are taking up more land which is already a scarce resource, especially in cities. In addition, many other resources used to construct buildings will be needed in comparison to retrofitting. Finally, one of the biggest opportunities missed is the multiple ecosystem services and benefits of plants and urban biodiversity can bring to projects. While many do take advantage of ecosystem services, it feels as if the full potential of integrating plants is not fully realised and that it is very much centred around the benefits it brings to humans. While these conclusions signify the issues or opportunities missed, there is one conclusion that is very positive: communities, when given the tools, are ready to initiate and participate in projects. Community driven projects seem to be very successful in the long run. The integration of ecosystem services is becoming more common, but there is an opportunity to diversify these services and strive to touch on as many as possible in the different categories.
Taking on board both the research about the food production industry and the current architectural field, it is clear there is an opportunity to rethink and look at how the two can be integrated. Designers should be striving to achieve ecosystem services to benefit not only us, humans, but also our planet. Plant Your Future explores the regreening of existing buildings by providing design solutions for food scarcity and food waste management in the city, enabling citizens to take an active role in food production and consumption, creating a circular food-based economy and ecosystem services through nature based solutions, more specifically plants.
Furthermore, the global pandemic has demonstrated the importance of producing and accessing goods at a local and national level. In all the global uncertainty, interventions within the city in relation to food will become more and more important. Architecture can provide the opportunity to make these interventions a reality and to provide some sort of stability in terms of food.
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For Who?
How?
Opportunities Missed?
The Higher End Market
Building New Structures
Multiple Ecosystem Services including Further Benefits of Plants & Urban Biodiversity
Community Initiation and Participation
Figure 31: State of the Art Conclusions
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XXX
Understanding Plants Flora’s Anatomy Medium Tests Impact of LED’s
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Flora’s Anatomy Plants are fundamental in helping to regulate the planet and to provide habitats and food to name but a few things. The properties of plants mean they can carry out processes that are crucial to the survival of the planet like photosynthesis and evapotranspiration, for instance. Photosynthesis is the process whereby light is converted into chemical energy and Carbon Dioxide is converted into oxygen as seen in Figure 32. Evapotranspiration, seen in Figure 32, is when water is evaporated from plants, through the stomata, into the atmosphere. Plants are categorised into three groups related to how the plants carry out the photosynthesis process. The first group is called C3 Plants which are considered the “normal plant” and account for 85% of plants. They use the Calvin Cycle to conduct photosynthesis whereby the Carbon Dioxide fixation happens through the Rubisco enzyme. This produces 3 Carbon compounds that can be absorbed by the plant. This entire process takes place in the Mesophyll Cell. Sometimes during this process, Rubisco enzymes absorb O2 rather than CO2 which is called Photorespiration. This process is inefficient and means the plant ends up wasting energy. Hence, the next two groups of plants have adapted to reduce the opportunity for Photorespiration to occur.
Figure 32: Plant Anatomy
C3 Plants
85% of Plants Examples: rice, wheat, soy bean, all trees Temperate Climates
Next are the C4 plants that make up 3% of flora. Often these plants are found in hotter climates. This plant has physically separated the light dependent reaction and the Calvin Cycle to reduce the opportunity to capture O2. In this case the light dependent reaction takes place in the Mesophyll Cell, before the Carbon Dioxide reaches the Bundle Sheath Cell where the Calvin Cycle takes place.
Figure 33: C3 Plants
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The final group is CAM Plants and are found in dry climates. The process of photosynthesis is similar to that of C4 plants, but the processes are time sensitive. At night the stomata opens to allow Carbon Dioxide to diffuse into the leaves. Once again the Carbon Dioxide goes through the processes of the Mesophyll cell where the malate is stored in packages called vacuoles for the photosynthesis process to take place during the daylight. The vacuoles are broken down to allow for the Carbon Dioxide to be released for the Calvin Cycle. This entire process requires a lot of energy known as ATP (Khan Academy, 2018).
C4 Plants
3% of Plants Examples: crabgrass, sugar cane, corn Hotter Climates
While plants need Carbon Dioxide to create energy and food for themselves, there have also been studies conducted into the impact of absorbed levels of Carbon Dioxide. In a NASA study, it was found that higher levels of Carbon Dioxide increase water use efficiency and increase the rate of photosynthesis. Higher levels of Carbon Dioxide meant that the plant’s pores on their leaves open less which means there is less water released (Hille, 2016). This is good news for water efficiency and plants, but the process of evapotranspiration also helps to cool down environments. In addition, another study found that high levels of Carbon Dioxide can reduce a plant’s nutritional value. The excess Carbon Dioxide impacts the chemical makeup of the plant which in turn reduces their nutrition. This could greatly impact food security as more food weight will be needed to get the same nutritional benefits (Eillie Anzilotti, 2019).
Figure 34: C4 Plants
CAM Plants Examples: cacti and pineapples Dry Climates
A study with rice was conducted using the projected Carbon Dioxide level in 2050. These were the results: • Protein reduced by 10% • Iron reduced by 8% • Zinc reduced by 5% • B Vitamins reduced by 18% While these numbers may not be extremely high, the impact on poorer countries that face food shortages could be very detrimental (Eillie Anzilotti, 2019). A balance must be found.
Figure 35: CAM Plants
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Medium Tests Background: Extensive research is being carried out to understand the plant’s ability to grow in different mediums, and if the amount of resources a plant has historically needed can be reduced without impacting its nutritional value. The difficulty is that each plant has its own requirements to thrive and there are a lot of mediums that claim to work to germinate seeds and for the plants to grow. To test all these mediums a simple experiment was conducted in an apartment environment with four different types of seeds to understand what works best. The experiment was designed for anyone to do and avoided the use of materials that were not easily accessible.
Agar
Gelatin
Stonewool
Vermiculite
Clay Pebbles
Vermiculite+ Clay Pebbles
Soil
Soil + Mycelium
Soil + Perlite
Experiment Research Question: Testing cucumbers, oregano, tomatoes and winter spinach, which mediums will work best to germinate seeds and encourage plant growth in an apartment environment and do the mediums have an impact on the amount of water required?
Organic Soil + Guano
Materials Required: • Seeds: Tomato, Cucumber, Oregano, Winter Spinach • Mediums: Agar, Gelatin, Vermiculite, Clay Pebbles, Stone Wool, Basic Soil, Perlite, Organic Soil with Guano, Mycelium • Humidity and Temperature Sensor • Arduino • 40 Plant Pots (Biodegradable is best) • Water • Graduated cylinder or scale to measure the water
Figure 36: Growing Mediums Cucumber Seeds
Variables: Controlled Variables: • Amount of water Non-controlled Variables: • Temperature • Humidity • Amount of Sunlight
Oregano Seeds
Tomato Seeds
Winter Spinach Seeds
Figure 37: Seeds
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Experiment Setup: 1. Set up the Arduino and sensor to record data as pictured in Figure 38. 2. Set up the plant pots with the different mediums as detailed in Figure 39 and plant each of the seeds in each medium. 3. Place near a window to maximise the amount of sunlight. Method: 1. Set up the experiment as stated above and record the temperature and humidity. 2. Begin by giving all the pots the same amount of water making sure the medium is moist. 3. Record the temperature and humidity every 12 hours and once a day photograph each plant to record any changes. 4. After photographing the plants, check the mediums moistness and add water if required. Remember to measure and record the amount of water. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for at least a month.
Medium Type
Quantity
Agar
Gelatin
1tsp Agar and 1tbsp Water
1/2 tbsp Gelatin and 1 cup of Water
Stonewool
1 Module
Vermiculite
20g
Figure 38: Arduino Setup (Fritzing, 2020)
Clay Pebbles
100g
Vermiculite and Clay Pebbles 50g Vermiculite and 10g Clay Pebbles
Soil
Soil and Mycelium
Soil and Perlite
Organic Soil and Guano
60g
60g
60g
60g
Figure 39: Medium Set Up
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Results: Agar Day 23 - Spinach and Oregano seeds showed initial signs of sprout, but then a couple days later they were covered in mould
Gelatin Day 7, 12, 12, 8 - Cucumber seeds were the only ones that sprouted and it did grow and then died
Stonewool - The cucumber seeds are the most successful - Oregano seeds have sprouted and have grown, but a lot slower than other mediums - Spinach failed - Only one tomato seed sprouted
Vermiculite - All seeds sprouted and are growing except the spinach seeds
Clay Pebbles - All seeds have sprouted and are growing except the oregano seeds - Size of the seeds is key here - Spinach seems to be dying
Vermiculite+ Clay Pebble - All seeds sprouted and are growing but slower in comparison with others
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Soil - All seeds sprouted and are growing
Soil + Perlite - All seeds sprouted and are growing
Organic Soil + Guano - All seeds sprouted and are growing - Of all the soils, these plants are the biggest and grew the fastest
Soil+ Mycelium - All seeds have sprouted and grown - In the last few days, mushrooms have also made an appearance
Figure 40: Photographs of Plants Experiment 1
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Results: The various materials produced different results as expected. It seems that there was also a direct relationship between the mediums and the characteristics of the seeds. In Figure 40, the final photos of each plant and medium can be seen.
Water Added to Plants over 26 Days
The least successful was the gelatine which all failed within the first two weeks. This is most likely due to contamination and therefore, would not be suitable for a home environment. The Agar faced similar issues. After 23 days the seeds and plants started to mold killing the plants. Furthermore, in both cases not all the seeds sprouted. The stonewool which works hydroponically, worked very well for the cucumbers, but surprisingly the spinach did not sprout at all. Both the tomatoes and oregano did sprout, but they grew much slower than the cucumber.
Figure 41: Water Consumption Experiment 1
In terms of water consumption, there was definitely a difference between the mediums as shown in Figure 41. While the agar and gelatine require the least amount of water, they were also the least successful in germinating the seeds and fostering growth. The stonewool also required about half the amount of water as the rest of the mediums. It was known that the soil would require consistent watering to avoid the soil from drying, but due to the nature of the vermiculite and clay pebbles, these actually required the most water. It seemed as though the water would be absorbed or evaporate very quickly in comparison to the other mediums.
In the tests with the vermiculite, all the seeds sprouted and grew except the spinach. The small particles meant that even the smallest oregano seeds were able to stabilise themselves and grow roots. On the other hand the large size clay pebbles and their gaps meant that the oregano seeds fell to the base of the pot with the watering and therefore did not grow. Also while the spinach did grow, once the plant got larger it eventually started to die. This could be down to the lack of nutrients available in the medium. When the vermiculite and clay pebbles were mixed, all the plants sprouted and grew. However, this was much slower in comparison to the soil pots.
Conclusions: • Finding the right medium for the type of seed is crucial for its germination and growing process. • By using a natural fertiliser the plants are able to grow a lot quicker. • Soil proved to be the most successful for germinating and growing the different seed types. • Hydroponic methods will reduce the amount of water required.
In general all the soil mixtures proved to be much more successful. In each case all the seeds sprouted and grew. The most successful though was the organic soil with the added guano which acts as a fertiliser and provides additional nutrients. In the soil mixed with mycelium there were also mushrooms growing at the later stages.
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Plant Benefits
Air filtration of dust particles and particulate matter Carbon sequestration or carbon dioxide removal Reduces the Urban Heat Island Effect Acts as an acoustic barrier Absorbs excess water such as stormwater runoff Provides habitats for biodiversity especially birds and insects Prolongs the life of the building, for example, green roofs provide an additional layer of protection Can help to control the indoor building environments Reduce energy costs Improve mental health and wellbeing
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Impact of LED’s Background: In many of the state of the art explored in this thesis, hydroponics was conducted in a very controlled environment with the help of special LED lights to encourage greater and faster plant growth. In general it was suggested the plants should sit under light for 14-16 hours with eight hours of darkness for the plant to rest.
Experiment Setup: 1. Set up the Arduino and sensor to record data as pictured in Figure 38 in Experiment 1. 2. Add 60g of the soil to each of the four plant pots and use 4 pieces of stonewool. Add seeds to each of the pots. 3. Place near a window to maximise the amount of sunlight and under the LED growth light. 4. Set up the timer so that the growth light is activated during the night for the number of hours required. Method: 1. Set up the experiment as stated above and record the temperature and humidity. 2. Begin by giving all the pots the same amount of water making sure the medium is moist. 3. Record the temperature and humidity every 12 hours and once a day photograph each plant to record changes. 4. After photographing the plants, check the mediums moistness and add water if required. Remember to measure and record the amount of water. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for at least a month.
Experiment Research Question: Will the addition of light from the LED growth lamp for 6 hours during the night impact the growth of the cucumbers, oregano, tomatoes and winter spinach in the mediums of stonewool and soil with guano? Materials Required: • Seeds: Tomato, Cucumber, Oregano, Winter Spinach • Mediums: Stonewool and Organic Soil with Guano • Humidity and Temperature Sensor • Arduino • 4 Plant Pots (Biodegradable is best) • Water • Graduated cylinder or scale to measure the water • LED Growth Light • Timer for electricity plugs
Results: Overall, it seems as though the additional hours of light help to foster plant growth. Figure 43 displays photos of the final day of the experiment. It was conducted for 31 days, but a clear difference could be seen between the first experiment and the second. In the soil all the plants really thrived, especially the tomatoes and cucumbers. Also all the seeds sprouted in the stonewool, even the spinach that did not sprout in Experiment 1.
Variables: Controlled Variables: • Amount of water • Number of LED Light Hours Non-controlled Variables: • Temperature • Humidity • Amount of Sunlight
Conclusions: • The additional light did mean the plants grew significantly quicker than in Experiment 1. • Once again the soil proved to produce the largest and strongest plants. • There were no failures in sprouting this time around. • There was an increase in the amount of water consumed.
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Water Added to Plants over 31 Days
Figure 42: Water Consumption Experiment 2
Stonewool All the seeds sprouted successfully and continued to grow
Organic Soil + Guano The seeds all sprouted and grew much faster than in Experiment 1
Figure 43: Photographs of Plants Experiment 2
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Plant Your Future: Superilla Agriculture and Food Production in Spain Understanding the Context: Superilla Analysis Understanding the Context: Local Flora and Fauna, and their Relationships Metabolic System Design A Catalogue of Parts A Changing Landscape Towards a Circular Economy Replicability and Scalability XXX
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Agriculture and Food Production in Spain Spain is a country known for its food culture and its food production. The Mediterranean climate makes it perfect for growing a wide variety of goods, but it is also a country along with the European community looking to curb food waste. The proposal for Plant Your Future, therefore is located in Spain and more specifically Barcelona as this is where the experiments were conducted. Before going into the proposal, a deep research was carried out on Spain, then Catalonia and finally Barcelona, to understand food production and food waste within the country. Looking back at the 1980’s, Spain was a huge producer of food related produce. A large portion of exports included citrus fruits, vegetables, cereals, olive oil and wine. Of the 5 million square kilometres of Spanish land, only 40% of this land was suitable for cultivation. However, out of this 40% only 10% of the soil is considered excellent and this does not account for soil erosion. Historically, agriculture was split into zones. Nonirrigated agriculture relied purely on rainfall and irrigated agriculture was used to increase levels of production. Also in the 1980’s Spain began seeing a shift in its diets. Meat, poultry and dairy became more prominent in the Spanish diet (Solsten and Meditz, 1998). Figure 44, displays the varied climatic zones across Spain. With much of the country covered by the Mediterranean climatic zone, it is clear why Spain is able to produce so much fresh produce and crops. Figure 45, shows the agricultural land. While the distribution of land is very diverse there are clear zones where tree crops thrive or where cereals and vegetables are primarily grown. In Figure 46, the population density was mapped and, as expected, there is a direct relationship between where the cities are located and where the population density is the greatest.
Climatic Zones: Spain
Oceanic Humid Sub Tropical Hot Semi Arid Cold Semi Arid Warm Summer Mediterranean Hot Summer Mediterranean
Figure 44: Climatic Zones Spain
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Population Density: Spain
Agricultural Land: Spain
Forest and Mountain Vegetation
Main Cities
Tree Crops Pasture Cereals and Vegetables Crops and Livestock Mediterranean Agriculture
Figure 45: Agricultural Land Spain
Figure 46: Population Density Spain
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Furthermore, the European Union pledges to significantly reduce food loss and waste. As seen previously in Figure 6, European consumers contribute a huge amount of food waste and thus, cutting this is crucial for the future of food security. Spain has promised to cut food waste by 50% by 2030. However, in 2018, 1.4 billion kilos/litres of food were thrown out. This was an 8.9% increase on the previous year. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food claimed that this was due to high temperature experienced at the time (Agudo and Delle Femmine, 2019). The climate is constantly changing though, and cannot be the main excuse. Solutions need to be found that take into consideration the unpredictable climate.
amount of food could feed half a million people. Not only can the food feed others, the amount of money lost is about 112 Euros per inhabitant per year (Coral·lí Pagès, 2010). The breakdown of Barcelona’s food waste can be seen in Figure 49. The biggest culprits are the households. To deal with the high levels of food waste, there have been several initiatives set up to change the relationship we have with food. While this is a great step forward, designers should look to integrate these initiatives into design. Now is the opportunity to do so.
Zooming into the region of Catalonia, Figure 47 shows the breakdown of land in the region. While much of Catalonia is covered in forests, due to the mountainous terrain, a lot of produce is still grown here. For example, five kilometres south of Barcelona is the Llobregat River Delta which is known for its fertile land. Due to the rapid urbanisation of the Barcelona metropolitan area this land area has been protected. A huge amount of produce comes from this area, from lettuce and tomatoes to olives and peaches to name but a few (Serafina, 2010). Every crop or tree requires a different amount of surface area to grow. Figure 48 compares the amount of produce produced in the Barcelona region with the amount of surface area it takes up. It can be seen that cereals require the most surface area to grow whereas fresh produce like fruits and vegetables take up much less land. This makes the latter much more efficient to grow in densely packed urban areas. Currently in Spain, 84% of products are being thrown out without even being cooked. Most of this is usually fresh produce like fruits and vegetables (Agudo and Delle Femmine, 2019). The fast lives we all live means that our food habits have changed and we do not spend as much time preserving food. In Catalonia 7% of food bought by families, restaurants and shops is thrown out. This
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Agricultural Land: Catalonia
% Food Production
% Food Production Surface Area
Meadows Vineyards
Fodder and Industrial Crops
Forest
Vineyards
Fields
Olive Groves
Fruit Trees
Cereals
Shrubs
Sweet Fruit, Dry Fruit and Citrus
Mediterranean Agriculture
Vegetables, Legumes and Tubers
Figure 47: Agricultural Land Catalonia
Figure 48: Food Production vs Surface Area
Households
Supermarkets
Education Buildings
Retail Trade
Catering
Municipal Markets
58%
16%
12%
9%
4%
1%
Figure 49: Barcelona Food Waste
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Understanding the Context: Superilla Analysis Having chosen to work within Barcelona, a suitable site needed to be found that would provide opportunities for the integration of food production and ecosystem services, and to implement a strategy. Barcelona is known for testing out the concept of the Superblock. It was envisioned to reduce vehicular circulation and promote green spaces and a sense of community. The majority of Barcelona follows a grid made up of blocks. The Superblock combines 9 of these blocks into one large Superblock. The first Superblock was constructed in the heart of Poblenou as seen in Figure 50. This was the pilot project, and now several other Superblocks are being tested in various parts of the city. Below, the Superblock aims are listed. The Superblock Aims • Promotion of biodiversity and urban green • Promoting self-sufficiency in the use of resources • Revitalization of public spaces • Promotion of urban social fabric and social cohesion • More sustainable mobility • Integration of governance processes
Figure 50: Barcelona Map
Choosing the first Superblock in Poblenou as the case study made sense as the aims of the Superblock are very much in line with the aims of this project. How these will be implemented will be discussed further on. Figure 51, demonstrates the functions and occupations of the Superblock. It can be seen that there is a mixture of building typologies within the Superblock creating a diverse community and atmosphere. One of the key priorities was to reduce vehicular circulation. By combining the blocks, vehicular circulation reduced by 75% and thus, public space could be increased by 13550sqm. Another initiative was to plant trees and thus, 212 new trees were planted around the Superblock.
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Function and Occupation Analysis
47% Commercial Buildings
212 New Trees Planted Existing Trees
50% Residential Buildings
75% Reduction in Vehicular Circulation Routes
3% Educational Buildings
13550sqm Increase in Public Spaces Figure 51: Function and Occupation Diagrams
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Based on the population of the Superblock, some basic calculations were conducted to understand the amount of food needed. The values of food consumption are based specifically on Spain’s average consumption.
Average Temperature of the last 20 Years
The Permanent Population of the Superblock = 1800 People Food Consumption Per Person Per Day = 1.6 kg
1999-2008
2009-2018
Figure 52: Temperature Analysis
Superblock Consumption Per Day = 2880 kg
Total Precipitation of the last 20 Years
Superblock Consumption Per Year = 1051.2 tonnes FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Superblock Consumption Per Year = 402 tonnes (Varela-Moreiras et al., 2010) Moreover, with the intention of working with plants, an analysis of the local climate in Barcelona was carried out. The Ajuntament de Barcelona, keeps a record of data collected all the way back to the 1780s. Initially, taking the data from the last 20 years, both the temperature and precipitation were graphed. Figure 52 shows the temperature per month. Throughout the last 20 years, the trend was very similar with slightly cooler temperatures in the winter months and higher temperatures in the summer. On the contrary, Figure 53, demonstrates that precipitation varies dramatically not only each year, but also each month. There are several cases where Barcelona saw no rain during a particular month. This is important to factor in as plants will require a continuous water source. To compile the data into one graph, the average climate data was taken and graphed for temperature, precipitation and prevailing wind (Figure 55). This gave an idea of the climate trends throughout the year.
Figure 53: Precipitation Levels
Figure 54: Wind Direction Ladybug Analysis
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Climate Analysis
Average Climatic Data: Barcelona
Precipitation Levels mm Lowest Average Temperature C Average Temperature C Highest Average Temperature C N
Prevalent Wind Direction
Figure 55: Average Climate Values
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Understanding the Context: Loacal Flora and Fauna, and Their Relationship Following on from the climate research, an exploration was carried out into the local flora and fauna. Both are essential in creating healthy and diverse ecosystems. Barcelona, being surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains means there is great diversity amongst Barcelona’s urban biodiversity and flora. Projects are constantly being set up to encourage and protect the local species. With food production and plants being key parts of the Plant Your Future project, extensive research was carried out into both edible plants and plants encouraging pollination. Firstly, the focus was on edible plants. The process began by constructing calendars that would show the key moments in the plant’s growth cycle. This included when to plant the seeds, when the main period of growth occurred and finally when the vegetable, fruit or herb could be harvested. All the crops shown in Figure 56 could be grown in Barcelona. Following on from this, the permaculture concept of companion planting was explored. Strategies like crop rotation and companion planting are all used to increase both the harvest yield and the ecosystems resilience. Crop rotation has been used since farmers began to settle. Certain plants could be rotated every few years to replenish the nutrients in the soil. For example, legumes enrich the soil with nitrate. Companion planting is a strategy used to avoid certain insects or diseases that plants can carry or for those plants that grow well together. Figure 57 is a matrix that displays which plants grow well together. By selecting a crop in the vertical list, and reading horizontally, one can see all the plants that can be grown next to or in close proximity. It was found that four families of plants were the most compatible. These were the onion, lettuce, bean and pea families. Through companion plants, some form of protection can be provided as well as encouraging the plant to fruit.
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Figure 56: Edible Plants Growth Calendar
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Companion Planting Most Compatible Plant Families
Onions
Lettuce
Beans
Peas
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Figure 57: Companion Planting Chart
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To create a thriving living system, insects need to be encouraged to pollinate. Therefore, research was carried out into both local species and flora that encourage pollination. Pictured in Figure 58, one can see examples of eight species of flora that can be used in the Plant Your Future Strategy. Each of the plants thrive in different conditions. Some require full sun while others prefer shade and therefore will grow on facades with less direct sunlight. Not only will these plants be great for insects, but plants like the Ivy will provide ideal nesting conditions for birds. Furthermore, the urban biodiversity in Barcelona is very diverse and contributes to the urban ecosystems. Within the area of the Poblenou Superblock, over 40 species of birds have been recorded. These range from small birds like Swallows and Tits, to larger birds like Jackdaws. Even birds of prey have been spotted like Kestrels. This means that a variety of bird boxes need to be included in the design to take into consideration the diversity of bird species and sizes. Mammals are also present: squirrels and bats. Bats are often considered a pest or killed because of the diseases they carry. However, they are essential for controlling insect populations, especially mosquitoes. Butterflies, Bumble Bees and Ladybugs are also common sights in Barcelona. All these fauna contribute to the health of the ecosystems and therefore form a fundamental part of the Plant Your Future Strategy. They are essential for the future of our planet and also the ability to provide food.
Mammals
Sciurus vulgaris (Laakso, 2018)
The Superblock area is very diverse in terms of its flora and fauna which makes it so interesting as a case study. While not all areas may be so diverse, that does not mean that urban biodiversity should not be encouraged. If the right habitats and food sources are provided and available, biodiversity will come.
Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Blickwinkel, 2020)
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Perennials
Shrubs
Climbers
Bushes
Agapanthus Africanus (Crocus, 2020)
Lavendula (Pinterest, 2020)
Bougainvillea (Plants Guru, 2014)
Rosa sp (Jaikaew, 2020)
Nephrolepis Exaltata (Jaikaew, 2020)
Buxus Sempervirens (Hedges Direct Ltd, 2020)
Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Sommariva, 2019)
Pyracantha Angustifolia (Wikipedia, 2019) Figure 58: Flora
Birds
Insects
Corvus monedula (Schain, 2016b)
Cyanistes caeruleus (BaĹ&#x;buÄ&#x;, 2016)
Coccinella septempunctata (Magee, 2017)
Bombus terrestris (Falk, 2017)
Apus apus (Mauss, 2016)
Falco tinnunculus (Craig, 2009)
Polyommatus icarus (Spacebirdy, 2013)
Vanessa cardui (van de Velde, 2019) Figure 59: Barcelona Fauna
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Understanding the Context: The Chosen Building When choosing a building to implement the Plant Your Future strategy, two key words dictated the selection: scalability and replicability. The idea is that the strategy becomes a manifesto that can be applied to any building. Therefore, a generic, simple in form building was chosen as the basis for the case study. Located in the centre of the Superblock, it is surrounded by public space and lies opposite to one of Barcelona’s most influential buildings Media Tic. In the photographs on the following page, the building can be seen. Some of the key features of the building include the full height windows, concrete structure with a smooth render finish and the flat roofs. The full height windows provide opportunities for external access and already have shutters integrated into the design for privacy. The concrete structure and smooth render finish makes it easy to attach aspects to the facades. Finally, the flat roofs provide landscaping opportunities. Flat roofs are often taken for granted in Barcelona as it is a common site. However, this is not the case in most cities. Based on the area of the building and the typical size of apartments in Barcelona, it is approximated that this block could hold up to 65 apartments and houses approximately 200 people. At the ground floor level there are cafes and shops. Anticipated food requirements: Building Population = 200 Food Consumption Per Person Per Day = 1.6 kg
Figure 60: Building Sketch
Building Consumption Per Day = 320 kg Building Consumption Per Year = 116.8 tonnes FRUIT AND VEGETABLES Buildings Consumption Per Year = 45 tonnes
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Figure 61: Superblock Plan
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Figure 62: Approach to the Building
Figure 63: South West and North West Facade
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Before beginning the design process, a solar radiation analysis was carried out using Ladybug for Grasshopper, a software, on the building. This would help to dictate what would grow where and where to place the services. Figures 64, 65 and 66 show the results of the radiation analysis, taking into consideration the entire year. It can be seen that the roofs experience the highest levels of radiation as the sun will directly hit them, especially in the summer. The south west and south east facades
experience high levels of radiation too, but there is a gradation across the facades. The lower levels experience lower levels of radiation. The same applies to the north east and north west facades. However, in general they experience much lower levels of radiation and therefore could house the services. While the radiation levels are lower, it does not stop the sun hitting these facades, so plants would still be able to thrive.
Figure 64: Southern Facades Ladybug Radiation Analysis
Figure 65: Northern Facades Ladybug Radiation Analysis
Figure 66: Roof Ladybug Radiation Analysis
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Metabolic System Design Plant Your Future is a metabolic strategy that can be implemented onto existing structures in our cities. It is designed to turn a static building into a living system through the integration of food production and ecosystem services. Using simple strategies, the idea is that this could be implemented immediately. Based on the radiation analysis, the facades were split into two groups. The southern facades would be primarily used for food production, Figure 70, and the northern facades would integrate the services, Figure 71. For the southern facades, attention was paid to the strategies implemented, based on radiation, but also accessibility to tend to the plants. The first strategy was to implement a “Second Skin”. This would provide access to the plants, but also aid in controlling the building’s performance. As the radiation levels varied across the facades, the southern facades were split in two. The higher levels use a hydroponic system to grow food. This system would reduce the chance of water evaporation due to the higher levels of radiation. At the lower levels, a soil based strategy would be used, making use of the building’s food waste composting. Also, a soil based system can be heavier, so keeping it at the lower levels is more efficient structurally. Water circulation happens external to the building both horizontally and vertically.
Figure 67: The Second Skin
Figure 68: The Division of Facades
The northern facades focused on water harvesting, urban biodiversity and pollination. Where possible, the insect hotels and bird boxes are placed away from the windows. This is to avoid humans upsetting the urban biodiversity and especially, insects entering the apartment. Each of these components will be further discussed in the next sub chapter, A Catalogue of Parts. In the unwrapped elevation drawing in Figure 72 on the following pages, it can see where the strategies are implemented.
Figure 69: Water Circulation
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Figure 70: Southern Facades Perspective Render
Figure 71: Northern Facades Perspective Render
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Pollination & Urban Biodiversity Food Production Water Harvesting
Figure 72: Unwrapped Elevation Drawing
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Figure 73: South West Facade Detailed Section A
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Figure 74: South East Facade Detailed Section B
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As mentioned previously, the building has two large flat rooftops. Each of these rooftops are used for different purposes and each contributes to the overall metabolic system. The roof at the lower level is nicknamed the Forest of the Future, Figure 76. It implements old strategies of forests with new strategies of algae production. The forest provides produce like citrus fruits, olives and other fruits. The algae produced can either be eaten or used as biofuel. Energy required for algae production is harvested from the solar panels. In addition, as protein is crucial to our diet, a chicken coop that can hold up to 24 chickens has been integrated for egg collection. These chickens would be allowed to roam free on the rooftop eating insects and seeds in the soil and in turn fertilizing the soil.
While the roofs and facades each have their own metabolic systems, they all work together to create an active living system. This is achieved purely through retrofitting, avoiding any major renovations and disruptions. This living building addresses the Superblock Aims by: • Promotion of biodiversity and urban green This will be achieved by using the vertical, providing habitats and encouraging pollination. • Promoting self-sufficiency in the use of resources Harvesting water and energy, working towards a circular economy. • Revitalization of public spaces Adding benefits like food production and social interaction.
The second rooftop receives high levels of radiation providing perfect conditions to create a mini vineyard. This once again will encourage insects and birds to stay in the area. After looking at many of the methods of urban agriculture, it was found that aeroponics is one of the most efficient methods in terms of resource use. However, they require strict growing conditions and therefore greenhouses have been placed on this rooftop. The smaller greenhouse houses the aeroponic systems, but because limited produce can be grown this way, the second greenhouse uses hydroponic systems. The water required can be harvested from the rain and filtered through natural filtration methods. To pump the water around the greenhouses, the energy collected from the solar PV panels can be used.
• Promotion of urban social fabric and social cohesion Community driven food production and the opportunity of educating the locals. • More sustainable mobility Reduction of food miles. • Integration of governance processes The inhabitants would be given the tools to run the coordination.
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Figure 75: Vineyard and Greenhouses Rooftop
Figure 76: Forest of the Future Rooftop
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Services
Food Production
Component Catalogue
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Figure 77: A Catalogue of Parts
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Food Production: Soil Panel Using the compost created from the building’s food waste and a drip irrigation system, food can be produced. The plant pots are based on existing systems and are made from recycled plastic. This allows to keep the structure lightweight as the soil and water will add significant weight. These panels can be found at the lower levels of the building.
Figure 78: Soil Panel Render
Figure 79: Soil Panel Detail
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Food Production: Hydroponic Panel To reduce the weight and the number of resources required, a hydroponic system is used at the higher levels of the building. These panels are also made from recycled plastic and irrigation pipes bring the water to the plants. Not all plants can be grown hydroponically, but many thrive with this system.
Figure 80: Hydroponic Panel Detail
Figure 81: Hydroponic Panel Render
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Food Production: Mushroom Panel Taken from the IAAC developed project Mycoscape, this plywood made structure provides the optimum conditions to grow mycelium and thus, a variety of mushrooms. Only a few of these panels were used as mycelium is prone to contamination and dies easily. Mycelium prefers shadier, cooler environments. Also the plywood structure means the panel is significantly more heavy and thus, requires extra support.
Figure 82: Mushroom Panel Render
Figure 83: Mushroom Panel Detail
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Food Production: Algae Panels Inspired by The Coral by Hyunseok An, this plugin system allows algae to be produced in a two week cycle. The requirements for growing algae include carbon dioxide, water, phosphorus, nitrogen and most importantly, light. They are pumped into the module through the panel. Located on the south west facade, it will receive a lot of light which will boost algae production.
Figure 84: Algae Panel Detail
Figure 85: Algae Panel Render
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Food Production: Algae Towers Integrated into the forest of the future are the algae towers. These can produce algae for food and biofuel. The spiral design allows light to penetrate all points of the tube and the LED bar running through the centre encourages algae production throughout the night. These will be powered by solar panels.
Figure 86: Algae Tower Render
Figure 87: Algae Tower Detail
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Food Production: Chicken Coop To provide protein for the building, a chicken coop is located on the rooftop and can house 24 chickens. It has special compartments for the chickens to lay eggs and is designed from recycled wood. The structure is very simple and easy to replicate. The other requirement of the chickens is to have a perch for them to rest that is off the ground.
Figure 88: Chicken Coop Render
Figure 89: Chicken Coop Detail
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Food Production: Aeroponic Greenhouse Located within the small greenhouse on the rooftop, these aeroponic towers use minimal resources by spraying the plants with nutrient rich water. Few plants thrive aeroponically, but they include lettuces, strawberries and tomatoes. The vertical structure means that it can house 52 plants.
Figure 90: Aeroponic Tower Render
Figure 91: Aeroponic Tower Detail
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Food Production: Hydroponic Greenhouse When the number of resources used is balanced with the number of plants grown by that method, hydroponics is one of the most effective. Therefore, it has also been used in the rooftop greenhouses. The tubes are designed to allow the water to flow and then it gets pumped up through the sides of the structure.
Figure 92: Hydroponic Tubes Detail
Figure 93: Hydroponic Tubes Render
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Services: Pollination The pollination panels are to bring flowers into the design, which in turn will help to attract insects. Made from recycled plastic it is lightweight to account for the use of soil. Essentially pockets are created to house the plants which are watered using a drip irrigation system. There are three different sized panels to take into account different plants and their sizes. • Small Sized Plants • Large Sized Plants • Mixed Sized Plants
Figure 94: Small Pollination Panel Render
Figure 95: Small Pollination Panel Detail
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Figure 96: Large Pollination Panel Render and Detail
Figure 97: Mixed Pollination Panel Render and Detail
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Services: Biodiversity Panels The urban biodiversity panels are based on the same system as the pollination panels. However, the difference is that some of the pockets for plants are converted into insect hotels and bird boxes. Insects: These panels will integrate lots of brightly coloured flowers that attract insects. For example, lavenders and roses. The insect hotels will accommodate different types of insects and therefore a variety of insect hotels will be used. Materials for the insect hotels can be gathered from the local area. Birds: As birds like to nest in plants that provide protection, flora like Ivy will be used to mask the entrances to the bird boxes. Small birds also like to nest directly in Ivy. The boxes will accommodate different sizes of birds and can be used for both nesting and roosting.
Figure 98: Biodiversity Panels for Insects Render
Figure 99: Biodiversity Panels for Insects Detail
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Figure 100: Biodiversity Panels for Birds Render
Figure 101: Biodiversity Panels for Birds Render
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Services: Water Harvesting Panel: The water harvesting strategy is based on a system designed by NexLoop called AquaWeb. The idea is to harvest moisture from the air using a polyester mesh that will trap the water droplets. These droplets get caught by the pipes and be transferred around the building to water the plants. Natural Filtration: On the highest rooftop, rainwater will be collected. As it is being used for aeroponics, it requires to be filtered. The water is passed through various layers of natural materials including charcoal and gravel. Using this method avoids the need for chemicals.
Stone Sand Charcoal Gravel
Figure 102: Water Filtration Method
Figure 103: Water Harvesting Panel
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Services: Other Composting: Working with plants, there will be cuttings and other waste that can be composted and used for the soil based elements. The compost bins use a simple three year rotation system. Each bin is filled with food and plant waste and kept dark. They are placed at the entrances to the building to that when people leave their apartment they can immediately take out their waste. Solar Panels: The building originally had some solar panels on the rooftops. This has been increased to accommodate for the water pumps and electricity needed for the algae production. While all these components have their own tasks, within the greater system the components are interconnected. Figure 104, demonstrates all these connections between the different elements. Water harvesting is central to the survival of the plants, and therefore is connected to almost all components. The components rely on each other for their own success and that is how an ecosystem works. When they work harmoniously, the ecosystem thrives.
Figure 104: Component Relationships
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A Changing Landscape To turn a static building into a living system, is to utilize different elements to create a strong selfsustaining ecosystem. As seen in the Catalogue of Parts, each component has its own task, but they are all interconnected and benefit from one another. Throughout the year any living system or organism behaves differently depending on the changing conditions of the seasons. At different times of the year, there will be different requirements, but a successful living system is able to adapt. The way the building behaves will also impact the social day to day living of the occupants and the community.
the seasons and when certain components are most productive. Some components will work throughout the year, like for example, the greenhouses, the biodiversity panels, water harvesting, solar panels and composting. On the other hand, some will become less productive during the winter months, like the food production as less plants thrive during the winter months. Some are very specific when they are productive like the vineyard: the grapes can only be harvested in September and October. Another example is the chickens. Naturally, they can only produce eggs for 250 days of the year and then they need a “vacation�. It is important that food is produced ethically and therefore no methods are used to trick the chickens into laying eggs. The individual behaviours of the components will impact how the building works as a whole.
The complexity of such a living building means things are always changing and there will be small tasks to be done to maintain the system. Through Figure 105, the intention is to demonstrate how the building will perform throughout the year. The benefits of plants have already been discussed, but one of the key benefits they can provide in such a climate is the regulation of building temperature. During the winter months, the plants that survive in winter months can act as an additional level of insulation. However, the fact that a lot of plants hibernate or die during these months, means that sunlight and heat can directly penetrate the building’s surface. On the contrary, during the summer the plants act as a barrier that blocks the radiation from hitting the building. Through this barrier and the evapotranspiration the building can be kept cooler than its surroundings. The other main contribution of plants is the production of food. As much of the food production is happening outside, there will be times when the harvest is very little and times where there is a huge amount of produce. In times of high food production, the produce could be sold locally in the form of a market.
Generating the calendar, also helped to understand what was needed throughout the different seasons in terms of maintenance. Figure 107 shows a day in the life of a resident living within the building and the tasks that would have to be undertaken throughout the year. It is imagined that the building would work as a community and thus, all ages would be involved. Educating from a young age will also aid in making people understand the importance of biodiversity for future survival. Living in a building that constantly adapts and provides different tasks will bring a whole new way of living.
As discussed, each of the components are interconnected and rely on each other to create this living building. However, throughout the year the components will behave differently. Figure 106 is a yearly calendar that takes into consideration
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Winter
Spring
Maximise Sunlight for Heat
Limited Sunlight for Heat
Limited Food Production
Seeds Planted
Small Harvest
No Harvest
Roosting
Nest Building
Hibernating
Pollinating
Summer
Autumn
Minimise Sunlight for Cooling
Limited Sunlight for Cooling
Maximum Food Production
Seeds Planted
Large Harvest
Large Harvest
Rearing Chicks
Preparing for Winter
Pollinating
Pollinating / Preparing for Winter
Figure 105: Building Taxonomy 103
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Figure 106: Component Calendar
Morning: Collect Chicken Eggs
Morning: Harvest Algae from Panels
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Afternoon: Maintain the Plants
Afternoon: Socialise with the Neighbours
Evening: Cook with the Produce Harvested
Evening: Take Food Leftovers for Composting Figure 107: A Day in the Life
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Towards a Circular Economy Circular economy has been at the forefront of many debates and research. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation is one of the organisations at the forefront. They wrote the report Cities and Circular Economy for Food. This report highlights the issues with the current linear systems and proposes a circular approach. With 80% of food expected to be consumed in cities by 2050, and only 2% of byproducts and organic waste being composted, it is time to relook at the system. The report proposes three strategies that need to be considered and pursued. They are designing and marketing food to encourage local consumption, using local ingredients to increase traceability and making compost and fertilizers from the byproducts. One of the key concepts highlighted is that of regenerative farming. This is defined by “encompassing any production techniques that improve the overall health of the local ecosystem� (Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Economic Forum, 2019). Taking these ideas and concepts, Plant Your Future strives to keep resources in a loop whereby little is wasted, and everyone benefits.
Plant Your Future is a complex metabolic system with many interconnected elements. To understand the complex relationships, a metabolic diagram was produced to show all the connections when applied to the building, Figure 109. The metabolic relationships were addressed in the same manner as the research into the State of the Art. There are four categories, social, environmental, economical and technological. It takes into consideration all the different components, but also the greater impact and the services they provide. It goes beyond just the building residents impacting the greater community.
Beginning with the larger picture, Figure 108 is a diagram that shows the material flows. Based on the circular economy strategy it focuses on the material flows of buildings and food production. Circular economy strategies can quickly become very complex. This diagram tries to eliminate the complexity by focusing on energy, water and material flows. At the center of the diagram, is the design process with the natural processes highlighted in green and the manufactured processes in purple. The important aspect of a circular economy is that value should constantly be added. Many buildings have the opportunity to be restored or reused for different purposes, food production being one of them. The byproducts of plants can also be used and recycled for other needs too. Instead of throwing everything into a landfill, products and resources can be given a new life.
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Figure 108: Material Flow
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Social Environmental Economic Technological
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Figure 109: Metabolic Diagram
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Replicability and Scalability The intention was to design a strategy that could easily be implemented today on existing buildings. Having a strategy that is both scalable and replicable makes for a successful strategy. This proposal focuses on being minimally invasive on the building, keeping all the elements external to the building structure. However, within the realm of retrofitting, there are two phases and additionally the idea of retrofit versus new build.
and adding additional weight. In many cases rooftops are pitched, and while flat roofs may provide more opportunities, it would not make sense to completely restructure the roof to suit a greenhouse. Working with plants, adds a lot of additional weight that the building needs to support. Adding a lot of soil to allow plants to grow dramatically increases the weight, and that does not even consider the additional weight of water. In a new build, these issues can be avoided. The structure can be optimised for growing plants and taking additional weight. Moreover, a new build means that harnessing energy and water harvesting can be integrated from the beginning, and thus the building is optimised for providing ecosystem services. Also the second skin can be a design feature rather than an “add on”. While a new build might sound like the simplest or more effective solution as the designer has control on all the aspects, there are disadvantages of new builds. If the SDG Goal number 12 is considered, Responsible Consumption and Production, a new build will require more resources than retrofitting and also require land, a resource that is already considered scarce.
Within retrofitting there are two main categories. The first is the “Add On” which is the Plant Your Future Proposal. This means there are no major works or disruption to the building and that residents can stay put as there will not be any major renovations. The second skin is a free standing structure that will be attached to the outside facade. Water harvesting and circulation will all happen externally. However, this “Add On” strategy does mean there are some limitations, for example, the harvesting of grey water. Therefore, there is the second category which is called the “Restructure,” a more invasive approach. With this strategy, the building would be restructured internally to allow for grey water to be extracted and transferred to the external skin of the building, for instance. In addition more space would have to be allocated to filtering that water. This can be done using gravity and natural filtration methods. The amount of internal work would depend on where the kitchen and bathroom are positioned in relation to the outer skin. Also, a restructuring could mean that the second skin is more permanent creating a skin similar to that of a greenhouse. In restructuring, additional support could be provided to support additional weight from water and soil. Figure 110 explains the differences between the two different phases. Furthermore, while there are a lot of positive aspects to retrofitting like minimising resources and extending the life of something that is already built, there are still limitations. These limitations include the constraints of the existing building structure, restructuring limitations
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The Add On
The Restructure
Figure 110: The Add On vs The Restructure
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Every situation is different, and therefore thought has been put into understanding the impact of different solutions in different situations. Cities are already very densely packed, and there are many buildings not being put to any use. Therefore, retrofitting was the approach chosen in this study. Each option provides limitations and opportunities and therefore each situation should be assessed. For example, if the building is no longer safe, then retrofitting may not be the solution whereas starting from scratch would be more effective. By applying Plant Your Future to different scenarios,
the strategy becomes replicable and scalable. Replicable in terms of putting together different components to create the most effective ecosystem. Scalable in the sense that this strategy could be applied to a family house, apartment block or even commercial units. If a strategy like Plant Your Future, would not be able to adapt then it would not be successful. It is important to create strategies that have a greater impact than just one project.
Retrofitting
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Restructuring
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Construction of Structure
External Structures Fitted
Water System
Integrated Water and Energy System
Attach the Panels
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Figure 111: Retrofitting vs New Build Phases
New Build
Figure 112: Retrofitting vs New Build
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Impact Analysis & Vision: Plant Your Future Impact Analysis & Vision: Food System Impact Analysis & Vision: The Plant Your Future City
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Impact Analysis & Vision: Plant Your Future As previously discussed, the building is a metabolic living system and the ecosystem services are endless. Like all projects the impact of the building can be analysed through different factors, and carrying on from the analysis of the case studies, the Plant Your Future Superilla will be analysed in terms of its environmental, economic, social and technological impact. Figure 113, is a summary of the key impacts and figures in relation to the proposal.
The main goal of Plant Your Future was to be community driven by bringing the community together. Excess food can be sold in a market in one of the many public spaces within the Superblock. As a result of people coming together, there will be a knowledge transfer as well as the development of new skills. It would be the people that live in the building that would look after the plants and make sure they are growing. The plants will bring increased well being and can help to significantly reduce noise pollution, a major issue facing many public spaces in Barcelona. Such a strategy will impact the greater community through causing intrigue. This will get people talking and as a result foster new relationships.
Environmentally, cities have been facing a large issue when it comes to preserving biodiversity. Every green space ends up being occupied by a new structure. Plant Your Future, creates new habitats for bats, birds and insects, providing them specifically with homes and plants to suit their needs. The building could become a rest stop for birds like Bosco Verticale. In total over 40000 plants have been integrated into the design through the use of panels. Half of this being purely for food production and the other half dedicated to urban biodiversity. By covering the building in plants, the temperature of the building can also be regulated. In turn this can significantly reduce energy consumption and costs by not using air conditioning and heating. The plants and trees will help to sequester Carbon Dioxide and filter particles in the air creating healthier air to breathe.
Accessible technology has been used to further provide benefits to the building, plants, and occupants. There were already solar panels on the roof and based on average readings the total power produced would be just under 14kW. This is more than enough to cover the power of LED lights and a water pump. Based on values that use similar methods for water harvesting from the air. A total of 572 litres could be harvested every day. This would go towards watering all the plants. Moreover, with the two week rotation of algae production and limiting oneself to the 2g of algae per day, 109 people could consume algae daily. This is assumed to be more than half the building occupants.
From an economic perspective, Plant Your Future contributes to food security and keeping food prices affordable. With 24 free range chickens, running around the roof, it can be expected that 6000 eggs could be produced every year. The accessibility of food provides a sense of food security as well. As the strategy is to be community driven, maintenance costs can be kept low as well as the energy costs mentioned above. The addition of plants provides an extra protective layer to the building which time and time again has proven to prolong the building’s lifespan. This keeps building maintenance costs low.
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Education Interaction with the ecosystem and food production provides new skills and knowledge.
Markets Public Spaces can provide areas for market to sell food to the community.
Community Unite the community through food and community driven projects.
Urban Biodiversity 80 Panels encouraging birds, bats and insects to coexist with humans
Building Lifespan The lifespan is prolonged, especially the roof, by shielding it from the elements
Total Number of Plants
(Number of Plants)
Food Security
Greenhouse: 10244 Hydroponics: 4914 Fruit Trees: 26 Grape Vine:42 Soil: 4572
Food: 19798 Pollination 20805
Plant Services Absorb particles CO2 Sequestration Storm Water Run Off Improved Health Sound Barrier
Food Costs Prices can be kept affordable Maintenance can be community driven
Indoor Climate Winter: Absorb natural heat Summer: Evaportranspiration cools the building
Algae 2g Daily Dose 2 Week Cultivation 109 People could eat algae every day
Solar 13.72kW = 764 LED Tube Lights Water Pump = 700 Watts
Water Harvesting 572 Litres of water per day could be harvested from the atmosphere
Chickens 24 Chickens 6000 Eggs per Year
Figure 113: Plant Your Future Superilla Analysis
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Impact Analysis & Vision: Plant Your Future How are the Sustainable Development Goals Achieved?
What are the ecosystem services provided? Provisioning • Food • Fuel • Ornamental resources such as flowers • Fresh Water Regulating • Improved air quality • Climate regulation for example Urban Heat Island Effect • Water Regulation • Pollination Cultural • New knowledge • Education • Aesthetic value • Social relations • Sense of place Supporting services • Nutrient cycling • Primary production
Goal 2: Zero Hunger Through both innovative and traditional methods, food can be grown locally outside one’s window. As a result food is easily accessible to the community for free or for a fair price during the markets. The different growing techniques are used to suit the different plants and growing location while using minimal resources. Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Harvesting rainwater and droplets from the air are a key part of the design strategy, as using natural methods for filtration. The growing methods have been chosen to aid in the reduction of water evaporating at high rates. The building is capturing and providing the water for the plants creating a loop. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production Attention has been paid to reducing the amount of water and other resources. By using the existing building, the need for land is eliminated. By providing easily accessible compost bins, any food waste that does occur can be recycled into compost and used on the rooftops and soil based panels. With food being grown on people’s doorstep, the chance for food to be lost or wasted is already significantly reduced.
It is clear that at the building level there are already so many positive aspects to implementing a project like this. What happens at the scale of the food system or city?
Goal 15: Life on land By providing insect hotels and birds boxes within the panel design, ecosystems are created and pollination is encouraged. The different produce, plants and components integrated on the facades and roofs creates individual smaller ecosystems that together create a larger living organism. By using all the faces of the building, the green growing potential of the site is significantly increased.
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Impact Analysis & Vision: Food System The complexity of the food system means that changing the entire system is not the realistic solution. Rather, where food is grown and distributed needs to be rethought: a restructuring of the system. While much of the food is produced in the peri urban and countryside, cities can be used to minimise land use for some food production. While some food, like wheat, requires a large amount of land, some plants are well suited to growing in smaller spaces, like vegetables. Food production should be optimised to suit the plants requirements while keeping into consideration the available resources. Plant Your Future, brings the food production of fruit and vegetables to the city, freeing up land for other uses or produce.
for packaging is eliminated. This reduces not only resource consumption, but also the amount of waste generated that ends up in the landfills. Plastic packaging is a huge issue with food, but here it is eliminated completely. As a result of the latter and the elimination of transportation, the carbon footprint can be reduced to almost nothing. Along with this comes the reduction or elimination of food miles. Looking at the social impact, people will understand how food is grown. It will get people involved and make them more aware of the food system. Simultaneously, it will encourage people to eat locally as they will want to eat what they grow, which often tastes much better than the supermarket’s produce - another incentive!
Through Plant Your Future three phases of the food production system are eliminated that will reduce the opportunity for food loss and waste. These are the processing, distribution and supermarket phases. The impact is social, economic and environmental. When people grow their own produce they are more likely to eat it, avoiding waste as they know the effort it took to grow it. Aesthetics of the product become less of a factor. People care less about how something looks if they grew it themselves. Also, by eliminating the three phases discussed, the use of additional resources
While the impact at the individual building level seems small, when the system is rethought at the city scale, the impact becomes greater. The global food system is important economically, but the fact that food is flown across the world is having a serious environmental impact. Small interventions can have a significant impact if well thought through and followed through. Plant Your Future provides a strategy that challenges how and where food is produced using architecture as the agricultural host.
Figure 114: The Plant Your Future Food System
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Impact Analysis & Vision: The Plant Your Future City Plant Your Future is a strategy that could redefine the city as we know it. Through the scalable and replicable system, the strategy can be applied to different types of buildings as well as very different scales. The ecosystem services discussed at the building scale also apply to the city scale, but they have a much greater impact at a larger scale.
One of the decisive factors that often has the final say is cost. While there would have to be money spent in implementing such a scheme, the costs do not have to be high. By sourcing resources locally and employing local craftsmen, new jobs are created and the local economy will see a boost while helping to keep costs lower. As new plants can be grown from existing plants, this means new plants can be propagated from the existing, reducing costs. In addition, by implementing Plant Your Future, buildings will see a reduction in overall energy costs, as plants will help to keep the buildings cool in summer. For local government owned buildings, this can reduce running costs freeing up money for other uses. The excess food produced can also be sold to help cover costs and if it is community driven, there would be little to no maintenance. Another aspect is to consider healthcare costs. With cleaner air comes less healthcare costs related to air pollution which continues to grow each year. A healthier population will make for a more productive one. The idea of retrofitting means that disturbance to people will be kept to a minimum and no additional costs need to be spent on finding people temporary accommodation. Being able to prolong the lifespan of a building means maintenance costs are reduced and buildings do not have to be destroyed and rebuilt. While some of these benefits would take time to become apparent, this strategy will continue to provide increasing benefits in the long run.
Figure 115 is an image of Barcelona, including historical buildings, with the Plant Your Future strategy implemented at the city scale. This includes reoccupying the streets with green spaces and making the city more pedestrian friendly. Plants for pollination and food production can be grown across the facades of the building while being sensitive to the original architecture. This urban regreening provides multiple benefits across different sectors as discussed previously. One of the biggest issues facing our cities is the Urban Heat Island Effect. This phenomenon results in cities being several degrees hotter than the surrounding land as heat becomes trapped. However, plants reduce the absorption of heat, and through evapotranspiration create a cooler and healthier environment. Furthermore, it also creates opportunities for environmental regeneration. It creates green corridors for urban biodiversity to move from one zone to the next. This brings the surrounding nature into the heart of the city. Moreover, the integration of water harvesting can be done at a much larger scale. This means more water can be harvested from the air reducing the need to empty fresh water resources. At a city scale the opportunity for and impact of grey water filtering become much larger too. A much greater closed loop system can be created with water, a resource that agriculture requires a huge amount of.
Social Implications A SCALABLE AND REPLICABLE SYSTEM
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- Skills and knowledge - Community Integration - Healthier Society
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Figure 115: The Plant Your Future City
Environmental Regeneration
Urban Heat Island Effect
Boost the Local Economy
Responsible Use of Water
- Bring nature into the city - Encourage Urban Biodiversity
Plants will reduce the absorption of heat creating a cooler and healthier environment
- Adding value to buildings & resources - Food Security - Jobs
- Water Harvesting - Grey Water Filtration - Reducing Storm Water Runoff
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Conclusions
Importance of Replication and Scalability A Change of Behaviours Suggested Future Developments
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Importance of Replication and Scalability The Plant Your Future strategy can be easily adapted to suit different needs or geographical locations. Replication and scalarity are key factors to fulfill in order for the strategy to be successful. No two projects are the same. If a strategy works, one should not be scared of applying it to different scenarios and from adapting it to suit the corresponding local needs. For example, the Plant Your Future strategy of working with panels and individual elements allows each project to use what is suited to that given location. As the panels and other elements can all be used externally, this means there will be minimum interference with the existing structure and minimal disruption to the occupants. The panels can easily be adapted to suit the proportions and dimensions of the building and are mostly based off of panels already on the market. Using locally available materials and craftsmen, also means that the elements could be designed to suit the local vernacular.
Figure 116: Extracted SDGs
Furthermore, through replication and scalarity, the strategy becomes far reaching. The greater the geographical spread, the greater the impact and successfulness of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The difference between applying this to one building or the city is significant. Buildings and cities should be viewed as ecosystems that form part of the greater living system: the planet. Considering the building as a living organism in the city landscape provides a new perspective on a static object. Extending the metabolic strategy from the building scale to the city scale could provide many interesting opportunities for redefining the urban tissue. Beyond the city scale, the Plant You Future strategy will start to affect the regional food markets, and eventually the global food market. The impact of the benefits of the ecosystem services provided will dramatically grow as the spread of a strategy like Plant Your Future widens.
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A Change of Behaviours One of the biggest challenges is for humans to accept change and to adapt their perspectives. Humans thrive on stability. However, the world is facing so many challenges, from environmental damage, climate change, food and water uncertainties and pandemics, that need our urgent attention. As discussed, diets have changed dramatically over time, resulting in a similar global diet. To satisfy this global diet, methods of food production are harming the environment, often giving nothing back to nature. The mass production that tries to keep up with the growing population is not efficient in terms of resources and generates a huge amount of waste. While eating locally may mean one cannot enjoy all the produce from across the world, new technology and infrastructure allows fruits that grow in tropical regions today to be grown in Europe tomorrow. This may mean new building typologies are required, but with empty buildings dotted around cities, who says these can not be transformed into a greenhouse or tropical garden. The successful State of the Art having a significant impact are ones that are community driven. People are taking initiative and are ready to learn from and teach others. It is for instance, important for children to be exposed from a young age to where their food comes from and the negative impact food production has on the planet. Most importantly, the community should see and reap the benefits. If people see for themselves the impact they are having and the benefits of eating locally and local food production, then people will become more accepting of change. The current consumer lifestyle needs to change. Reduction of food waste is key and consumers can have a significant impact here. This can be as simple as learning how to preserve produce or cooking recipes based on what is in the fridge and using leftovers. By reducing food waste, a large percentage of greenhouse gases can also be avoided as previously discussed.
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If cities were ready to implement radical strategies like the one proposed for New York by Terreform One, seen in Figure 117, then proposing a more extreme Plant Your Future strategy could have been another solution to explore. However, it seems cities are not yet ready to take the major leap and to invest in something so radical, hence the strategy chosen. While Terreform One’s visualisation depicts what the future city could look like with technology integrated with nature, there are still steps to be taken before something like this becomes reality. In the image, New York is flooded with greenery maintained by robotic arms on wheels. The tall concrete buildings are now covered by plants. For this to be the future, people
have to understand and to accept the issues and the solutions. The perception people have of a city needs to change and to be challenged in order to be more radical. However, it also requires a political will and money too will play its role. Decision makers need to understand the impact humans have on the plant and be ready to embrace and implement new solutions. A more radical solution will most likely incur higher costs in the shortterm which often makes things unaffordable to local communities. However, in the long run the benefits will outweigh the costs and so everyone needs to be ready for change and to support the initiatives proposed.
Figure 117: Smart City Street by Terreform ONE (Terreform ONE, 2014)
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Suggested Future Developments The natural progression of this thesis would be to zoom out of the building scale and look at such a strategy from an urban masterplanning perspective. While the city scale was touched upon, it would be interesting to quantify data in terms of the city and the impact of such a strategy. Plant Your Future is a manifesto that could also be applied to public spaces and different building typologies. The focus of this thesis was to look at a residential building, but what happens if such a strategy is applied to a school and how could this be integrated into the curriculum? Looking at the city scale means more strategies could be implemented, like beehives and maybe different parts of the city could grow different produce.
There is always the option of further developing or changing the route of a project; however, Plant Your Future provides a solution that can be easily implemented today. Through exploring different methods of food production in the city, Plant Your Future provides the opportunity of regreening the city while tackling environmental and food related issues. By using plants, humans of all ages become part of the food production and consumption system and reap the benefits of the multiple ecosystem services. Plant Your Future successfully adds value to existing structures and keeps resources in a closed loop or adds value to them. As a result food waste and loss can be significantly reduced and humans can live a healthier and greener life along with wildlife. It is time to Plant Your Future!
On the other hand, zooming into the smaller scale, it could be interesting to really focus on the development of the panels design. Following this, actually prototype and construct a panel and further explore materiality and plants. At this scale, there are a lot of fascinating opportunities to explore in terms of what the plant can provide too, in terms of materiality. Having proposed a solution that could be implemented immediately at this point in time, the next iteration would be to look at how a more radical proposal could become a reality. With this comes the exploration of how people’s perception of city and nature can be changed, the psychological side of proposing something more extreme. It would be amazing to propose a building overrun by nature, living side by side with insects and birds. Nature could behave like a parasite in our cities.
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List of Figures Figure 1: Influential Reports FAO (2011). Global Food Losses and Food Waste. Rome. General Assembly United Nations (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [online] sustainabledevelopment.un.org. United Nations. Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf [Accessed 14 Nov. 2019]. OECD (2019). Policy priorities for the global food system. [online] Secretary General of the OECD, pp.2-4. Available at: http:// www.oecd.org/agriculture/events/documents/oecd-gfa-2019-background-note.pdf [Accessed 4 Nov. 2019]. Figure 2: Demeur, F. (2019). A Linear Food System. Figure 3: Demeur, F. (2019). Food System Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste. Figure 4: Demeur, F. (2019). Food Groups Carbon Footprint vs Food Waste. Figure 5: Demeur, F. (2019). A Linear Food System: Food Loss and Waste. Figure 6: Demeur, F. (2019). Where is the Loss and Waste Coming From?. Figure 7: Demeur, F. (2019). Food Production Around the World. Figure 8: Demeur, F. (2019). World Climatic Zones. Figure 9: Demeur, F. (2019). Agriculture as a % of GDP. Figure 10: Menzel, P. (2013). Hungry Planet Family Food Portraits. [Photography] Available at: https://menzelphoto. photoshelter.com/gallery/Hungry-Planet-Family-Food-Portraits/G0000zmgWvU6SiKM/C0000k7JgEHhEq0w [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019]. Figure 11: Demeur, F. (2019). Diets Across the World. Figure 12: Demeur, F. (2019). Percentage of Calories per Food Group Across the World. Figure 13: Demeur, F. (2019). Disposable Income and Gross Domestic Product. Figure 14: Demeur, F. (2019). Agriculture’s Impact. Figure 15: Demeur, F. (2019). Ecological Production and Consumption. Figure 16: Demeur, F. (2019). World Biocapacity Map. Figure 17: Demeur, F. (2019). Food System Conclusions. Figure 18: Demeur, F. (2019). Historical Timeline. Bull, M. (2019). Çatalhöyük Archaeological Site. National Geographic. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ history/magazine/2019/03-04/early-agricultural-settlement-catalhoyuk-turkey/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020]. Geography (n.d.). Farming in the Fertile Crescent. Geography. Available at: https://geography.name/agricultural-revolution/ [Accessed 19 Jan. 2020]. Griffiths, R. (2018). View of Ancient Babylon, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, 1721. History Today. Available at: https:// www.historytoday.com/archive/national-gallery/national-gallery-tigris-and-euphrates [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020]. Karasavvas, T. (2016). Akkadian Empire. Ancient Origins. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history archaeology/ancient-remains-important-bronze-age-city-akkadian-empire-found-iraq-006959 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020]. National Museums Scotland Scottish Charity (n.d.). Discovering Ancient Egypt. National Museums Scotland. Available at: https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-international/sharing-collections/touring-and-lending/discovering-ancient-egypt/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020]. Tell es-sultan, Jericho archaeological site from the air. (2020). Khan Academy. Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/ humanities/prehistoric-art/neolithic-art/a/jericho [Accessed 5 Mar. 2020]. Figure 19: Demeur, F. (2020). Urban Agriculture Methods. Figure 20: Demeur, F. (2020). State of the Art Quantification. Figure 21: Demeur, F. (2020). State of the Art Parameter Extraction. Figure 22: Incredible Edible (n.d.). Pollination Street, Todmorden. MatterofTrust.org. Available at: https://matteroftrust.org/ incredible-edible-todmorden/ [Accessed 26 May 2020]. Figure 23: Brooklyn Grange (2018). Ariel of Rooftop Garden. CC Magazine. Available at: https://ccmagazine.es/en/brooklyn grange-the-biggest-urban-roof-garden-in-the-world/ [Accessed 26 May 2020]. Figure 24:Vo Trong Nghia Architects (2014). Farming Kindergarten. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily. com/566580/farming-kindergarten-vo-trong-nghia-architects [Accessed 26 May 2020]. Figure 25: MVRDV (2019). The undulating roof is designed to resemble the surrounding landscape. Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/08/mvrdv-rooftop-farm-tainan-xinhua-fruit-vegetable-market-taiwan/ [Accessed 26 May 2020].
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Figure 26: Precht (2019). Elevation Zoomed. Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/22/precht-farmhouse-m odular-vertical-farms/ [Accessed 25 May 2020]. Figure 27:Ilimelgo (2017). Urban Agriculture. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/874922/ilimelgo-reimagines future-of-urban-agriculture-in-romainville [Accessed 25 May 2020]. Figure 28: Rosselli, P. (2015). Portado 05. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/777498/bosco-verticale-stefano boeri-architetti [Accessed 26 May 2020]. Figure 29: Bingham Hall, P. (2013). Park Royal on Pickering. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/363164/ parkroyal-on-pickering-woha-2 [Accessed 26 May 2020]. Figure 30: Demeur, F. (2020). State of the Art Ecosystem Services. Figure 31: Demeur, F. (2020). State of the Art Conclusions. Figure 32: Demeur, F. (2019). Plant Anatomy. Figure 33: Demeur, F. (2019). C3 Plants. Figure 34: Demeur, F. (2019). C4 Plants. Figure 35: Demeur, F. (2019). CAM Plants. Figure 36: Demeur, F. (2019). Growing Mediums. Figure 37: Demeur, F. (2019). Seeds. Figure 38: Fritzing (2020). Wiring 4 pin DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor to Arduino Uno. Makerguides.com. Available at: https://www.makerguides.com/dht11-dht22-arduino-tutorial/ [Accessed 17 Sep. 2020]. Figure 39: Demeur, F. (2019). Medium Set Up. Figure 40: Demeur, F. (2019). Photographs of Plants Experiment 1. Figure 41: Demeur, F. (2019). Water Consumption Experiment 1. Figure 42: Demeur, F. (2020). Water Consumption Experiment 2. Figure 43: Demeur, F. (2020). Photographs of Plants Experiment 2. Figure 44: Demeur, F. (2020). Climatic Zones Spain. Figure 45: Demeur, F. (2020). Agricultural Land Spain. Figure 46: Demeur, F. (2020). Population Density Spain. Figure 47: Demeur, F. (2020). Agricultural Land Catalonia. Figure 48: Demeur, F. (2020). Food Production vs Surface Area. Figure 49: Demeur, F. (2020). Barcelona Food Waste. Figure 50: Demeur, F. (2020). Barcelona Map. Figure 51: Demeur, F. (2020). Function and Occupation Diagrams. Figure 52: Demeur, F. (2020). Temperature Analysis. Figure 53: Demeur, F. (2020). Precipitation Levels. Figure 54: Demeur, F. (2020). Wind Direction Ladybug Analysis. Figure 55: Demeur, F. (2020). Average Climate Values. Figure 56: Demeur, F. (2020). Edible Plants and Growth Calendar. Figure 57: Demeur, F. (2020). Companion Planting Chart. Figure 58: Demeur, F. (2020). Flora. Crocus (2020). Videos Agapanthus africanus. Crocus. Available at: https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/agapanthus-africanus/ classid.2000017259/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Hedges Direct Ltd (2020). Buxus Sempervirens. Hedges Direct. Available at: https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/box_ buxus_hedge.html [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Jaikaew, T. (2020). Nephrolepis exaltata (The Sword Fern). 123RF. Available at: https://www.123rf.com/photo_77813022_ nephrolepis-exaltata-the-sword-fern-a-species-of-fern-in-the-family-lomariopsidaceae-for-background-.html [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Paolucci, M. (2020). Rosa. Alter Vista. Available at: https://pallano.altervista.org/rosa-sp-.html [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Pinterest (2020). Lavendulla. Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/806214770777821342/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Plants Guru (2014). Bougainvillea Dwarf Pink - Bougainvillea Glabra Pink. Plants Guru. Available at: https://www.plantsguru. com/bougainvillea-dwarf-pink [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Sommariva, F. (2019). Boston Ivy. Getty Images. Available at: https://www.thespruce.com/growing-and-planting-boston -ivy-2132892 [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Wikipedia (2019). Pyracantha angustifolia. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyracantha_angustifolia [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020].
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Figure 59: Demeur, F. (2020). Barcelona Fauna. Başbuğ, F. (2016). Eurasian Blue Tit Adult. eBird. Available at: https://ebird.org/species/blutit/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Blickwinkel (2020). Common Pipistrelle Bat. Woodland Trust. Available at: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods and-wildlife/animals/mammals/common-pipistrelle-bat/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Craig, M. (2009). Eurasian Kestrel. eBird. Available at: https://ebird.org/species/eurkes/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Falk, S. (2017). Bombus terrestris male. Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/39694005461/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Laakso, T. (2018). Sciurus vulgaris (Red Squirrel). Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/talaakso/43991773461 [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Magee, M. (2017). Coccinella septempunctata. Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ barrowfordian/37178164652/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Mauss, A. (2016). Common Swift. eBird. Available at: https://ebird.org/species/comswi/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Schain, R. (2016b). Eurasian Jackdaw. eBird. Available at: https://ebird.org/species/eurjac/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Spacebirdy (2013). Polyommatus icarus. Wikimedia. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polyommatus_ icarus_-_Burgenland.jpg [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. van de Velde, P. (2019). Vanessa cardui. Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dordrecht-holland/48493161371 [Accessed 23 Mar. 2020]. Figure 60: Demeur, F. (2020). Building Sketch. Figure 61: Demeur, F. (2020). Superblock Plan. Figure 62: Demeur, F. (2020). Approach to the Building. Figure 63: Demeur, F. (2020). South West and North West Facade. Figure 64: Demeur, F. (2020). Southern Facades Ladybug Radiation Analysis. Figure 65: Demeur, F. (2020). Northern Facades Ladybug Radiation Analysis. Figure 66: Demeur, F. (2020). Roof Ladybug Radiation Analysis. Figure 67: Demeur, F. (2020). The Second Skin. Figure 68: Demeur, F. (2020). The division of Facades. Figure 69: Demeur, F. (2020). Water Circulation. Figure 70: Demeur, F. (2020). Southern Facades Perspective Render. Figure 71: Demeur, F. (2020). Northern Facades Perspective Render. Figure 72: Demeur, F. (2020). Unwrapped Elevation Drawing. Figure 73: Demeur, F. (2020). South West Facade Detailed Section A. Figure 74: Demeur, F. (2020). South East Facade Detailed Section B. Figure 75: Demeur, F. (2020). Vineyard and Greenhouses Rooftop. Figure 76: Demeur, F. (2020). Forest of the Future Rooftop. Figure 77: Demeur, F. (2020). A Catalogue of Parts. Figure 78: Demeur, F. (2020). Soil Panel Render. Figure 79: Demeur, F. (2020). Soil Panel Detail. Figure 80: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Panel Detail. Figure 81: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Panel Render. Figure 82: Demeur, F. (2020). Mushroom Panel Render. Figure 83: Demeur, F. (2020). Mushroom Panel Detail. Figure 84: Demeur, F. (2020). Algae Panel Detail. Figure 85: Demeur, F. (2020). Algae Panel Render. Figure 86: Demeur, F. (2020). Algae Tower Render. Figure 87: Demeur, F. (2020). Algae Tower Detail. Figure 88: Demeur, F. (2020). Chicken Coop Render. Figure 89: Demeur, F. (2020). Chicken Coop Detail. Figure 90: Demeur, F. (2020). Aeroponic Tower Render. Figure 91: Demeur, F. (2020). Aeroponic Tower Detail. Figure 92: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Tubes Detail. Figure 93: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Tubes Render. Figure 94: Demeur, F. (2020). Small Pollination Panel Render. Figure 95: Demeur, F. (2020). Small Pollination Panel Detail. Figure 96: Demeur, F. (2020). Large Pollination Panel Render and Detail.
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Figure 91: Demeur, F. (2020). Aeroponic Tower Detail. Figure 92: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Tubes Detail. Figure 93: Demeur, F. (2020). Hydroponic Tubes Render. Figure 94: Demeur, F. (2020). Small Pollination Panel Render. Figure 95: Demeur, F. (2020). Small Pollination Panel Detail. Figure 96: Demeur, F. (2020). Large Pollination Panel Render and Detail. Figure 97: Demeur, F. (2020). Mixed Pollination Panel Render and Detail. Figure 98: Demeur, F. (2020). Biodiversity Panels for Insects. Figure 99: Demeur, F. (2020). Biodiversity Panels for Insects Detail. Figure 100: Demeur, F. (2020). Biodiversity Panels for Birds Detail. Figure 101: Demeur, F. (2020). Biodiversity Panels for Birds. Figure 102: Demeur, F. (2020). Water Filtration Method. Figure 103: Demeur, F. (2020). Water Harvesting Panel. Figure 104: Demeur, F. (2020). Component Relationships. Figure 105: Demeur, F. (2020). Building Taxonomy. Figure 106: Demeur, F. (2020). Component Calendar. Figure 107: Demeur, F. (2020). A Day in the Life. Figure 108: Demeur, F. (2020). Material Flow. Figure 109: Demeur, F. (2020). Metabolic Diagram. Figure 110: Demeur, F. (2020). The Add On vs The Restructure. Figure 111: Demeur, F. (2020). Retrofitting vs New Build Phases. Figure 112: Demeur, F. (2020). Retrofitting vs New Build. Figure 113: Demeur, F. (2020). Plant Your Future Superilla Analysis. Figure 114: Demeur, F. (2020). The Plant Your Future Food System. Figure 115: Demeur, F. (2020). The Plant Your Future City. Figure 116: Demeur, F. (2020). Extracted SDGs. Figure 117: Terreform ONE (2014). Smart City Street. Terreform One. Available at: http://www.terreform.org/index.html [Accessed 13 Sep. 2020].
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