The Future of Urban Arcology

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Section Persepective @ Waterloo Street

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY Towards a City Farming Machine


This paper is the result of a unique opportunity of working with my thesis advisor Professor Stylianos Dritsas of the Architecture and Sustainable Design at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) who has consistently challenged the basis of my paper and guided me towards a fun and unique angle to the theme.

Finally, I would like to express my profound thanks to my family and close friends for providing the constant encouragement throughout my studies as well as the process of writing this thesis. This piece of work would not have been possible without their motivation. Thank You Leung Chi Kwan

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to the various people who have contributed to this volume. In spite of their busy schedules and numerous obligations they had, they acted very professional and always were willing to help, without which my research project would not have come to fruition


STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

Student

STYLIANOS DRITSAS Thesis Advisor Singapore University of Technology and Design

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published or written by another person (unless writer is mentioned), nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at any educational institution, except where due acknowledgment is made in the thesis.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

LEUNG CHI KWAN


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ABSTRACT

As the human population is projected to grow at a rate of approximately 75 million per year and an estimate of the population reaching between 8 and 11 billion by 2050 and up to 15 billion by 2100. It remains an inconvenient problem to feed the growing world without straining its natural resources. An extensive revision of close to 300 studies across the world show the possibility of smallscale farming producing sufficient to feed the world on a per capita basis01, without increased land usage and further environmental degradation derived from conventional agricultural practices. Agriculture thus looks to occupy existing land space and works in conflict with urbanization, hence the problem of locating viable farmland in the city. The concept of vertical gardens is a symbol of human intervention, uprooting plants from their natural territory and transplanting them onto the vertical plane, exemplifying

01 Badgley Et Al. 2007

mankind’s control over nature. However much of current landscape design in the high rise end when the plant meets the building. The fate of the plant is unknown after its destination is reached. The mantra of technology is the answer but what is the question by Cedric price provokes thought in looking to technology once a question is found. Can robots provide this consideration? This thesis explores the questions: Can urban farmland achieve the same effect as conventional green and furthermore promote a resilient vertical landscaping strategy for buildings? As robotic agriculture departs from conventional labour intensive practices, can technology be a social enabler? How will programs change with the shifting paradigm of agriculture to an autonomous one? How can “robotic agritecture” pervade farming as a new urbanity to ensure sustainable food production and redefine green architecture?


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DESIGN PROCESS RESTARTS

Diagram illustrating design consideration in landscaping vertical buildings

Diagram projecting the relationship of buildings with the natural landscape

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

DESIGN PROCESS STOPS


With the world population projected to reach approximately 9 billion in 2050, food production has to grow by 3 times in order to meet the consequent increase in demand. With the earth’s limited arable land, farming is expected to shift from peripheral areas to urban centres and traverse vertically rather than laterally. Early versions of urban farming have garnered much hype around the world and projects around the world seek to enable cities to become ‘continuous productive landscapes’ by cultivating vacant urban land and temporary or permanent kitchen gardens.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

INTRODUCTION

As urban cities convert back to the practice of domestic food systems to ensure food security, there is a need to address the tension between

innovation and practicality. “Urban agritecture” at the heart of technology needs to address the paradigm shift in the way food security and agriculture is thought to be and consequently, evaluate the relevance of automated technologies not just as a means of relieving the burden of farmers but also the implication of removing the human aspect farming. While the hands-free food production offered by robotics allows for greater accessibility of farming to an increasingly urban global populace, it is not without a certain cost. However, the relationship amongst the automated technologies, urbanity, agriculture and architecture is not trivial and presents an opportunity for redefining sustainability, a vision

LUSH 2.0

Left: LUSH 2.0 Scheme — Greenery Replacement Incentive for the Built Environment Left © Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)


of robotic agritecture that is practical, productive and ecologically conscious.

2: Integrating technology and robotics as the agent to disrupt and redefine the farming ecosystem and address the three arms of sustainabilitysocial benefit, economic viability, and environmental sustainability 3: Investigate the effect of the edible landscape as wells as the robotic interface on spatial layouts and lifestyles and consequently how the resultant food cycle would shape the building and urban morphology

LUSH 3.0?

Right: Robotic Implements For the Future Top: Image by Author

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1: Envisage what it means to reclaim vertical green space and skygardens for productive greens, green space as not just a visual experience but a participatory one.

LUSH 4.0?

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

This thesis is envisioned to be a proposal for food hub that would act as a base to propel urban agriculture as the new urbanity, a temporal architecture focused on its incarnations, and its only permanence being it as an agent of food production. Through the proposed design, the architecture critically evaluates the facets of sustainability and addresses the following aspects:


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

CONTENTS

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY Abstract Introduction

1 4 6

URBAN VERTICALISM The Skycourt and Skygarden History & Overview Economic Value of Skygardens Vertical Sustainability Thesis Question & Proposal

11 12 14 16 18 22

FARMING IN THE URBAN CONTEXT History & Overview Motivation for Urban Farming Vertical Farming Typologies Current Implementation Principles of Vertical Farming

25 26 34 36 40 50

URBAN FRAMEWORK Urban Arcology Decentralised Food Production Model Farm to Table Economics 3-D Distribution and Connection Principles for Urban Arcology

53 56 60 62 64 66

RESOURCE INDEPENDANCE Food Self-Sufficiency in Singapore Comparison to Conventional Practice Food Miles in the Urban Farms Motivation for Automation Future of Urban Farming C2C and Auxiliary Services Summary Methodology for Vertical Resilience

70 72 74 76 78 80 84 86


APPLICATION TO DHOBY GHAUT GREEN Background of Dhoby Ghaut Green Dhoby Ghaut as Institutional Testbed Dhoby Ghaut Site Analysis & Urban Strategies Design Explorations

105 106 110 112 116

PROGRAMMATIC PROPOSAL FOR DHOBY GHAUT Proposed Program for Dhoby Ghaut

129 130

DESIGN EXPLORATION Site Mappings Site Demarcation Site Vision

133 134 142 144

DESIGN PROPOSAL From Site to Intervention Robotic Networked Edible Surfaces

149 150 158

REFERENCES

195

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90 91 96 100 102

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

DESIGN FOR AUTOMATION Overview & History of Robots Agribots & Architecture Design Considerations Design Strategies


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URBAN VERTICALISM — Page 12 to 23

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The basis for urban vertical farms


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Left over

InďŹ ll

Stepped Terrace

Eroded Corner

Hollowed Out

Interstitial


THE SKYCOURT AND SKYGARDEN —Synopsis

When analysed in totality with the urban fabric, skycourts and skygardens provide a sprinkling of urban greenery that can enhance the bio-diversity in urban centres by helping replenish the loss of urban greenery and concurrently provide a home for more diverse wildlife.

Top Left: Image of the Sky Garden, Park Royal at Pickering Diagram: Sky garden typologies Top Left © WOHA

02 Wong Et Al. Acoustics evaluation of vertical greenery systems for building walls. 2010. Web.

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Sky courts and sky gardens have been incorporated into buildings along its envelope to provide a different opening for the inflow of light and air, allowing for physiological benefits without the overhead direct solar heat gains. Vertical planting also form an effective acoustic buffer to urban noise. By trapping a layer of air between the plants, they can help absorb, reflect and deflect noise and reduce lowfrequency noise by as much as 9.9 decibels.02 The provision of sky courts also act as a biodiversity enhancer.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Sky Court as an environment filter and a psycho-physiological well-being enhancer


HISTORY & OVERVIEW

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—Skycourt and Skygarden

ROOT OF VERTICAL GARDENS Although the skycourt and skygarden is a relatively new construct, high rise greenery is not a new phenomenon unique to our age. Greenery employed in ‘high-rise’ of the past can be traced back to the urban habitats of antiquity and prior. The Hanging Gardens of Bablyon built by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife Amyitis were recorded by the Greek historian Diodorous Siculus in 6 BC as one being a series of planted terraces propped on stone arches 23 metres above ground. These plants were irrigated mechanically with water from the Euphrates River. In Italy, hill establishments like the Urbino and San Gimigano harness the natural topography to develop urban settlements that were naturally protected with their raised elevation. In the Renaissance, steeply terraced gardens and green roofs were common in the city of Genoa, Raised piazzas interconnected by steps traverse the changes in level, permitted the

surveillance of land at lower elevations and also allowed for public events to take place.03 By the 19th century, the ability to glean panoramic views was no longer unique to the elite. According to Dario Trabucco a researcher at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, “The top floors used to be for the poor, but the elevator flipped everything around. The upper floors quickly became the most attractive as they boasted better natural light, cleaner air and less traffic noise.“04 The Eiffel Tower of the Paris exposition of 1889 provided a ticketed platform where the payee could enjoy the Paris skyline. By the 20th century, the manifestos of Le Corbusier further celebrated the sky as the new ground, a space where the socio-economic and environmental benefits could be reaped.

Top: Urbino and San Gimigano Hill establishments Right: Mirador Sanchinarro 03 Peck Et. Al. 1999 04 Trabucco, Dario. The Evolution of Tall Buildings. Web. 25 Feb 2017

Right © MVRDV


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


SKYGARDENS AS A DESTINATION The prevalence of the sustainable movement gave rise to a shift in tall building design thinking that necessitates the re-formulation of the structure, envelope and programmatic use of a building. Vertical greenery atop buildings serve as essential building components in the arsenal of sustainable urban verticalism that offset energy costs incurred in buildings through its environmental buildings while being an income-generating source.

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ECONOMIC VALUE OF SKYGARDENS

The Urban Heat Island effect is caused by the temperature difference between urban centres and the countryside. This is a considerable problem in cities of today as they are indisputably hotter due to the increased heat emitters such as vehicles and industrial equipment to cite many. The UHI effect

can be reduced through employing greening strategies to create a less heat intensive micro-climate. This is done by reducing temperatures and increasing humidity through the foliage of the greenery. This result in skygardens in cities being cooler than their non-counterparts and serve to increase its allure as a destination as compared to other buildings. Urban buildings that employ planting not only reap beneďŹ ts from the energy reduction from the reduce urban heat island effect shown in a reduction of 4 degrees centigrade05 but also increasing the value of prime land. Given the elevated position of most skygardens they are often employed as observation decks, hosting bars, restaurants and other retail and recreation activities further generating income by democratising views.

Left: Skygarden.London, roof gardens as income generation through employing bars and restaurants Photo Š Skygarden.London 05 Kaiser. An attempt at low cost roof planting. 1981.


The Marina Bay Sand in Singapore is also another example of how the sky garden can host a variety of income generating amenities such as the longest elevated swimming pool. It generates income through its entrance fee for visitors. It also hosts bars and restaurants that serve as a tourists hotspot, providing another avenue for recreation for the payee.

appreciation is not only felt at a local level but also affect buildings that are in it’s immediate context due to such aesthetic effects spilling over to the building’s surroundings. The aesthetics of buildings is also a temporal one as plants take time to mature and reach its full height, achieving a quality of space that differs greatly between the spectrums of a seedling to a fully mature foliage. Although not commonly seen in Singapore, various plants with their unique colors and textures can be skillfully used as a live art medium that changes based on the current season.07

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What cannot be omitted is obvious aesthetic appeal in skygardens that increase the property’s market value based on how good it looks. This value

Left: Marina Bay Sands, the World’s largest public cantilever Left © The Straits Times

Top: Infinity Pool atop Marina Bay Sands Photo © Wikimedia Commons 06 Tauranac. The Empire State Building. 1997.

Left © The Straits Times 07 Pomeroy, Jason. The Skycourt and Skygarden. 2014.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

The Empire State Building is renowned for being able to overcome the financial crisis in the great depression through tapping on the tourism market, where the profits taken from visitors to it’s observation deck equaled the amount drew in rent in the same year06


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Top : Water Purification Sky scraper Right: Dead Green Wall Paradise Park Children Centre Top: © Courtesy of Evolo Right: Jetsongreen.com


VERTICAL SUSTAINABILITY

08 Turner, Tom. Review of The Skycourt and Skygarden 09 Pomeroy, Jason. The Skycourt and Skygarden. 2014.

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RE-EVALUATION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA In Tom Turner’s review08 of The Skycourt and Skygarden written by Jason Pomeroy09, He states that Singapore is a world-leading city of above-ground greenspace and sees itself as a Garden City. Now Singapore sings a new tune of City in a Garden. The landscape strategies shown in the book as Tom Turner suggests show the increasing trend of architects and designers subscribing to the practice decorating their proposals with much more greenery than reality. The truth of the matter remains that the plant growth is not dictated by the stroke of the pen but rather external forces such as the economy and the individual property owner. Tom Turner explains that it is a natural progression for home owners to exert propriety over their balconies, cladding them with glazing so as to claim more room space that defy its original design intent as a planting space and that this is exceptionally prevalent in countries

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

(GHA) Green Hogwash Architecture, Vegetated but unsustainable


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

such as China and South Korea. He expresses dissatisfaction over the terminology used in the book and professes the inherent lack of planting space because some of the projects highlighted in the book would be categorized as balcony space rather than the term of sky courts. Other spaces seem to be void spaces that in his opinion would be better off filled. He has reservations with regard to the manifestation of the ‘skycourt’ as the Mirador may be a crowd pleaser during the hot summers but would definitely be uninhabited during cold winters. In Singapore, these spaces may be cool but require a set of complex maintenance channels to be provided to ensure that these plants do not die.

means as they can be vegetated without being resilient. The success of even the striking Bosco Verticale remains to be seen as it is indisputable that there is activity like no other occurring on the exterior of the building yet we wonder what would happen if many tree dies due to disease. The motto set out by Ken Yeang 4 decades ago to design cities is a double edged one as architects that prescribe to such practice become prone to designs of ‘LEEDwashing’ where vegetated buildings aren’t necessarily green, vegetation employed superficially to hop on the band wagon of vegetation for the green aesthetic rather than the core of green buildings.10

In essence it remains necessary to challenge what a ‘green’ building

Left: Balconies appropriated as laundry space by students Left © China Foto Press 10 Wood Et. Al. Green walls in high-rise buildings. 2015.


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Diagram: What happens if the Tree becomes too large? Top © Stefano Boeri Architects

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Bosco Verticale and Tree


1: How can architecture operate at an urban level to ensure a more resilient food production framework that debunks the quasi-green ‘green hogwash architecture’? 2: How as we look to technology for answers, design for automation, integrate technology with the farming ecosystem to envision and rethink the fundamentals of architecture formation?

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

THREE THESIS QUESTIONS

3: How will programs, lifestyles and spatial orientations influence or be influenced in the future where robotic urban farms become common place?


THESIS PROPOSAL: THE INSTITUTIONAL FOOD HUB

Right: Interior of Pasona O2 Photo © KONO Design

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Top: Exterior of Pasona O2

for productive greens, green space as not just a visual experience but a participatory one. With technological improvements, robotics will be employed as the agents to redefine city farming in hopes of addressing the three arms of sustainabilitysocial benefit, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. The continuous productive urban landscapes and city farming as the new urbanism will have a dynamic with the robotic interfaces and consequently shape lifestyles, spatial layouts, architectural form and urban morphology.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

This thesis is envisioned to be a proposal for quasi food hub embedded in a food network, a revamping and retrofitting strategy for the decentralised food production network. It would act as a base to propel urban agriculture as the new urbanity, a temporal architecture focused on its incarnations, evolving and expanding through time into an establishment capable of sustainable food production. Through the proposed design, the architecture critically evaluates the facets of sustainability, reassessing the notion of green replacement as a new one, whereby vertical green space and skygardens are reclaimed


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


FARMING IN THE URBAN CONTEXT

Proliferation of urban farming

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— Page 26 to 51


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HISTORY & OVERVIEW —Synopsis

Simply put, urban farming is growing or producing food in a high dense environment. It is often confused with community gardening, homesteading or subsistence farming. What distinguishes urban farming is the level of commerce involved in the urban farm, where the product is grown for economic benefit and the end user is not oneself.

Increasingly, people of the highly dense Tokyo metropolis are adopting the practice of city farming, growing produce on top of buildings or below ground. Perhaps the most obvious factor of Japanese agriculture is the

Top: Image of Rooftop harvesting sweet potatoes Right: Image of farm distribution in urban plan of Pasona O2 Top © Paolo Patrizi Right © Kono Design

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Rooftop gardening has numerous benefits akin to that of an extensive green roof, such as rainwater retention, environmental filtering, increased biodiversity and increased thermal mass for reduced urban heat. Furthermore, the provide healthful food and also the potential for skills sharing and education, thereby creating jobs.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Urban farming and its potential in the city


HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

lack of arable land, making it known as a diseased sector due to the diverse constraints in urban agriculture. The cultivated farmland comes up to 49 000 square kilometers which takes up 13.2 % of the country’s total land area.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

— Synopsis

Japan’s natural resource scarcity prompts her to reach out to nondomestic markets for food with only 40 percent sourced domestically. Recently, there has been a growth in demand for local produce and a resulting growth in city farming programs including community gardens.

‘The Green Potato Project’, spearheaded by two subsidiaries of Japanese telecommunications giants NTT Corporation, has reduced urban heat in Tokyo and also provide a source of sweet potatoes during harvesting period in autumn. According to a survey taken on top of the NTT facilities building, roof area which were not exposed due to coverage by the sweet potatoes was at maximum 27ºC cooler than the areas which were exposed

A change in mindset towards city farming is happening but it begets a need for education, systems development and execution.

Even the Italian restaurant ‘La Befana’ (below right) run by Chef Katsumi Higashinakawa has an integrated lettuce growing facility which uses artificial lighting.11

Tokyo is exemplary of the urban heat island effect whereby highly built up urban environment with high levels of human activities result in a notable rise in mean temperature in recent years.

The growing popularity of urban farming is signalling a trend and a paradigm shift in urban agriculture as well as architecture and is non-trivial in the local context.

Top: Farming in Pasona O2 Right: The Italian restaurant ‘La Befana’ has an in-store lettuce growing facility that uses LED lights. 11 Paolo Patrizi. Urban Farming n.d. Web.

Top,Right © Paolo Patrizi


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

URBAN AGRICULTURE Urban agriculture is an industry that produces, processes, and markets food, fuel, and other outputs, largely in response to the daily demand of consumers within a town, city, or metropolis, on many types of privately and publicly held land and water bodies found throughout intra-urban and peri-urban areas. Typically urban

AQUACULTURE

Fish/Seafood/Fodder Edible Plants

Top: Spread intensive urban agriculture Right: Hobby farm with beekeeping on roof Top © Paolo Patrizi Right © Google.com

agriculture applies intensive production methods, frequently using and reusing natural resources and urban wastes, to yield a diverse array of land-, water-, and air-based fauna and flora, contributing to the food security, health, livelihood, and environment of the individual, household, and community

ANIMAL HORTICULTURE HUSBANDRY

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

— Etymology

Poultry/Hide

AGROFORESTRY Bio Fuel

OTHERS Decorative Plants


MONOCULTURE FARM

PROCESSING

REGION DISTRIBUTION SUB-URBAN FARMING A type of farming practice usually for the hobbyist where land space is available for crop growth in non- urban areas LOCAL DISTRIBUTION Diagrams: Different types of farms illustrated Left: Typical process in large scale conventional farming Left © Google.com

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MANUFACTURING

MONO CULTURE FARMING A type of intensive farming practice that focus on the mass production of a single crop and usually practiced for the cultivation of bio-fuel crops such as corn.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

GRAIN SILO

FREE RANGE FARMING It is the practice of organic farming whereby cattle is allowed to roam freely and usually practiced in rural areas as it is land intensive


HISTORY AND OVERVIEW — Timeline

600

HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

1922 GARDEN CITY

King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon constructed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his homesick wife, Amyitis. Since the area suffered a dry climate, the gardens were watered using a chain pull system, which carried water from the Euphrates River and streamed it to each landing of the garden (Krystek).

01

1915 FIRST DRAWING The earliest drawing of a vertical farm was published in Life Magazine, depicting an open-air building of vertically stacked stories of homes cultivating food for consumption

“Le Corbusier,” developed Immeubles-Villas, consisting of five-story blocks into which one hundred singular apartments are stacked on top of one another. The plan’s basic unit is the single-person apartment, giving them all secluded open space imbedded with greenery

01

1150

AD

AZTEC CHINAMPAS

Aztec Indians created chinampas, which were floating gardens of rectangular plots built on swamps.

01

1627 HYDROPONICS Sir Francis Bacon first introduced the theory of hydroponic gardening and farming methods in his book Sylva Sylvarum, in which he established the idea of growing terrestrial plants without soil

1915 VERTICAL FARMING TERM American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey coined the term “vertical farming” in his book, “Vertical Farming,” in which he introduced a method of underground farming contingent on the use of explosives.

1940

1920

1900

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B.C.E.


1937 HYDROPONICS TERM

2006 INTENSIFICATION

William Frederick Gericke coined the term “hydroponics,” the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil combining “hydro” meaning water, and “ponos” meaning labor

Nuvege, the forerunner in technology for innovative growth method for hydroponically grown vegetables, developed their proprietary lighting network, which increases the return rate of vegetables

Allan Cooperman introduced the nutrient film technique in which a thin film of nutrient solution flows through plastic channels, which contain the plant roots

01

01

1989 GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Farmed Here, a sustainable indoor vertical farming facility opened in a 90,000 square foot post-industrial building in Bedford Park, IL. Fresh, healthy, local greens are produced there, in controlled environments

Architect Kenneth Yeang envisioned mixed-use buildings that move seamlessly with green space in which plant life can be cultivated within open air, known as vegetated architecture.

1972 SITE SITE (Sculpture in the Environment) proposed the concept “Highrise of Homes,” which calls for a conventional steel tower framework accommodating dirt plots, as it supports a vertical community of private homes

American ecologist Dr. Dickson Despomierre reinvented vertical farming, as it emerged at Columbia University (Globacorp). Vertical farms, will be sited in urban centers, providing sustainable food source, and restoring ecosystems by reclaiming horizontal farmland

2020

2000

1980

1960

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1999 DICKSON DESPOMMIERE

01

2009 SKY GREEN Sky Green Farms built a vertical farm consisting of over 100 nine-meter tall towers in Singapore. Green vegetables such as bak choi and Chinese cabbage are grown, stacked in greenhouses, and sold at local supermarkets

Top: Vertical Farming Timeline Diagram interpreted by Author Top original source: https://macaulay. cuny.edu/eportfolios/macbride13/ research/timelines/memo-2-a-timeline-ofvertical-farming/

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

1975 AEROPONICS

2012 FARMED HERE


MOTIVATIONS FOR URBAN FARMING —Economic, Social, Environmental Feeding the growing population

80% of the world’s population will live in cities Food production has to increase by 70% 80% of arable land is already in use

2014

2050 +2.5 billion

+80%

+70%

-80%

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

The world’s population will grow by close to 2.5 billion people

ECONOMIC With increasing prices of fuel due to depletion of natural resources, the cost incurred for food production has greatly increased in particular when food is transported by air. By growing food in cities, the need for refrigeration and preservatives is reduced, thereby reducing the price of food. Also, proposed methods for urban farming employ aeroponic and hydroponic means that are high in yield and have shorter grow cycles. This increases the productive intensity. There is also less business risk with regards to natural forces as urban farms are unaffected by drought, wind, weather Furthermore, through integration of growing into urban developments, the value of property as well as its

surrounding will increase due to the environmental benefits as well as social infrastructure that will develop due to the provision of auxiliary and ancillary activities such as composting, recycling and retail necessary for the food economy to thrive. SOCIAL Despite employing agricultural technology as well as the increase in automation of labour intensive workflows in agriculture, Urban farms also posses social benefit through its existential presence in the urban environment.12 Farming in cities as an incomegenerator also creates employment opportunities. In spite of the progress to higher value chain production methods in urban farms, the root of farming still lie in the conventional 12 Leah Kim, Using Building to Feed Cities. Web.


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Also the condition of the urban environment also lead to a social disconnect with the process of the farm-to-table. With farms in close proximity to the urban population, society is less alienated from the process of food production. A study from Wageningen University reveals the act of gardening has stress relieving effects on peoples moods.13 Farming is also a social concentrator, bringing people of different background together for community driven activity. ENVIRONMENTAL 13 Berg A van den Et. Al. Allotment gardening and health. 2010 14 “The Global Environmental Outlook.” UNEP. 2007

The environmental benefits also overlap with economic ones with water savings being the most significant. Modern agriculture utilizes 70%14 of the global fresh water supply is the biggest contributor to water pollution and this is mitigated by advances in agriculture technology that do not operate soil based conventional farming. Urban farming also saves farmland through the action of stacking. Urban farming increases biodiversity, increase water retention and improve ambient environment through urban heat reduction and provide environmental filters. This is coincident with vertical greening, with the addition of food production. Top Left: Drivers for the Urban Farm Top: Urban Farming Economic Benefits Diagrams Redrawned by Author Top & Top Left: original source Agritecture.com

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

agriculture practice. Jobs will shift to become more hybridised as agricultural practitioners and robot maintenance specialists will share knowledge in farming expertise. This will also create an environment for educational jobs to be created.


CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION —Global Implementation CANADA

NEW YORK

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

In Montreal, Lufa farms is reputed to be the world's first commercial greenhouse on the roof of a building.

The New York Times wrote an article about one of Manhattan's first gardens which incorporate both hydroponic and soil-based growing techniques

ARGENTINA CALIFORNIA Uncommon Good is a nonprofit organization for poor immigrant farmers in Pomona Valley providing opportunities for livelihood through urban agriculture

The city of Rosario is building a "green circuit", passing through and around the city consisting of family and community gardens. Agriculture is integrated into urbanity.

UK

The town Todmor had food crops pl forty locations thro the town, akin to a operation where p and eat off the str


One recent experiment in urban agriculture is the Modern Agricultural Science Demonstration Park in Xiaotangshan

THAILAND The city farm project pioneered by Nakorn promote the practice of urban farming in Bangkok

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INDIA Mumbai Port Trust has developed an organic farm on the terrace of its central kitchen, which is an area of approximately 3,000 sq ft (280 m2).

AUSTRALIA In Queenslands many people have started a trend of urban farming both utilizing Aquaponics and self watering containers. One man by the name of Rob Bob created Rob's Bits out the Back, Urban farming channel on YouTube documenting his stories and helping others to utilize their urban setting for farming.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

den has anted at oughout a guerilla people pick eet free.

CHINA


CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION —Local Implementation SKY GREENS

BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES Location: 100 Neo Tiew Road 719026 Area: Undisclosed Typology:

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Location: 200 Lim Chu Kang Lane 3, 718804 Area: Undisclosed Typology:

North West

South West

C

ENABLING VILLAGE Location: 20 Lengkok Bahru 159053 Area: 3 000 sqft Typology:


KHOO TECK PUAT HOSPITAL

North East

Central

COMCROP Location: SCAPE @ 2 Orchard Link Area: 6 000 sqft Typology:

OPEN FARM COMMUNITY Location: 130E Minden Road, 248819 Area: 35 000 sqft Typology:

Top: Urban Farmers in Singapore Reinterpreted by Author Top: Original Source - https://issuu.com/ linamusing/docs/masters_thesis_food_ kampong_2050 Web. 23 Feb 2017.

39

South East

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Location: 90 Yishun Central, 768828 Area: 90 000 sqft Typology:


VERTICAL FARMING TYPOLOGIES —Classification

Grower Technology Institution responsible for responsible R&D and NPOs food production growing tech i.e. LEDs/System/Nutrients

Consultancy advice in building and operations

Organization Size

Startup small scale

Integration

Small Medium Enterprise more than one location 6+ employees

Established multiple locations and structured 40+ employees

Retrofitted add-on structures

Converted replaced existing program

Interior inside the building

Facade as the building skin

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Organization Type

Holistic integrated at design phase

Placement

Roof on a roof

Diagrams Reinterpreted by Author Original source Gaspard + Bruno 2016 Association for Vertical Farming

Surface Underground in the basement on ground level


Exposure

Exposed open-air farm

Other Plant growth with other treatment

Growing Medium

Aquaponics combines aquaculture with hydroponics for symbiosis

Hydroponics grown in nutrient solution

Planter Grown in raised planter not easily movable

Container Grown in vehecles for easy transportation

intensive Grown in deep soil

Extensive Grown on shallow soil

Grow to Prep for cafes and restaurants

Grow to Retail local sales

41

Aeroponics grown with nutrient mist

> 200 mm

60-80 mm

Production Purpose

Grow to Share community gardening

Grow to Teach spreading knowledge

Grow to Wholesale commercial greenhouse

Grow to clean Grow to Heal primary for pharmaceutical water treatment products

Grow to Develop R&D

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Enclosed Closed protection from ArtiďŹ cial weather but still Lighting exposed to sun


VERTICAL FARMING TYPOLOGIES —Examples

42

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

VERTICALLY INTEGRATED GREENHOUSE

ADVANTAGES 1. Lightweight, modular, portable and highly productive. apparently viable for the urban built environment 2. Utilises hydroponic systems to produce high quality vegetables with 20 times land savings and 10 times water savings in comparison to conventional agriculture. 3. Can be easily used as a retrofitting option. 4. Provide shade and environment filter, reducing Urban Heat


Vertically Integrated Greenhouse A Facade System

LOCATION: NEW YORK, USA PROJECT: TEAM

DESCRIPTION: The project utilises a hydroponic system within a double skin facade system to allow for farm without sacrificing floor area. Using a cable system the plants get rotated for sunlight exposure with nutrient baths at the bottom. Harvest usually takes a month.15

PLACEMENT TYPOLOGY:

Facade as the building skin

Top: Cable Lift Section Top Left: Facade Urban Farm Left: Interior Spaces Top,Top Left, Left: © BrightFarm Systems

15 Brightfarmsystems.com. Web.

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This offers a solution for the urban retrofitted scenario, but much care needs to be taken to ensure building systems and plant growth can be sustained due to lack of a controlled environment.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ARUP ENGINEERS KISS + CATHCART ARCHITECTS NEW YORK SUN WORKS THE VERTICAL FARM PROJECT


VERTICAL FARMING TYPOLOGIES —Examples

44

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

SCIENCE BARGE

SUSTAINABLE TECH 1. Solar panels, wind turbines and biofueled generator power the barge 2. Reused shipping container for power plant, office space and ancillary space. 3. Evaporative cooling reduce cooling cost 4. Greywater harvesting and reverse osmosis system for desalination.


LOCATION: HUDSON RIVER PROJECT: BRIGHTFARM SYSTEM TEAM NEW YORK SUN WORKS

PLACEMENT TYPOLOGY:

Surface on ground level

Top: Elevation view Top Left: Render Left: Activities on Barge Top Left: © Tyrone Turner Left: © Inhabitat.com Above: © Miamiherald.com

16 nysunworks.org

45

DESCRIPTION: The Science Barge is a prototype sustainable urban farm and education pod to demonstrate renewable energy sustaining food production in a city. It is a greenhouse place on a barge that produces food without carbon emission in a closed loop energy cycle. It is a centre for research for responsible food systems. Due to the project BrightFarms aims to construct sustainable greenhouses atop supermarkets, allowing retailers to sell local produce and reduce transit costs.16

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Surface Expansion Greenhouse System


VERTICAL FARMING TYPOLOGIES —Examples

46

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

BROOKLYN GRANGE ROOFTOP FARMS

SUSTAINABLE TECH 1. Top watered irrigation system is used that is akin to traditional garden. 2. Lite soil medium is used due to loading conditions on the roof and can drain easily. 3. Thermal mass on roof reduces cooling cost and reduce the impact from the Urban Heat Island effect


Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farms

DESCRIPTION: Brooklyn Grange is a 40 000 square foot office building rooftop space that is privately owned and operated by Ben Flanner as a green roof and vegetable farm. Situated atop the Standard Motor Products building, it explores the possibilities of food production in urban areas that is economically viable.17

Roof on a roof

Top Left: Aerial photo of Roof Left: Volunteers working on Roof Above: Before After of Rooftop Top Left: © Cyrus Dowlatshahi Left: © Nicole Bengiveno Above(T) http://www.thelmagazine.com/ Above(B) Liza de Guia

17 Rosenwasser, Jake. “New York City’s Biggest Rooftop Farm.” 11 Mar 2011. Web.

47

PLACEMENT TYPOLOGY:

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

LOCATION: QUEENS, NEW YORK, USA PROJECT: CONSERVATION TEAM TECHNOLOGIES(ROOF) BEN FLANNER (FARMER) ACUMEN CAPITAL PARTNERS (OWNER)


VERTICAL FARMING TYPOLOGIES —Examples

48

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

PASONA O2

SUSTAINABLE TECH 1. Ductwork reworked to the perimeter 2. Smart Artificial lighting and irrigation systems 3. Farming continuation workshops held to spread the know how of farming 4. Double skin facade act as an environmental filter 5. Rooftop farm serves to increase thermal mass of the building.


Integrated Urban Farm

LOCATION: TOKYO JAPAN PROJECT: KONO DESIGNS LLC TEAM PASONA GROUP

Roof on a roof

Interior inside the building

Top Left: Overview Left: Facade Planting of Fruit Trees Above: Interior Spaces All images © KONO Designs

18 “Pasona H.Q. Tokyo.” Architizer. Web.

Facade as the building skin

49

PLACEMENT TYPOLOGY:

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

DESCRIPTION: Pasona HQ is a nine story high, 215,000 square foot corporate office building for the Japanese recruitment company, Pasona Group, located in downtown Tokyo. It is a major renovation project consisting of a double-skin green facade, offices, an auditorium, cafeterias, a rooftop garden and most notably, urban farming facilities integrated within the building. The green space totals over 43,000 square feet with 200 species including fruits, vegetables and rice that are harvested, prepared and served at the cafeterias within the building. It is the largest and most direct farm-to-table of its kind ever realized inside an office building in Japan.18


5 PRINCIPLES

PLACEMENT

PURPOSE

Choice of placement determines the level of proximity to plants.

Production purpose will determine the auxiliary needs.

SIZE The maximum height of the plant will affect the size of the planter.

STAKEHOLDERS Customers, Suppliers, Beneficiaries, Staff, Competitors.

SCALE Intensity of production will likely determine how extensive the planting provision will be.

SERVICES Delivery routes and subsidiary services provided or supplied need to be considered

SPECIES Type of plant may require more environmental control and affect how much exposure it will receive.

SUPPLIES Necessary stock and equipment for purpose of production

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—To consider in a vertical farm


SCALE

Level of Integration will determined the flexibility and robustness of the system.

Soil based, water based, air based.

Business development and growth needs to be factored in.

MODULAR Suitable for retrofitting and upgrading but limited by module and connection.

SOIL Soil control measures required. Prone to bacterial infection.

PHYSICAL New facilities are necessary to manage, handle and certify the food produced.

INTEGRATED Robust and durable system but likely to require costly upgrades and inflexible.

SLURRY Water tight features and water management on top of normal irrigation.

FINANCING New opportunities for business investors will kick-start the urban agribusiness.

HYBRID Benefits of both systems but may not be as flexible and require custom maintenance.

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MEDIUM

SUSPENDED Hanging infrastructure required with custom irrigation.

CONSULTANTS Intermediary consultants can bring the different parties together.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

INTEGRATION


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


URBAN FRAMEWORK — Page 54 to 67

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

The elements of green infrastructure


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


ARCOLOGY —Synopsis

Arcology is a portmanteau of “architecture” and ecology and is a discourse on design philosophy for high dense low ecological impact human settlements. This term has be coined by the architect Paolo Soleri

Top: Arcosanti Right: Solar performance diagram of Arcosanti Top: © Wikimedia Commons Right: Oscar Lopez. “Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti : The City in the Image of Man”

19 Karissa Rosenfield. “Remembering Paolo Soleri 19192013”. 08 Apr 2013. Web.

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An arcology is designed to enable self sufficiency despite a big populace. It was envisioned to minimize human degradation on the natural environment. Frank Lloyd Wright proposed an early version called Broadacre City, though when compared to arcology depended on a road network which contrasted the ideas of arcology in a post-automobile city. Similarly Soleri proposes revamping transportation agriculture and commerce. Arcosanti 65 miles north of Phoenix, it was described by NEWSWEEK magazine as “…the most important urban experiment undertaken in our lifetimes.”19 It propels discourse on the architecture of the city, how it could support the countless possibilities of human aspiration.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Arcosanti — an experimental “arcology prototype” under construction in central Arizona.


“ URBAN ARCOLOGY”

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Layers and Networks

FROM PLOT TO CITY Urban Arcology borrows principles for designing ecologically low impact human habitats to investigate how this might occur in the urban context. Architectural practice at present is increasingly borrowing protocols from the fields of urbanism, infrastructure, landscape and ecology. As urbanism departs from the site constraint and deals with the context, this ensues in urbanism operating at a different scale and complexity and power as well as stakeholders. By engaging in the realm of urbanism, architecture seeks to be resilient and consequently adapt to changing environmental conditions. Architecture thus expands to the scale of the city and is required to tackle issues beyond its immediacy, incorporating the varied and multidisciplinary strata of 20 Bhatia, Neeraj Et. Al. Goes Soft. 2012.

information. Urban verticalism and its marriage with design neutral landscape strategies in the vertical scape, heralds a complex ecological situation at the urban scale as observed in the previous sections. In the essay by Lola Sheppard20, she mentions the myopia in architecture without urbanism as the projection of the immediate future of twenty years to narrow a scope in the growing ecological complexities within the city. Architecture without urban systems result in challenges in responding to the complex environmental conditions of the city. Greenery planted on buildings during its construction raises the question on its fate after the death of the building, hence the issue of necessary frameworks for the due care of such vertical greenery.


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In the urban context, the distribution of above ground vegetation in the city can be seen as a map that superpositions with the circulation and program of the city to show the non-trivial relationship of above ground greenery in the city due to its pervasiveness in the urban fabric of the city, yet is positioned without the necessary care for a resilient green verticalism. In what was identified as a method for stratification of such information within the urban context, the layered territory21 represents the conditions of the context as individual parts of the 21 Ian McHarg. Design with Nature. 1992

whole system, and allows the close examination of the site, with minimal focus on the interconnection or overlaps in the system. The condition of often design neutral green plots located above ground provides a layer of information to the urban context and provides an analytic diagram of the prevalence of such greenery in the vertical scape of cities. However, these overlays of information are seen as due diligence rather than a means of redefining a site. It becomes of importance to assess the urban implications of automated vertical farms as well as to design the framework to enable resilient vegetated verticalism Top Left: Regeneration of Yongsan Park Top: Creating Civilizations, by Robert Strati Top Left © Isaac Brown, ASLA; Sang Dae Lee Top: © Fastco Design & Robert Strati

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

This results in a grain of urban vertical green that separates itself from its host building in so far as to hold itself as a separate building entity.


“ URBAN ARCOLOGY”

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Urban Agricultural Planning

The industrial revolution displaced agriculture to sub urban areas and to a certain extent severed the relationship between agriculture and urbanity. City planners and architects alike started to envision how a utopic future of city life would be.22 GARDEN CITY Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City movement placed a large emphasis on macro scale reforms and organization of public spaces. Frank Lloyd Wrights Broadacre City moved large swaths of people in the urban environment to the country side. The crux of the garden city concept by Ebenezer Howard in 1898 was the idea of shifting urbanity to the country side and received much criticism for utilization of agricultural land for his envisioned cities. His representation 22 M. S. Srinidhi. Agrarian Urbanism and Vertical Farming. Web 23 Feb 2017

of the three magnets of the town, the country and the town-country led him to conclude on what he developed further into “the garden city” which is the narrative of Singapore till 2013 with the newer narrative of city in a garden in the draft master plan of 2013 by the URA. One of the earliest examples of the garden city was Letchworth and had a great impact on urban planning as many western cities like New York abstracted the ideas from Ebenezer Howards’ vision. BROADACRE CITY Frank Lloyd Wright in contrary to Ebenezer Howard paved the way for agrarian urbanism through the Broadacres plan to re-imagine the American suburbs and cities by means of involving agricultural practices. Broadacre City translates the populace from urbanity into country life,


59

CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPES (CPUL) This promotes the blend of agriculture with public space and streets. In the context of Singapore, though she is aware of the benefits of green space on urban living the greenery is not 23 Wright. “Broadacre City: A New Community Plan.” 24 Duany, Garden Cities.

meant to be productive. CPUL requires green plots of land and mixes both the functions of the city and the farm. Though increasing access to healthful food, it gives rise to conflicting use due to land scarcity in urban environments such as Singapore. AGRARIAN URBANISM In contrast, this aspect limits urban agriculture but improves from traditional urbanism. In Agrarian Urbanism, Duany argues that urban agriculture can be recycled onto the transect of the New Urbanist city through a kit of parts. Farms remain farms, while balconies and rooftops are transformed to harbor agriculture.24 Table: Contemporary theories on urban agriculture Top Left: CPUL concept Top Right: Instance of Agrarian Urbanism Top Left © Bohn & Viljoen Top Right © detail-online.com

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

transplanting them into suburban plots with each family owning an acre for farming. He focuses on the individual where ““Whatever a man did would be done – obviously and directly – mostly by himself in his own interest under the most valuable inspiration and direction: under training, certainly if necessary.”23 The keystone to his scheme was the farm where the cities food supply was the foundation to the city. However it lacked the density of urbanity and consequently cities have continued to remain severed from agriculture.


DECENTRALISED FOOD PRODUCTION —A New Model for Food Production

Available Roof Space

Facade Greenery

Lawn Greenery

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Singapore Central Buisiness District

DIVIDED VERTICAL FARMLAND Food production in Singapore implies the possibility of reverting to the rural agricultural practice. Yet, in the action of re-activating design neutral greenery in high-rise in Singapore, the condition of divided food supply ensues. With the sprinkling of vertical greening in the figure ground of Singapore, the insertion of vertical farms result in a decentralised food supply that occupies a complex 3 dimensional space.

HISTORY OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN SINGAPORE Through understanding the context of local food production, we can begin to speculate and forecast how a divided food model can be integrated into the urban centres of Singapore and envision ways in which food networks can affect city organization and architecture and vice versa. In the early years of Singapore, when she gained independence in 1965, She was mostly reliant in local production.

This preconditions a viable distribution network such that it would be able to ensure a resilient vertical greenscape. The necessary agricultural infrastructure for such a divided food supply chain is such that vertical farmland in the city does not operate as singular entities that fail spectacularly in terms of being economically viable.

Approximately 20 000 farms occupied more than 25% of the land and supply. Besides vegetables and livestock, cash crops such as rubber, coconut and gambier were farmed, Singapore’s population was 1.6 million then. However the local food production declined from the late 1970s due to


Left: Image of receding farmland to periphery in Singapore Far Left: Image by Author Left: Kotnik Et. Al. , Singapore: An Atlas of Perpetual Territorial Transformation

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government policies and political forces that changed the nature of the industry. Due to the fragmentation of small farms, they were relocated to designated farm site in the North and Northeast of Singapore. However if the cost of resettlement was to great or result in too large an impact on the environment, farms were phased out and compensation was provided25. In this retrospect, we can begin to understand the complexity and the background forces at play that affect how perhaps a fragmented food production that failed in the past could succeed in future given the proper environment, policies as well as infrastructure necessary to ensure food resilience in Singapore. Technology is the answer but what was the question — Cedric Price. By 25 Deakin Et. Al. Governance of city food system. Case Studies from around the world.

acting at a more fundamental level and engaging architecture as the vehicle to change, adapt to as well as inuence food supply chains in Singapore, the answer of agricultural innovations can be effectively implemented to integrate green buildings, maintenance, biodiversity as well as logistics to food production. The all-in-one business solution idea seems pivotal in rooting agriculture practice in high rise to urban centres, where the traditional farm reinvents itself to embody a myriad of functions namely production, processing and logistics to create a domain that improves productivity and competitiveness.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Far Left: Mapping of available farmland in the CBD of Singapore


FARM TO TABLE ECONOMICS

THE GAME CHANGER To organize a city around food production requires a paradigm shift in planning for a viable mode of distribution and hacking of the current infrastructure. The first question is on what the food production system is, and it comprises of the combination of all processes and infrastructures needed to feed people. This commonly falls into three main categories: The agriculture aspect, the market preparation aspect and the consumer aspect.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Subverting the city infrastructure

For the infiltration of the of the food system in the urban centre, a series of progressive steps is required to ensure that a divided food system becomes a trend. Current food systems have been steered largely by economics into a model of a large volume, large distributor, and highly cost sensitive model, making low volume highly priced “family farms” economically unsustainable. With the consolidation of food distribution companies and conglomerates, it has greatly impeded the development of a local food systems.26

PRODUCTION

Hence to pervade such a model of divided food system, it becomes important to tackle the consumption aspect of things as food supply in a high rise urban setting sets the basis of the argument. By having institutional buyers adopt policies and procedures to buy locally.

RETAIL

PROCESSING

Diagram: Showing the model of connectivity of the conceptual food system with increased access, affordability and quality 26 Barbesh, Mark. “THE Game Changer in Local Food System Development.” 15 Jun 2015. Web.


CONVENTIONAL LINEAR FOOD SYSTEMS Growers– Farmers that grow a variety of crops Harvesting– Gathering by hand produce

PRODUCTION

RETAIL

Distributing– Transport of produce to the market

RETAIL

RETAIL

Retailing– Restaurants + Markets that sell food Eating– Consumption of food

PROCESSING

Disposing– Composting

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HYBRIDS OF FOOD SYSTEMS LOGISTICS

LOGISTICS

Farming + Packaging RETAIL AGRI

RETAIL AGRI

RETAIL

RETAIL

LOGISTICS

LOGISTICS

Packaging + Retail

Farming + Retail

RETAIL AGRI

RETAIL AGRI

All-in-one RETAIL

RETAIL

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Packaging– Sealing produce for distribution


3D DISTRIBUTION AND CONNECTION

DISTRIBUTION PATHWAYS With urban verticalism, future building systems will connect at levels closer to the sky. Access to buildings will no longer be limited to the surface and going vertical becomes the new ground level. Pedestrian bridges and green space begin to link high rise networks and provide the opportunity to envision greater integration of green infrastructure.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Enablers of food distribution

Arup identifies streets as the life blood of our town and cities, facilitating a myriad of activities and function that is constantly shifting and evolving, reflecting a dynamic of the place27. With reclaiming vertical greenery for farmland, the integration of food production with existing infrastructure and hacking of the urban street into one that its multi-use, multisurface and active provides a unique

opportunity for ways to imagine how food distribution and connectivity could influence the way high-rise buildings in urban centres are linked and how distribution and circulation networks could be interwoven28. The prevalence of transport hubs with linked and integrated transport systems in future provide pathways to enable food distribution to work in parallel with existing transportation networks. Distribution infiltrates the local market through accessing a large number of production nodes that produce at smaller quantities. Drone technology also opens up a finer 3d spatial organization of distribution pathways that can operate at more direct levels that are cross planar and allow for food to reach the table through shorter distances and perhaps

Left: Storyboard for an urban farming ecosystem Right: Right- Istanbul: Tactics for Resilient Post-Urban Development (2014) Left © Michael Buquet, Storyboard Right © Atelier d’Architecture Autogérée 27 ARUP. Cities Alive: Rethinking Green Infrastructure, p.101

28 ARUP, Its Alive, p.8


Sky-gardens in high rise urban buildings reclaimed for vertical farming can now be linked to central hubs through direct connections rather than being forced by surface and envelope restrictions to operate at ground planes.

drones to operate in. In the age of ecology, buildings thus not only creates space, they curate environments. They operate as an integral element in the highly interconnected urban ecosystem to provide efficient resource management and adapt to the unique needs of the city. Food systems provides this additional layer of complexity to the organization of the city and manifestation of the building.

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Connectivity diagrams that link nodal points becomes a relevant avenue for reference in forming a resilient vertical farming landscape in the urban centre. Through these direct linkages, building envelops can be reorganized to provide channels for food delivery

Top: Minimum spanning trees that connect nodal points in the city

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

increasing the quality of the produce. As these pathways can operate in a multi threaded scenario, it combats the challenges faced in a divided local produce situation of quality, quantity as food production nodes with small quantities can be consolidated.


5 PRINCIPLES

DECENTRALISED

INFRASTRUCTURE

A Lead up from Garden city, Broadacre city, CPUL and Agrarian Urbanism.

Local infrastructure to aid in proximity and auxiliary services.

CENTRAL NODES Sub collection points to function as a whole to be determined in the network based on weighted connectivity.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT Underlays of transportation networks for both overhead and underground infrastructure alignment.

DISTRIBUTION PATHWAYS Direct or indirect distribution pathways to be considered in 3D space.

PEDESTRIAN & VEHICULAR Surface access to the vertical farm to be reworked for vertical access.

MOBILE NODES Nodes in the network can shift when placed on mobile systems, resulting in complex nodal interaction.

UNDERGROUND NETWORK To be woven with above ground network for an integrated food network.

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—To consider for Urban Arcology


COMPOSITE

Urban connectivity of programs and functions.

Overlays of important natural and man made features to consider for the food network.

To consider the complex relationship in the taxonomy of urban principles.

COMMERCE Local and regional retail and business connections for a sustainable and vibrant food network hub.

PARKS & WATERBODIES Important for the ecological cycle and in the area as part of closed loop energy scheme.

INSTITUTIONAL Direct or indirect distribution pathways to be considered in 3D space

CONSERVATION Cultural facilities in close proximity to be taken into account for cultural sensitivity.

SERVICES Connectivity of services and material ow for the upkeep of the urban network to be designed

ACTIVITY GENERATING USE Street network and retail to be mixed up with the vertical farm through different elevations.

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LAYERS

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CONNECTIVITY


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— Page 70 to 87

Toward a resilient food system

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RESOURCE INDEPENDANCE FOR VERTICAL RESILIENCE


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WE CONSUME WHAT WE IMPORT

WE CONSUME WHAT WE PRODUCE

GLOBAL FOOD MILES

LOCAL FOOD MILES


FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN SINGAPORE —Synopsis

Top Left: Vision of self sufficiency in Singapore Diagram: Food Miles Savings 29 Badgley Et Al. 2007

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The challenges presented from the increasing urbanization, land consumption and climate change presents a strain on the natural environment with the increasing demand for food29. To tackle the pressing issue of global food security sustainably, a detached offshore solution will not suffice. The food supply solution needs to be comprehensive so as to ensure generational continuation and sustainable self sufficiency framework for a resilient nation by appealing to the younger population. Singapore being largely reliant of foreign food imports will need to ensure a higher level of food diversification. With increasing land premium prices in the local context and democratization of vertical space, there is an opportunity to implement a unifying urban design strategy based on a networked idea that connects food self sufficiency channels that infiltrate the city, redefining the dynamics of the city and urban farms.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

A future of producer city in Singapore.


COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL METHODS —Hydroponics vs traditional

Produce Grain

40% 9% 1878 g/pax

Sugar & Fat Other

8% Meat

7% Dairy

21%

Daily Food intake per Capita

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

15%

DAILY FOOD INTAKE BREAKDOWN PER CAPITA Mapping out the food consumption requirement within the local context, figures on the daily consumption as well as the breakdown of the type of food that is consumed are obtained and used to compute the annual consumption pattern for the local context. This allows for a feasibility study of the integration of productive greens in high rise in ensuring food security and resilience within the local context30.

Annual Yield

Annual Consumption

Water Consumption

Production Period January

= 100 people

3.9 kg/m²/y

July Production per unit area

assume 1.0 plot ratio

typical agriculture

15.8 tonnes/acre

165 people

250 L/kg/y

Seasonal

January

41 kg/m²/y

July Production per unit area

assume 2.8 plot ratio

hydroponic agriculture

464.9 tonnes/acre

2576 people

20 L/kg/y

30 Nat Geo 2017. Web. 15 Mar 2017.

Year Round


Transportation

1500 miles

1100 kJ/kg/y

By engaging in renewable energy, and automation there could be a new ecological paradigm that values freshwater resource for urban farming. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) had considered using water reclamation to supplement the existing water supply as early as the 1970s. and the first NEWater plants at Bedok and Kranji water reclamation plants were completed in January32. Urban wastewater is seen as a renewable resource for water scarcity and with Singapore’s water agenda and high tech farming that saves water, water can be utilised in a closed loop system of hydroponic farms for efficiency in resource allocation. The closed loop landscape will add a new aesthtic dimension to urban developments as urban farms could be a form of public outreach leading to more informed and healther food selection and practices.

International Transportation

<30 miles

90000 kj/kg/y

Local Transport System

Diagram: Comparison of hydroponics to conventional pracitice. Data extrapolated by population and daily consumption averages Data © data.gov.sg Web. 15 Mar 2017

31 Barbosa Et. Al. Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponic vs. Conventional Agricultural Methods, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 6879-6891; doi:10.3390/ ijerph120606879

32 Jean Lim, NEWater. Web. 15 Mar 2017

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Energy Required

people within the same land area31.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

COMPARISON BETWEEN HYDROPONICS AND CONVENTIONAL Comparing conventional food systems and soil-less systems such as hydroponics, the relative yields to water input is astounding with almost 30 times the yield per unit area in hydroponic systems as compared to traditional agriculture using 20 times less water. While it is very energy intensive to manage hydroponic systems as compared to traditional agriculture, it signifies that by solving the energy intensive nature of hydroponic agriculture, the yield would be able to supply 50 times more


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

LOCAL FOOD RESILIENCE

LOCAL PRODUCTION TARGETS The Singapore government has developed local production goals for 3 key food items in Singapore, namely leafy vegetables, fish and hen shell eggs. In the land scarce condition of Singapore with rising valuation of prime land, there is substantial desire for increased productivity through food production innovations and point to a higher technology solution the further the goals for food security in Singapore. In relation to the consumption production and import figures from the Agri-food and Vetinary Agency in Singapore, the annual consumption trend is relatively constant and provides a cap on the agricultural produce needed for Singapore to be self-sufficient in food. Despite relying currently on 90% of food imports, the AVA has increasingly diversified its food sources. However the problem remains to ensure food security amid growing shortages in food as well as freshwater needed for vegetable farming.33 SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN THE FUTURE It is recognized that the reliance on external food source is not sufficient to ensure food security in Singapore. By surrendering food production to other countries, she is prone to price fluctuations in food exports and imports as well as agricultural cost changes and geopolitics. In order to progress to a self-sufficient nation and experience a net export of food, Singapore has to come up with strategies to merge farming innovation with her genius in the built environment. This is envisioned to be done through 33 Deakin Et. Al. Governance of city food system. Case Studies from around the world.

reclaiming green vertical space in buildings for the purpose of urban agriculture. In order for sustainable verticalism, there is a need for people to reconnect with the production process of food. Robotic implements do not serve to segregate the relationship between the plant and man but rather promote and drive its process with the younger STEM minds of youths and results in the growing rebranding of the image of farming coupled with the employment of robots.

Top: Promoting Local Innovative Farming Solution for Food Resilience

Above: Building up of Climate Science to fight Climate Change Top, Above: © National Climate Change Secretariat


CONSUMPTION, IMPORT & LOCAL FARM PRODUCTION (JAN TO DEC 2014) Tonnes

Beef †

Consumption 11,140 Import

Chicken†

-

Duck†

Fish †

Fruits ^

Hen Eggs Mutton † (Mil Pcs)

170,926 430,970 13,844 90,998 392,202 1,712

26,839 178,133 -Δ

583,253 13,917 -

-

98,593 431,796 5,639*

-

Pork †

Rice

Vegetables ^

Sugar

13,440

85,491

325,680 298,392

522,522

1,283

13,766

109,538 498,502 372,634

524,390

433

-

-

-

-

22,720

* Figure includes coastal fish farm production, land-based fish farm production, and fish landings. † Figures are aggregated based on live, chilled, and frozen forms. ^ Figures are aggregated based on fresh and chilled forms. There is no broiler farm in Singapore.

Δ

PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION (FROM JAN TO DEC EACH YEAR) Item

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2012

2013

2014

33

30

34

35

34

35

36

36

35

34

Chicken (kg)†

30

27

31

32

31

32

33

33

32

31

Duck (kg) †

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Meat - Livestock

25

25

27

26

25

26

25

25

21

20

Pork (kg) †

19

20

21

20

19

20

19

20

17

16

Beef (kg)†

4

3

4

4

4

4

4

3

2

2

Mutton (kg) †

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

Seafood (kg) †

27

26

25

24

24

22

23

22

22

23

Fish (kg)

18

17

16

16

16

15

16

15

16

17

Other seafood (kg)

9

9

8

8

7

7

7

7

7

6

Vegetables (kg) ^

93

93

93

91

91

93

93

94

93

96

Leafy vegetables (kg)

18

18

17

16

17

16

15

16

16

16

Other vegetables (kg)

74

76

76

75

74

77

78

78

77

79

Others Fruits (kg) ^

85

80

74

71

71

68

67

67

70

72

Hen shell eggs (pcs)

286

291

302

302

300

311

307

308

312

313

Note: All calculations are based on total population. Total population comprises Singapore residents (citizens & PRs) and foreigners staying in Singapore for at least one year. For breakdown of seafood and vegetable, figures may not add up to the total due to rounding. † Figures are aggregated based on live, chilled, and frozen forms. ^ Figures are aggregated based on fresh and chilled forms.

Top: Consumption, imports and local farm production from January to December 2014 Top: Ava.gov.sg, Working Together as One 2014

75

2011

Meat - Poultry

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Local Farm Production

Cooking Oil


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FOOD MILES IN SINGAPORE

As seen in the previous section on urban framework, we can observe the gradual decline in volumetric output of the agricultural industry in Singapore throughout her development years as part of the government’s instrumental means of increasing the value chain of the labour market. Agricultural practice is seen to migrate to the periphery of urban areas. This phenomenon is seen widely in the 1980-90s where farms were resettled to designated areas in the Northern and Northeastern parts of Singapore. By 2014, only about 700 ha was used for farming 117 coastal fish culture farms, 5 poultry farms, 56 vegetable farms and 9 land-based food fish farms34. Food imports have grown within the same period with increasing population and resultant increase in consumer demand. With the global food crisis in 2007-2008 and the associated 12.1% increase in prices of imported food, it instigated Singapore to take initiatives to develop food resilient policies. The

Food Security Roadmap was realised, highlighted a set of measures that Singapore could take to improve her food security. As of 2014, Singapore imports food from an excess of 160 countries, grossing at S15.57 billion.35 Despite the measures to mitigate the risks from an import reliant food economy, the fact of the matter is that the very food reliance puts Singapore at risk to the machinations of the import market such as disease, global demand, energy cost, geopolitical conflicts and larger macroeconomic forces. As food have to travel longer distances to reach the table, its price becomes dependent on the mode of transport, making it susceptible to price fluctuations in fuel amongst other cost. Such costs can be avoided in a producer city and not a consumer one.

Top: Singapore’s food import sources Right: Singapore’s food security road map 34 Kotnik Et. Al. 2008 35 Ramesh & Perry, 2008

Top: Adapted from AVA AR 2015 Right: AVA AR 2013


SOUTH AFRICA -Fruits PHILIPPINES -Fruits

VIETNAM -Fish -Fruits -Rice -Vegetables -Sugar

INDONESIA -Cooking Oil -Fish -Milk -Pork -Vegetables

CHINA -Fish -Fruits -Vegetables -Pork

MALAYSIA -Chicken -Cooking Oil -Duck -Eggs -Fish -Fruits -Milk -Sugar -Vegetables

AUSTRALIA -Beef -Cooking Oil -Fruits -Milk -Mutton -Pork -Sugar -Vegetables

THAILAND -Fish -Fruits -Milk -Rice -Sugar -Vegetables

NEW ZEALAND -Beef -Fruits -Milk -Mutton

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BRAZIL -Beef -Chicken -Pork

INDIA -Fish -Milk -Rice -Sugar -Vegetables

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

UNITED STATES -Beef -Chicken -Fruits -Milk -Pork -Rice -Vegetables


INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY Currently the net production of food in the world is 360 000 000 tonnes of food annually, however to meet the demands of the projected population in 2050 of between 8-11 million people, farm production has to increase by at least 3 times to 1 200 000 000 tonnes of food per year.

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MOTIVATION FOR AUTOMATION

With the introduction of robots, farm efficiency is expected to increase as these robots would be more energy efficient as their tasks would be more specialised and customized to suit the type of crop. Higher yield to energy usage is expected as robots have unique programs as compared to conventional farm machinery.

REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Autonomous robots would ensure effective usage of water, conserving water supplies. Pesticide usage would also be targeted, reducing pesticide run-offs and reduce any harmful effect of pesticide on both the plant as well as the consumer. Routes for robots are planned, thereby reducing any unwanted detours made from conventional human operated tractors on asymmetrical lands and complex geometrical plots of land, consequently reducing fuel consumption. This could be signiďŹ cant for large scale operations or large scale implementation in the urban environment as small cost savings can compound.

REDUCED SOIL EROSION

BETTER WATER MANAGEMENT

REDUCED TRACKING FROM HEAVY MACHINERY

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

BETTER ROUTE AND SPEED PLANNING

AUTOMATED HARVESTING


supplement human intelligence and creativity, improve the environment and workplace hence there is a need to overcome the stigma towards robotic integration. Technological progress is existential and if celebrated, the benefits exist to be reaped. Elsewhere in the F&B industry as well as supermarkets, automated payment have been employed, increasing productivity as staff can be more focused on taskings that robots have difficulty handling38. Likewise, robots in the agribusiness of the future signals the increasing need to anticipate how the scope of jobs will change.

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In the context of Singapore, the problems of advancing society and the possible negative impacts arising that would cloud the benefits of automation can be managed through effective legislation. Also pointed out by Collin Lewis, machines exist to

Diagrams: Benefits of Automation

Photo: Self-ordering kiosks at Popeyes’ Punggol East outlet

Diagrams by Author

Top © Kevin Lim, ST Photo

36 ifr.org, Robots Create Jobs 37 Lewis, Collin, ‘fears of technological change destroying jobs may be overstated’

38 Ong, Edward, Automation the future of Singapore, Straits Times

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT An empirical analysis of economic data and forecast by the International Federation of Robotics show that automation and employment of robots do not remove jobs but rather increase them. The US automotive industry has had more than 60 000 industrial robot employed in the period of 2010-15. Within the same time frame, the employment count in the automotive industry in US rose by 230 000. Despite the rise in automation, only about 10 percent of jobs will be fully automated in future36. This means that the rest of the jobs would be one where robots and humans would work together. This implies positive externalities that would occur such as job skills upgrading and increase in specialised skill labour. As technological progress is existential, the root of the problem does not lie in robots but rather the skill gap37.


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN FARMING —Synopsis

Vertically grown vegetables are currently implemented in smaller scale establishments as an experiment however it is indubitably growing in Singapore from just one vertical farm in 2012 to seven in 2016 and these farms use high-tech and high-yield methods to overcome the limitations

Top: Modular Farms Right: Relocation of modular farms Top © Modularfarms.co Right © OVA STUDIO 2014

39 Malthus T.R. An Essay on the Principle of Population. Chapter. 1798. Oxford World’s Classics reprint. Web. 20 Apr 2017. 40 Despommier, Dickson D. The vertical farm. 2011

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Mathematician Thomas Malthus’ essay on the Principle of Population observes that an increase in the capability of a nation to produce food improves the well-being of its people, however it is only temporary and leads to population growth and restores the original per capita production level39. In a future where human growth will outpace agriculture, to ensure food security in Singapore despite limited natural resource, the approach is clear— to fundamentally change food production or be at mercy to food shortage. A well-known environmental scientist Dr Dickson Despommier proposes transplanting farms into high-rise developments in the city.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Modular versus complete typology


THE FUTURE OF URBAN FARMS

of conventional farm practice and transform their work into lucrative business. Its growing appeal is due to its ability to optimise land usage in Singapore which faces land scarcity and also due to its ability to operate with minimal manpower41.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Synopsis

Tackling food resilience on the vertical plane in Singapore can be divided into two broad categories namely complete systems or individual components. The farms outlined earlier occupy the former and the modular types such as those seen in modularfarm. co, Greentech, FreightFarm and Podponics42, occupy the latter. Both modular and complete systems need to be considered towards the effort of vertical resilience in the context of Singapore. Mr Eric Ng, chief executive of home-grown fish farm Apollo Aquaculture Group runs a high- tech vertical farm that was built up from scratch. “My father was pro-technology,” he says. “He told me

to transform things if I saw the need for technology to move the business forward.” A modular system offers 3 obvious benefits namely: • discrete scalable elements, • well-defined elements • industry ready elements due to interchangeability Yet complete systems should not be overlooked, offering better integration and improved connectivity. Hence the future vertical farm in Singapore should be more than a production plant, rewiring the city’s infrastructure to copy biological cycle offering both integration as well as options for expansion through modular designs.

Right: Farming in the sky with an integrated vertical farm, aquaponics, robotic tended crops and sewage energy harvesters 41 Singh, Bryna. “Vertical farms on the rise in land scarce Singapore.” The Straits Times. 10 July 2016. Web. 42 http://agritecture.com/post/46337360763/newsmodular-high-density-farming-using-shipping

Right: © Graham Murdoch


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


Biological Materials

Mining / Material Manufacturing

Techical Materials

Parts Manufacturer

Farming / Collection

Product Manufacturer Recycle

Cascades

Remanufacture / Refurbish

Service Provider

Reuse / Redistribute

Biogas

Maintenance Anaerobic Digestion / Composting Consumer Extraction of Biochemical Feedstock

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Biochemical Feedstock

Energy Recovery

LandďŹ ll

Leakage — To be minimized


C2C DESIGN —Cradle to cradle, design for transplanting

Top Left: The system diagram illustrates the continuous flow of technical and biological materials in the value circle. Left: Modular Self-organizing Farming Pods Original Diagram by Ellen MacArthur Foundation Left: © Howeler + Yoon

Boston architects Howeler + Yoon and Los Angeles digital designers Squared Design Lab have designed a conceptual structure for Boston, where an unfinished building would be covered in modular pods growing algae for biofuel. This proposal envisions the immediate deployment of a “crane ready” modular temporary structure to house experimental and research based programs. Once funding is in place for the original architectural proposal, the modules can be easily disassembled and redistributed to various neighborhoods around Boston, infilling other empty sites.

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In the future where building maintenance is performed by robots, Farmland in an urban setting can be rearranged more rapidly. Aesthetic plants are usually procured for singleuse and are meant to be perennial, whereas farm plants, depending on the type of plant, have much shorter growth cycles and are procured to constantly be replaced.

The three-crop rotation scheme utilised for conventional agriculture stipulates a plot to undergo fallow after the third cycle for nitrogen fixing to occur to ensure the land is not expanded. land undergoing fallow is barren and can be easily managed as compared to perennial plants.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

URBAN FARMING WITHIN C2C With a shift towards design for disassembly, building materials retain their value in the value chain of building materials through the action of disassembly. Concrete waste ground up into powder after demolition is commonly used as road aggregates which sees its value starkly different from its original value as a floor slab.With constant retrofitting and upgrading in a scenario of design for disassembly, urban farms can retain value through transplanting as a cash crop.


SUMMARY METHODOLOGY FOR VERTICAL RESILIENCE

TECHNOPRENEUR ENGAGEMENT

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

—Conclusions

HYBRID MODULAR POTENTIAL

Engage with the younger Innovative grow facilities populace who are getting that can be easily more tech savvy. transported in the urban network. EDUCATION FACILITIES Provide avenue for research and development of new and innovative food production methods.

INTEGRATED Integrated infrastructures can help to increase capabilities yet offer flexibility.

SUPPORT FACILITIES New jobs for skills upgrading and supply chain distribution management.

UPGRADED/REPURPOSED Existing infrastructure may be re-purposed to cater to modular hybrid.

MEDIA ROOMS Public outreach and social engagement activities. Increases tech awareness and interaction.

RETROFITTED Add-on to function as an external layer to current infrastructure.


PHASE IMPLEMENTATION

Closed loop system of energy for minimum environmental impact.

Institutional buyers and funders necessary for economic viability.

Chart out a urban growth plan for the development of a food network.

SOIL Sewage and compost for grey matter processing and composting as part of the closed loop system.

WHOLESALE General investments for economies of scale production and proďŹ t by large organizations for central distribution nodes.

WATER Grey water harvesting, Water retention urban schemes for soil-based and unenclosed farming.

MEDICAL Special medicinal microgreens medical extracts can be supplied to nearby institutions.

ELECTRICITY Off and on grid power to power the urban network system

RETAIL Smaller scale niche markets for culinary schools, restaurants and cafes.

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INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

RENEWABLE RESOURCE ECOSYSTEM


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DESIGN FOR AUTOMATION — Page 90 to 103

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Architecture for robots, humans and plants


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


HISTORY & OVERVIEW —Synopsis

A broader view of the effect of robots on architecture is due and can inform how the practice of urban farming and architecture will be integrated with robotics and manifest itself the future of Singapore. The process of revisiting architecture of the past, reviewing current architectural process

Top: Programmed Wall, ETH Zurich 2006 Left: Illustration by Andrew Rae Top: © ETH Zurich 2006 Left: © Andrew Rae

43 Molloy C. Jonathan. “5 Robots Revolutionizing Architecture’s Future” 28 Feb 2013. Web.

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Robots intrigue humans with their ability to move through programs and is deemed to be intellectually seductive. They can be found in books, and movies and they glorify even the simplest task into a display of intellectual splendor. They are widely used by industrial manufacturers for economies of scale however it its only in recent years that they have begun to grow into an indispensable tool for architects and the generation of architecture. Although architectural theorist have tried project a future of robots in architecture such as Archigram in their “Walking City”, not many have thought to realise architecture through robots43.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Proliferation of robotic employment


HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

and its integration with new robotic implements, and looking into the future to envision the potential of robots in architecture, will see how a new hybrid architecture of robots, food and building will be realised.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

— Synopsis

AUTOMATION The natural step to take is to automate past processes with robotic implements. At the infancy of architectural robotics, experiments adopted industrial logic of design for material assembly where robots were used to increase precision and assembly speed using traditional building elements. This is seen widely in the automotive industry RE-WORKING ARCHITECTURAL PROCEDURE Architects and designers are now thinking of procedures that were impossible without the aid of robots. Advanced robotic digital fabrication experiments are prevalent at Gramazio and Kohler Research, California

College of Arts, Sci Arc, IAAC to cite many.44 With the plethora of generative construction methods, robots need to be designed specifically for their specialised construction process. Robots need not be thought out to take on humanoid forms as the procedure informs the shape and forms construction robots need to take. These construction process extends to the specificity of urban farming RE-THINKING ARCHITECTURE The existence of robots engenders a new paradigm for the built environment as architecture will change with the possibilities set out through automation and generative construction procedures. Buildings in the future can be reconfigured on a need basis, with robots being responsible for these reconfiguration works, constant building reuse, and maintenance. Urban farms in future thus needs to be rethought to employ robots at a scale to fundamentally change architecture for plants, robots and humans.

Top: Myriad of robotic implements in 2016 Right: Constant building maintenance performed by robots 44 Petr Novikov and DOM. Architectural robots: The shape of the robots that will shape your home. Web.

Top © Robohub Right © ARUP


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


HISTORY AND OVERVIEW — Brief Timeline LAWS OF 1942 3ROBOTICS

HUMANOID 1206 EARLY AUTOMATA

Asimov wrote "Runaround", a story about robots which contained the "Three Laws of Robotics"

Created early humanoid automata, programmable automaton band, Robot band, hand-washing automaton, automated moving peacocks, Al-Jazari

3

YAN SHI ARTIFICER

One of the earliest descriptions of automata appears in the Lie Zi text, on a much earlier encounter between King Mu of Zhou (1023–957 BC) and a mechanical engineer known as Yan Shi, an 'artificer'. The latter allegedly presented the king with a life-size, human-shaped figure of his mechanical handiwork.

1898 NIKOLA TESLA Demonstrates first radio controlled vessel called teleautomation

1495

01

LEONARDO DA VINCI

01

Design for a humanoid robot called the mechanical knight

PL 1921 THE R.U.R

01

420

B.C.E

FLYING BIRD

A wooden, steam propelled bird, which was able to fly by Archytas of Tarentum

10

AD

DESCRIPTION OF AUTOMATA

Descriptions of more than 100 machines and automata, including a fire engine, a wind organ, a coin-operated machine, and a steam-powered engine, in Pneumatica and Automata by Heron of Alexandria

01

1920

1900

94

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

B.C.E.

1902

FIRST US FACTORY FOR TRACTORS

Hart and Parr are credited with coining the term "tractor" for the traction engine.

1709 DIGESTING DUCK Mechanical duck that was able to eat, flap its wings, and excrete by Jacques de Vaucanson

The term "robot" wa used in a play called "R.U.R." or "Rossum' Universal Robots" by Czech writer Karel C The plot was simple makes robot then ro kills man!


1961

1ST INSTALLED INDUSTRIAL ROBOT

2001 -

The first industrial robot was online in a General Motors automobile factory in New Jersey. It was called UNIMATE.

The popular Roomba a robotic vacuum cleaner was first released in 2002 Cornell University revealed a self-replicating robot able to build copies of itself.

ROBOT 1956 1ST COMPANY

1948

01

as first d s y the Capek. e: man obot

BIOMIMICRY

British robotics pioneer William Grey Walter invented robots Elmer and Elsie that mimic lifelike behavior using very simple electronics.

1997 PATH FINDER NASA's PathFinder landed on Mars. The wheeled robotic rover sent images and data about Mars back to Earth.

Self driving cars first appeared in the mid 2000 but in 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge, none succeeded. In 2005 Honda revealed a new version of the ASIMO robot.

01

Commercial and industrial robots are currently in widespread use for cheaper and more accurate work than humans.

DIGITAL COMPUTER

First general purpose digital computer called the whirlwind.

FIRST SELF1938 PROPELLED COMBINED HARVESTER In Australia, Massey-Harris introduces the first self-propelled combine—a thresher and reaper in a single machine—not drawn by a tractor or horse.

01

1963

1973

2020

2000

1980

1940

1960

95

01

1946

INDUSTRIAL ROBOT ARM

First industrial robot with six electromechanically driven axes by KUKA Robot Group

ROBOT ARM

1994 GPS USAGE

the first artificial robotic arm to be controlled by a computer was designed. The Rancho Arm was designed as a tool for the handicapped and it's six joints gave it the flexibility of a human arm.

Ushering in the new "precision agriculture," farmers begin using Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to record precise locations on their farms to determine which areas need particular quantities of water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Top: Timeline of Robotics Interpreted by Author https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-ofrobots-1992363 Robot Shop, History of Robotics: Timeline. 2008

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity also landed on the same year.

George Devol and Joseph Engelberger formed the world's first robot company. Squee, the electronic robot squirrel invented.

LAY

ROBOTIC REVOLUTION


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

AGRIBOTS & ARCHITECTURE

PRECISION AGRICULTURE It appears to be that farming is about to undergo another revolution within the next decade with the use of precision equipment and self-driven farming implements and this makes one wonder how would robots meant for construction in the urban environment be used in the ecosystem of urban farming. In the field of non-urban agriculture, robots are being utilised for what is known as precision agriculture, one that processes Big Data, aerial imagery to increase agricultural yield Agricultural drones perform tasks like aerial monitoring and inspection to offer feedback on crop yield efficiency, heat stress experienced by crops amongst other relevant data such the farmer is better able to make an informed, localised and specific decision to remedy issues faced on his /her farmland.

High-tech automation of agriculture have brought about staggering improvements in agriculture thanks to precise response to in terms of resource efficiency. In 2005, the United States launched a second civil signal on GPS satellites, increasing bandwidth for agricultural applications and has plans to launch a third civil signal dedicated to agriculture and water informatics45. Big Data in agriculture made available to the masses is transforming food production and making the practice more accessible for the individual. With smart tracking from satellite information and global information, as well as self-driving systems. farming can operate almost independently from the environment and is not limited by time factors.46 “The application of swarm robotics to precision agriculture represents

Top: Productivity is measured in bushels (dry crop yield) per acre. Green indicates areas of high yield, and red indicates low yield, pointing to a drain on resources. Photo © MKThink 45 GPS.Gov. “Applications: Agriculture.” National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. 12 October 2016. Web.

46 Castle Et. Al. “Precision Agriculture Usage and Big Agriculture Data”. Cornhusker Economics. 27.March.2015. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Web.


As Agribots see its application in the urban environment, it begins to transform architecture through engaging the urban populace. Caleb Harper states in his interview49 that what inspired him to develop his smallscale solution to provide access to

Left: Swarms of precision agriculture robots could help put food on the table Left © ECHORD++

Top: Self Driving Tractor Top © CNH Industrial/Case IH 47 Trianni, Vito Et. Al. “Swarms of precision agriculture robots could help put food on the table“ 21 Oct 2016. Web.

48 Tobe, Frank “Digital farms are already a reality” 10 Nov 2016. Web. 49 Harper, Caleb. “The farming of the future looks nothing like it does today.” 29 Jun 2016. Web.

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DIGITAL FARMS Robotic automation is already commonplace in the increasingly automated world of today and is exemplified in milking systems as well

as precision agricultural techniques mentioned earlier in the dronemounted cameras. EGATEC A/S specializes in automated end-of-line packaging and palletizing solutions. They are an integrator. Rosborg Denmark is a nursery that grows and sells miniature flowerpots and spices. Rosborg is one of EGATEC’s clients and the two are working together to automate Rosborg’s end-of-line packaging process – a step that presently handles 12 million plants per year and which is done entirely by hand by 40-60 people48.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

a paradigm shift with a tremendous potential impact” says Dr. Vito Trianni, SAGA project coordinator and researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies of the Italian National Research Council (ISTC-CNR)47. With economies of scale as well as increasingly compact robotic housing as well as improved capabilities of robots solutions are forecasted to target at the level of the singular plant entity. With swarm robotics, these technologies can be scaled to a desired size, acting only when necessary. This impacts the organization in the urban environment where farming is foreseen to infiltrate.


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AGRIBOTS & ARCHITECTURE

food in the Open Agriculture Initiative at MIT Media Lab was during his trip to Minamisanriku, Japan in 2011 in the wake of the Japanese tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster whereby the contamination of the land as well as the migration of youths to urban centres for tech jobs in Sendai and Tokyo led to the identification of the problem of continuation of farming know-how in Japan with “no water, no youth, no land and no future”. This offered a new and innovative way to tackle such a problem through engaging the changing demographic of people in urban centres, where farming independent from the natural environment become the appeal to rope in the bright, STEM-oriented future generations.

Top: Smart sub-urban agriculture Right: Constant building maintenance performed by robots Top © Nesta.Org Right © OpenAG MIT Media Lab


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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

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— Robot Limits

HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION AND COLLABORATION In a situation where human-robot collaborative tasks are carried out, such as the act of augmented farming in urban centres as envisioned in the thesis, it preconditions a space where human-robot processes need to be thought out and defined. The farming aspects adds complexity in a way that the actors — the plant, the robot and man, need to communicate to ensure the overall safety as well as the systems productivity. The factors that affect the system include its dimensions, typology and operation and is non exhaustive. Due to the variations of farming, robot processes would require different layouts, defining different boundary conditions for human-robot-plant interaction. With reference to conventional humanrobot interaction, the concept of human-robot collaboration is not new as research have been conducted for control algorithms and multi modal interfaces for regulation of the part

movement by both the operator and the robot. A set of guidelines thus need to be developed for considerations during the design of a human-robotplant collaborative environment. Although the functionality and productivity of human-robot-plant hybrid systems is in part a motion planning problem, proper spatial layout and configuration can allow for higher human robot co-operation for the efforts of a safe and productive humanrobot-plant environment. Besides the current considerations for design of human robot workspace such as crash safety, proximity safety, speed, power and force limits accomplished through soft and hard stops, there needs to be additional consideration for the human as well as plant aspects. These include the growth height of the plants as well human error int the pre, peri and post collaborative process, thereby affecting the calibration of robotic systems from the arising inaccuracies in the coordinates of the workpiece in relation to the robot.

Top: Joint traces of robot wrist limits Right: Working zone of robots and humans 50 George Michalos Et. Al. Design consideration for safe human-robot collaborative workspace. 2015

Top © Stylianos Dritsas Right © George Michalos Et. Al.


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DESIGN STRATEGIES

HUMAN-ROBOT PLANT INTERACTION The progressively integrated work environments of humans and robots is the result for increased need for efficiency, flexibility and productive. Human robot interaction systems are classified according to two categories: “workspace sharing” or “workspace time sharing”51. The human and robot are able to perform either single or cooperative tasks in both categories. This system can be classified further based on the degree of interaction between the user and robot. The robot and human user could have a common task and separate workspace, shared task and workspace or common task with separate workspace.

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—Spatial configurations

With urban farming typologies set out in the previous section, hybrid spatial layouts could arise based on specific solutions catered to individual needs of the end user. Such spatial layouts are largely dependent on the desired human robot interaction as well as the urban farming typology employed in the building. An example would be that a facade farming system would have a challenge implementing a system whereby the storage solutions are at the periphery. The natural intuition is to have zoned spaces for the robot to operate such that it is in close proximity to the facade urban farm typology.

51 Krüger J, Lien T, Verl A. Cooperation of Human and Machines in Assembly Lines. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 2009; 58 (2): 628–46. doi:10.1016/j. cirp.2009.09.009.

Hence both the employed urban farm typology as well as the current standards of design and deployment of human robot collaborative work cells will guide the spatial division in buildings so as to further the goals of food production the tackle the global food crisis. The variables affecting the hybrid human-robot-plant interaction can be attributed to: • The type of robot (dual/single arm) • The robot’s payload • The workpiece geometry • The robot motion based on end effector and production process

Shared Task + Workspace [ Inactive Robot }

Shared Task + Workspace [ Active Robot ]

Shared Task Separate Workspace

Shared Task + Workspace

Above: Diagram to show the taxonomy of human robot collaboration


Compartmentalization of Space — Possible office space

Radial arrangement — Possible workshop space

Zoning of space — Possible education space

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ROBOT STORAGE WORKSPACE FLEXIBLE SPACE

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Linear Division of Space — Possible retail space for produce


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APPLICATION TO DHOBY GHAUT GREEN

Dhoby Ghaut as an Educational Testbed

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— Page 106 to 127


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Orange Grove

Farrer Park Park

M onk k's H ill Monk's Hill C airnhill Cairnhill

T anglin Tanglin One Tree Hill

Mackenzie

Boulevard

Mount Be enc coole en Bencoolen Emily S elegie Selegie

Somerset

P aterson Paterson

ungei Sungei L ittle India India S Little Road

Istana Ne egara a Negara

Leonie Hill

Oxley

Glam

Victoria

Dhoby Ghaut

Fort Canning

Institution Hill

Rochor C anal K Canal ampong Kampong

Bugis

Bras h Basah

City y Hall

Marina Centre

Clarke Quay

R obertson Robertson Quay

M arina East Ea s t Marina

Boat Quay Pearl's P earl's s Hill

China p S quare Phillip Square

Cliff fford Pier Clifford

Raff f les Place Raffles P eoplle''s People's Park

Bayfront S ubzone Subzone

M axwelll Maxwell Cecil Chinatown Ta T njong Tanjong P agar C Pagar entral Subzone Subzone Central

Marina South

A nson Anson S traiits V iew Straits View

Š 2016 Singapore Land Authority/Urban Authority/ y Urban Redevelopment Authority

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Note: N ote: Published map is based on Urban Redevelopment U rban R edevelopment Authority's Master Plan 2014 planning area boundaries and Singapore Authority's Sing gap pore Land Authority y's 2016 Singapore island profile. The T he Master Master Plan Plan 2014 2014 is is a forward looking guiding plan for Singapore's development in the medium term over the next 10 to 15 years and the may not ay n ot planning boundaries planning b oundaries m coincide with the existing developments devellopments for for some areas.


DHOBY GHAUT GREEN —Synopsis

Top: Image by Author Left © SLA/URA

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Top Left: Image of Dhoby Ghaut Green Left: Central Master Plan

Dhoby Ghaut at the heart of the museum core in URA’s master plan is selected as a possible site for the testbed of the envisioned decentralised food hub so as to propel the propagation of urban food production infrastructure to be developed over the years. The site is chosen to be in the region north of the Singapore river, south of Rochor canal and bounded in the west and east by Buyong Road and North Bridge Road. It is selected due to the diversity of programs and building styles with modernist buildings beside art deco shop houses and old shopping complexes. It offers the possibilities of subsidiary program extension of the urban farm by means of proximity to a diverse range of programs ranging from office buildings to retail and arts museums but most importantly it offers a position in a network of institutional facilities such as a Management University, a College for the fine arts as well as Secondary and Tertiary institute for the arts

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Melting pot of the arts education and entertainment. Can it be the new agritech park?


HISTORY & OVERVIEW

Dhoby Ghaut or Dhobi Ghat literally means washing place in Hindi, from dhobi “washerman” or one that does laundry and ghat, generically meaning a large open space. As a place, Dhoby Ghaut lies along the southern end of Orchard Road.52

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—Dhoby Ghaut Green

Dhoby Ghaut used to be an old-world charm back in the colonial days with its iconic landmark The Cathay Building, Singapore’s first air-conditioned public place. Opened on 3 October 1939 the cinema was considered a sky scraper and was a keystone to the development of the local film industry.53 Another important piece of history for Singapore is the Fort Canning Park which was established by the British in 1859 as a fort and is located near the heart of Dhoby Ghaut. Prior to the British, Fort Canning was known as Bukit Larangan or Forbidden Hill. It was said that Bukit Larangan was where the sultans of ancient Singapore were buried. The tombstone of

Sultan Iskandar Shah, the last king of Singapore can be found there. The former St Joseph’s Institute now Singapore Art Museum established in 1867 built in a classical style reminiscent of the European Renaissance. The school gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992 re-opened as a museum in 1996 In 2005 Singapore Management University emerged nearby in the Bras Basah Park area. Other notable landmarks in the area include Chijmes, Asian Civilisation Museum, Armenian Street and the Substation.

Top: The Cathay pre 2000s Top Right: The Cathay now 2016 Right: Laundry activities of Dhobi in the past 52 http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.sg/2012/03/ways-donein-past-laundry-services.html 53 Vernon Cornelius-Takahama & Ong Eng Chuan. Cathay Building. Singapore Infopedia 20 Apr 2017

Top: © National Library Board Top Right: Image by Author Right: © National Archives Singapore


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AN INSTITUTIONAL TESTBED

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—Urban Design

INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE Perhaps the most important factor for the selection of the site is the campus infrastructure present on site to support the establishment of the urban farm network in phases for the efforts of a food producer city that would enjoy continuation as it is proposed to appeal to the newer generation. The proposal of automation of farming in the urban environment depends largely on continuation of farming practice as the growth and innovation in farming is essential for a resilient vertical city centre. Dhoby Ghaut is largely vegetated like most of Singapore and like most other urban sites in Singapore, offer available vertical greenspace for repurpose, reconfiguration, reorganization and reconstruction, transforming green hogwashed architecture into farmable green space, all driven towards a decentralised food production 54 URA. Skyline May/June 2000, Planning for a city university campus SMU unveils its campus master plan.

network for the future of urban farming in Singapore. As a polished urban plan, it would be highly applicable in business intensive sites like the Downtown Core, however as an initial prototype, it seems likely to flourish in an educational setting and with institutional buyers for local produce, attract investors in future to expand into a robust and integrated agribusiness with architecture. Dhoby Ghaut differentiates it from sites like Orchard as well as the Central Business District in the Downtown Core (refer to central master plan) precisely due to the institutional presence in the area such as the presence of Lasalle College of the arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, School of the Arts and Singapore Management University.

Top: Singapore Management University Masterplan in 2000 Top: © URA


At the urban level, direct connectivity appear to be operable by UAVs that could move between institutions for cross institutional transportation of produce and subsidiary services which can be seen in the diagrams below.

Central nodes from the minimum spanning tree could operate as collection facilities for green. It can be noted that the rise of urban farming in the region is recent and non-trivial. On Jan 6, 2015, SMU launched GROW, an environmental initiative that promotes green and sustainable efforts both inside and outside of the classroom.55 However as a viable plan for the producer city, decentralised planting nodes need to be more extensive and expansive so as to garner greater outreach to the younger populace as well as spur the STEM oriented youths towards agricultural and architectural innovation.

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Top: Speculation on propagation of urban farming on an institutional level Top: Image by Author 55 Ho, Olivia. SMU launches Grow initiative. The Straits Times 6 Jan 2015. Print.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

As part of the city campus master plan, Stamford Road was realigned and reduced to three lanes of traffic resulting in a more pedestrian friendly environment. Steps and terraces leading up to Fort Canning Hill were also built as part of the plan to provide visual and pedestrian connection between Bras Basah Park and the Fort Canning Park.54


DHOBY GHAUT URBAN ANALYSIS & URBAN STRATEGIES CURRENT STATE OF DHOBY GHAUT Currently Dhoby Ghaut is considered as a remote part of the Civic District which was home to Singapore’s early administrative and cultural centre. It the site of many historic buildings. As part of the Museum district she has her fair share of historic buildings such as The Cathay, Istana, Singapore Art Museum formerly Saint Joseph Institution. They have largely been reused for arts, educational and cultural facilities. With Bras Basah and Bugis in close proximity to the Civic District, the enhancement to pedestrian connectivity and public space will provide more spaces for street-based

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—Overview activities and improve the walkability of the area. Owing to the locality of the site along the major arterial road of Orchard leading to the business district in the Downtown core, much of the establishments in the surrounding are divided to the north and south. Coupled with the natural terrain and higher position of Fort Canning building circumbulate the hilly terrain and have a very natural urban form. The two main public transportation nodes that service the area are Dhoby Ghaut MRT and Bras Basah MRT.

Dhoby Ghaut MRT

Bras Basah MRT

Top: 3d Massing of Figure Ground of Site Right: Plan View of Site Top,Right: Image by Author


Dhoby Ghaut MRT

Bras Basah MRT

56 URA Draft Master Plan 2013 Central Area

113

URA engages the different stakeholders and agencies to craft a vibrant landscape of activities for the different precincts - Marina Bay, Singapore River, Orchard Road, Civic District and Bras Basah.Bugis. Dhoby Ghaut being in the Bras Basah Bugis is in a strategic position to place itself as

the heart of agri-technology, the place of culinary fine arts, agricultural art and agribusiness and management— a melting pot of urban farming finesse marinated with technology. A way to make itself a landmark as a first of its kind institutional food network that compliments the existing urban fabric.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FUTURE OF DHOBY GHAUT According to URA’s growth strategies for the city areas such as the CBD, Marina Bay, Marina South, River Valley, Pearl’s Hill, and the Ophir-Rochor area. Every development will be within a 5 to 10 minutes’ walk to transport nodes, shops, restaurants, cultural attractions and recreational spaces. Furthermore to build upon the urban design and conservation efforts in Singapore, URA plans to focus on place-making and place management so as to inject vibrancy and delight to the different districts so that people to make them more memorable56.


DHOBY GHAUT URBAN ANALYSIS & URBAN STRATEGIES Laselle

SOTA Singapore Management University

Residential Commercial Tourism Education Place of Worship Retail

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

NAFA

LANDUSE

120 m

3m

BUILDING HEIGHTS Top: Image by Author Bottom: Image by Author


115

Downtown Line NE Line NS Line Circle Line EW Line

PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY Top: Image by Author Bottom: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

GREEN ROOF POSSIBILITIES


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

FACADE PLANTING In the case studies presented in the book Green Walls in High-Rise Buildings, the average coverage of facades by greenery is approximately 20%.57 In the vision of the integrated institutional food network, facade farming systems similar to those in Pasona O2 could be considered in Singapore.

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—Facade farming

The benefits of green walls cannot be further emphasised, with improved building energy efficiency, environmental filtering thus enhancing air quality, health benefits, envelope protection, noise buffering, agricultural production, increased property value. It also has a profound effect at the urban scale , reducing urban heat island, providing visual connection and increasing biodiversity. For the food network, an initial full length green treatment of the facades to visualize the impact on the urban environment. As facade planters tend to be standardized and homogeneous, future iterations can serve to break the homogeneity and allow for the injection of pods for facade monitoring and also robotic reconfiguration of the facades. Similar to the green wall at One PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, green facades can be used as advertisements and public appeal with robots able to moderate them insofar that they could become the “green robot electronic billboard”.

Above: Biber Tech US Pavilion for Milan Above: © Saverio Lombardi Vallauri

Above: Facade Planters Above © Saverio Lombardi Vallauri

Above: Green Wall Logo 57 Wood Et. Al. Green walls in high-rise buildings. 2015.

Above © One PNC


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Facade Placement of Urban Farms


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPES CPULs as outlined in the earlier sections serve not only to enliven the street scape but also to provide land for agriculture. In the integrated institutional food network, the provision of CPULs as a means of connecting buildings above ground would greatly improve the walkability of the area.

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— Green roof network

Furthermore with Fort Canning in close proximity, sky connectors to the nearby park can have positive spillover effects. Borrowing the food truck culture of USA, a transient food retail experience could happen especially during lunch hours since the Dhoby Ghaut area besides housing Institutions and cultural venues is home to businesses and shops. Usage of these sky connectors could be intensified during eating hours and when these hours are over they could serve as a recreational and tourism destination. Robotic maintenance and reconfigurations as well as drone sensing schedules could be streamlined for intensive and efficient growing and can operate on rails along the sky connectors.

Above: High Line Above: © Iwan Baan

Above: Linked Hybrid Above © Iwan Baan


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Direct Network Connection


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

MODULAR FARMS As an early visualization of how modular units could be employed in the city, rectangular pods were used to simulate a plug and play situation for the future of urban farming in the Integrated Institutional food network.

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— Modular farms

As much of the land space is already built up in the city, new retrofitted strategies could become common place in the museum core that can house a controlled environment for conducive plant growth. Holistic design strategies can apply to a fixed re-purposed central collection facility as well as the individual module and connection. These pods could take on more customized forms for the Singapore climate and the placement selection criteria will need to be more precise in future iterations. As with modular constructed systems, for better integration to existing infrastructure and buildings, one or a few customized formal structures can be designed such that the composition of custom modules with the repeated modules will inject diversity to the urban environment. In the far future with buildings as robots, buildings can be constantly reconfigured with newer modules and older modules can be propagated to other parts of the country that do not have such modules.

Above: Hive-Inn Above: © OVA Studio

Above: Modular Farms Above © Modularfarms.co


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Modular Pods


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

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— Food Circulation Connection DRONES AND GREENERY An initial network model using a grasshopper plug-in was used to simulate how individual nodes in SMU could be connected or would interact if an agent was spawned there. This could be a behaviour of drones and perhaps natural greenery growing under the influence of robots. Cargo drones and maintenance drones operate as objects and may not have any direct architectural influence. Even its relation to greenery at most seems remote. However in the integrated institutional food network, autonomous driving systems and unmanned aerial drones will operate and affect the built environment in terms of organization of airspace, these agents will be seen from the street scape and airspace thus can be designed in a way to host such activities not just limited parcel delivery.

.

Above: Starship drone Above: © Starship Technolgies

Mobile observatories for both plants and human could be possible in the future which could be further iterations of the initial visualization

Above: DHL Parcel Copter Above © Getty Images


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Agents representing Robots


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS

STACKED BUILDING RETROFIT The trend of farming shifting to peripheral areas has been outlined in the earlier sections throughout Singapore’s pre modern era. However Intensive food production facilities could provide healthier surroundings and could shift back into the city to provide shorter commute distances for a more pedestrian friendly society. Buildings can increase in density and yet provide the necessary green replacement through growing food.

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— Urban Retrofit

As a radical proposal 3 floors are stacked in a steel frame and placed atop buildings in the city to see the effect of this increase in density. With greenery occupying large portions of floor area, this thereby reduces the perceived density. Food production could appear disconnect to the urban fabric when levitated above the buildings yet it offers visual interaction due to is prominence at a higher vantage point. People become reacquainted Future iterations could investigate the viability of stacked buildings, which buildings to stack and how high as a way to intensify and provide the necessary food infrastructure for the city.

Above: Illustration of Vertical Farming Above: © Bruce McCall

Above: Vertical Factories in the city Above © Evolo.us


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Integrate Food Hub RetroďŹ t


DESIGN EXPLORATIONS — Urban Retrofit

The provision of inter connections at different levels in the museum core for functional requirements such as transportation will determine which edges are significant and should be retained. The utility of these bridges will be varied and robots can occupy them to manoeuvre and operate these space when not in use for planting

Above: Terreform, Post Carbon City State Above: © Terreform

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ELEVATED INTERCONNECTIVITY The narrative of reworking the already built up environment of the museum core leads to thinking about program linkages and relationships in a cluster like SMU

A delaunay triangulation is used to connect each of the nodes to visualize the density and intensity of each of the nodes with node having greater connections being a more intensive node. This is a simple method to obtain direct connectivity. The assumption used in this iteration is a single node per building object. Future iterations would consider more complex relationships for better programmatic integration for the integrated institutional food network. Above: Skyscraper retrofit, an evolo skyscraper proposal Above © Evolo.us


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Above: Image by Author

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Above: Integrate Food Hub RetroďŹ t


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— Page [129] to [131]

Dhoby Ghaut as an Social Concentrator

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PROGRAMMATIC PROPOSAL FOR DHOBY GHAUT


PROPOSED PROGRAMMES IN DHOBY GHAUT PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS From the data calculation using the comparison of hydroponic and conventional growing systems57 the food production requirements of the proposed food hub can be calculated. From the data it can be shown that the gross food intake per person annually is approximately 180 -200kg. With the downtown core having a resident population of 3700 in 2015,58 to feed the population with only lettuce heads would require an additional land area of 16 000 m2 considering an intensive food production facility.

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—City Farming Machine

As a modest comparison to the built environment in the area, 16 000 m2 is about two-third the size of the proposed SMU school of law.59 of 22 000 m2 and one-fifth the size of the SMU city campus with 8 land parcels totaling 7.76 ha with the total built area being 97 809 m2. This shows that the plot ratio of the area is only at about 1.25 for the city campus. Feeding 3700 people out of the 5.7 million people living in Singapore is a very small proportion. Also 3700 represents the resident populace which may not be representative of the more transient population in the region. In considering the number of shoppers in Orchard road a few streets up of the Dhoby Ghaut area, close to 9000 visitors per hour frequent Orchard road on a typical Saturday.60

Considering regenerative design principles(shown below) as well as looking at the proposed scheme as a means for the evolution of Singapore into a producer city through the proposed city farming machine, it seems reasonable to envision an intensive means of production for 10 times the resident populace to feed at least 37 000 residents without the need for import in the downtown and museum core of Singapore. With the assumption of hybrid facilities to complement the growing facilities the additional area to be extracted would be set to a quarter of the growing areas hence the total built area to be at 200 000 m2, about 2 times the existing SMU. From the principles gathered in the previous sections, for a sustainable decentralised food network, institutional engagement and public outreach is critical.

REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS

REGENERATIVE

RESTORATIVE

SUSTAINING MORE ENERGY

LESS ENERGY

‘GREEN’

CONVENTIONAL

DEGENERATIVE DEGENERATIVE SYSTEMS

Top: A field of design practice 57 Guilherme Et. Al. Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponic vs. Conventional Agricultural Methods. 58 Singstat.gov.sg

Above: Diagram by Author 59 “BREAKING GROUND FOR NEW SCHOOL OF LAW BUILDING.” Smu.edu.sg. 23 Jan. 2014. Web.


As a result the components necessary for the proposed city farming network are as such:

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

DOWNTOWN CORE

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PUBLIC OUTREACH PRODUCTION FACILITIES

~Approx. 70% Efficient

LIVE

GROW

RESEARCH

TOTAL AREA 200 000 m2

9% 18 000 m2

24% 48 000m2

3% 6 000 m2

OBJECT

Studio

Farm Module

UNIT

Double unit

Farming Establishment

RetroďŹ tted Farming Machine

BUILDING

ROBOTICS 24% 48 000 m2

SHARE 6% 12 000 m2

OUTREACH 6% 12 000 m2

Robot Computer

Workshop

Mobile Lab

Food Labs

Robot Main frame

Education Pods

Media Studio

Research Centre

Robot plant

Food Market

Top: Population distribution of downtown core Above: Distribution of programs 60 DataSpark. How well do you know your shopper n.d. Web.

Top: Data from Singstat.gov.sg Above: Table by Author

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TECHNOPRENEUR ENGAGEMENT


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DESIGN EXPLORATIONS — Page [133] to [147]

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Outline of Design Strategies and Operations, Initial Designs & Grounding to Site


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PARKS AND WATERBODIES

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CONSERVATION AREAS

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0.00%

11.12%

40.08%

6.19%

0.00%

41.90%

7.38%

28.93%

4.84%

0.00% 0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

33.29%

5.53%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

29.15%

1.57%

0.00%

5.64%

0.00%

18.21%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

10.61%

6.27%

2.82%

0.00%

4.99%

5.28%

6.45%

15.59%

0.00%

0.00% 0.00% 1.87%

0.00%

9.00%

0.00%

5.41%

8.64%

6.56%

4.46%

22.59%

11.47% 2.18%

2.50%

5.56%

0.00%

8.32% 7.02%

3.90%

6.37%

35.79%

25.86

1.07%

20.86%

6.00%

24.54%

10.49%

0.00%

0.00% 0.00%

2.52% 2.48%

6.33%

2.09%

1.83%

13.93%

34.14%

0.00%

6.58%

0.00%

17.52%

18.39%

2.46%

4.40%

95.00

0.00%

3.25%

37.78%

0.00% 0.00%

0.00% 0.00%

21.75%

38.49%

16.70%

0.00%

1.37%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

20.39%

5.04% 2.03%

6.28%

24.82%

0.00%

54.18%

21.91%

11.37%

6.15%

0.00%

44.51%

21.32%

7.43%

32.62%

0.99%

0.00%

10.20%

47.89%

18.26%

0.00%

2.49%

65.53% 24.70% 24.02%

0.00%

6.74%

12.35%

0.00%

40.26%

6.50%

5.66%

65.84% 26.60%

34.93

4.15%

15.39%

0.00%

7.55%

3.06%

40.22%

1.35%

0.00%

6.30%

13.04%

19.37%

8.86%

36.10%

24.26%

4.38%

5.79%

8.93%

8.64%

25.71%

3.87%

3.27%

34.38%

7.75%

4.49%

0.00%

9.51%

6.50%

0.98%

0.00%

8.29%

57.01% 18.94%

21.80%

14.59%

13.28%

2.41%

10.23%

6.62%

57.42%

6.84%

2.33%

14.24%

3.65%

4.15%

31.06%

0.00%

8.69%

19.91%

14.08%

0.00%

6.61%

16.85%

76.71% 109.63%

7.65%

8.23%

8.87%

50.21%

40.91%

7.02%

11.58%

0.00% 0.00%

0.00%

49.82%

1.20%

0.00%

54.43%

11.01%

12.81%

80.45%

4.38%

32.88% 41.89% 28.29% 32.35%

21.60%

0.00%

15.62%

19.28%

20.81% 0.00%

7.45%

0.00%0.00%

4.00%

20.97% 0.00% 0.00%

2.56%

4.55%

38.62%

20.12% 0.00%

36.13%

3.55%

10.42%

37.96%

2.37%

4.43%

7.75%

4.26%

0.00%

7.13%

14.89% 0.00%

4.27%

3.54%

6.18%

12.49%

8.90%

0.00%

13.06% 5.09%

16.77%

13.48%

0.45%

1.19%

12.43%

7.32%

8.86%

6.57%

2.34%

29.01%

26.07%

5.65%

3.85% 3.40% 0.00% 6.37%

1.08%

9.34%

59.61%

0.00%

1.24%

60.75%

6.78%

2.48%

7.10% 4.74%

3.96%

29.33%

7.92%

N

10.39%

0.00% 0.00%

1:10000 SCALE 0

100

200

500 METRES

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

SURFACE GREENERY AMOUNT

0.00%

0.00%

0.00% 0.00%

LOW

7.69%

6.79%

7.31%

140

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

0.00%

2.17%

60.66%

HIGH

0.00%

Top: Surface Greenery

Top: Image by Author

62.89%

37.26% 30.41% 25.20%

3.70%


0.00

2.40

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.39

2.15 0.00

0.89

0.00

2.43

2.10 2.56

1.78

2.05

0.00 1.43 0.00

0.00

0.00

5.94

0.00

0.59

2.41

2.74 2.94

0.00

1.10

1.96

1.75

0.46

1.36

1.02

0.00

11.13

0.82 0.00

7.18

1.70

1.80

0.36

0.00

0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00

0.00

1.82

1.87

0.00 0.00

2.48

2.46

2.66

0.81

2.57

3.59

4.48

2.17 2.69

0.67

0.00

3.11

2.26

2.23

0.00

2.09

2.85

4.98

3.88 2.02

2.26 0.26

3.33

2.78

3.81

1.64

2.44

2.28

2.11

3.97

1.96

3.01 2.66

6.57

2.69 2.72

1.65

2.43

1.93

2.56 2.67

2.48

1.81

2.24

1.89

0.89

2.89

3.80

2.89

2.98

1.32

1.82

0.00

0.00

2.35

0.00

2.17

1.37

4.93

3.14

1.41

1.97

1.34

2.65

0.00

1.97

2.39

9.08

4.18

0.00

0.00

0.00 0.00

22.16

3.18

0.22

2.20

1.83

0.00 0.000.00

1.03 1.15

1.36 1.26

6.35

0.00

1.18

2.36

0.75 0.00

0.00

0.0

1.71

4.62

2.60

1.40

0.26

1.02

1.31

0.38

4.98

2.02 0.00

0.00

0.93

2.93

1.81

0.00

8.89 5.26

1.71

3.52

0.00

2.17

0.002.08

1.92

4.86

7.25

1.79

4.27

4.55

5.44

2.28

10.74 2.730.00 0.00

0.00

2.50 0.27

7.21

0.00 0.0 0.00 0.00

2.12

2.24

1.63

3.45

2.48

0.56

4.53

0.00

3.68

7.00

1.74

0.00

0.00

2.73

38.64

3.62

0.00

10.17

3.12

4.54

3.28

0.00

3.52

0.00

1.99

0.00 0.72

0.00

2.50

1.02

0.00

8.85 0.00 0.76

0.21

1.90

6.18

7.40 0.00 0.00

0.00

2.51 0.00

2.95

0.00 7.31

3.51

0.00

2.96 1.79

0.00

0.46

0.00

1.41

4.60

0.00

2.87 0.00

0.00

2.28

10.63

0.61

2.64

5.89

0.00

1.39

0.00

0.00

1.15

1.30

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00 0.00

1.42

16.34

0.00 0.00

0.33

0.00

0.63

0.00

7.73 1.34

2.40 0.00

1.57

1.32

0.00 0.00 0.00

2.27 0.56

0.01

1.74

3.00

1.42

0.00

3.51

0.28

1.09

0.00

0.00 0.62

1.06

0.00 0.00

1.36

2.77

2.49

0.00

2.41

0.00

1.90

3.62

16.83

0.23

1.47

3.03

1.96

0.00

1.05

1.07

0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

2.76

0.00 0.04

1.94

0.43

1.98 1.82

0.00

2.67 0.00

0.00 0.00

0.94

2.34 0.00

0.00

N

2.27

1:10000 SCALE 0

100

1.08

1.93

0.00

9.78 0.00

200

0.80

2.05

2.18

2.00

500 METRES

2.33

PERCEIVED PLOT DENSITY

1.47 0.63

LOW

HIGH

1.27

3.09

2.36

Top: Plot Density

Top: Image by Author

1.29

141

1.79

0.00

6.14

7.21

4.35

2.58 0.00

1.95

1.03

0.00

1.97

3.62

0.00

0.00 1.43

1.43

1.84

2.25

5.06

2.04

1.68

0.94

0.00

0.00

2.69 1.36

3.52

0.46

5.04

1.95

6.63

3.18

0.06 0.00

4.74

0.16

12.33

1.55 0.00

1.32

0.7

0.00 0.00

2.28 2.58

1.81

2.46

0.14

2.06

1.43

1.85

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

0.78 0.00 0.00

1.30

2.64

4.24

3.88 0.35

0.00

1.31

2.36

0.31


SITE DEMARCATION —Focused Area of Intervention The buildings contained in the boundary are of a diverse program so that different typolgies of the surface farm can be tested and visualised. This can allow for a more cohesive and vibrant urban environment within the Museum core in Singapore.

This classiďŹ es the area into the land parcels contained in the diagonals connecting Dhoby Ghaut Mrt in the South West and Bugis in the North East, Rochor Station in the North West and City Hall in the South East.

142

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

SPECIFIC AREAS OF INTERVENTION The area of focus on the site is the land parcel bounded by the roads Princep Street in the West, Rochor Road in the North, Victoria Street in the East, Canning Road in the South.

Top: Abstract Diagrams Right: Satellite Image Top: Image by Author Right: Google Maps


143 114 43

THE TH THE HE FU F FUTURE UTU TUR T URE O UR OF FU URBAN RBA RB RBA BAN A ARCOLOGY: RCO RC R COLOG CO LO LO OG GY: Y: Towards Towa To war w arrd a dss a R Resilient esi e es sililie si lie ient nt C Ci Cit City ity F it Farming arm ar arm rmin in ng g Ma M Machine achi chi ch hine ne


SITE VISION

DEPOT FACADE Reconfigured Facade for Modular Containers

144

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

— Edible Farm Typologies

DEPOT SKYGARDEN Reconfigured Skygardens to Intensive Farms

Top: Concept Diagrams Right: Locus of Intervention Top,Right: Image by Author


1145 14 45

TH FU THE FUTURE UTUR TU UR RE O OF FU URBAN RBA BAN NA ARCOLOGY: RCO RCO OLO LO LOG OG GY Y:: Towards Towar To war wa a ds ds a Resi R Resilient esilie esi lie ie ent nt Cit C Ci City ity F it Farming arming arm n Ma ng Machi Machine chi h ne e


SITE VISION — Edible Farm Typologies

DEPOT TERMINUS Community Hub

146

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

DEPOT VARIATIONS Reconfigured Carparks

DEPOT ROOF GARDENS Community Farming/ Kitchen

Top: Concept Diagrams Right: Locus of Intervention Top,Right: Image by Author


1147 14 47

TH FU THE FUTURE UTUR TU UR RE O OF FU URBAN RBA BAN NA ARCOLOGY: RCO RCO OLO LO LOG OG GY Y:: Towards Towar To war wa a ds ds a Resi R Resilient esilie esi lie ie ent nt Cit C Ci City ity F it Farming arming arm n Ma ng Machi Machine chi h ne e


148

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


DESIGN PROPOSAL — Page [149] to [193]

149

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Edible Surfaces in a Robotically Networked Neighbourhood


150

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FROM SITE TO INTERVENTION

Top: Site Plan

Top: Image by Author


151

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Rooftop Farm Mapping


152

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FROM SITE TO INTERVENTION

Top: Site Plan

Top: Image by Author


153

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Rooftop Farm Mapping


154

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FROM SITE TO INTERVENTION

Top: Site Plan

Top: Image by Author


155

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Rooftop Farm Mapping


156

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FROM SITE TO INTERVENTION

Top: Site Plan

Top: Image by Author


157

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Rooftop Farm Mapping


158

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES


159

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Site Plan


ns

ee

Qu t

ree

St

Be nc oo len St ree t

oa

t

t

eR

ree

ree

dl

St

St

id

ia

loo

Pr inc ep St ree t

M

Vic to r

Wa te r

160

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Ro ch or Ro ad

d

Orchard Road

Site Plan

Top: Site Plan

Top: Image by Author


Site plot In relation with the building plot

Water Catchment to provide grey water for irrigation

Top: Rooftop Farm Mapping

Top: Image by Author

161

Metaball Connectivigy to the recorded sky gardens

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Recorded Sky Gardens on the site by NEA


162

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Connecting the Public Transport Network Middle Road Orchard Road

Weaving through Land Parcels & Main Roads

Top: Urban Concept Diagrams

Top: Image by Author


163

Bringing in Water from Rochor Canal

Top: Urban Concept Diagrams

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Building up the Depots


FARM

Production Facility

Collection Depots ROBOTS

164

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Elevated Park

URBAN

Production Facility

Elevated Park

Collection Depots

Top: Ecosystem diagram for the Urban Farming Machine

Top: Image by Author


Farm to Drone

Drone to Depot

ROBOTS

Drone to User

Depot to MRT

165

MRT to User

URBAN

Depot to Storage

Top: Drone Activity Diagram

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

FARM


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

166

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Elevated Park

Elevated Park Structure Plan

Top: Image by Author


167

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Skydeck Structure


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

La Selle

NAFA SOTA

168

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Production Facility

Dhoby Ghaut Green

National Library

Singapore Art Museum

National Museum

Singapore Management University

Drone Flight Plan

Top: Image by Author


169

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Farming Module Alternations


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

170

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Collection Depots

Drone Flight To Depot

Top: Drone Flight Plan in Plan View

Top: Image by Author


171

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Top: Depot operations through drones and public transport


172

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Top: Exploded Axonometric of Urban Farming Machine Elements Top: Image by Author


Parasitic

Eroded Corner

Bridging

Balcony

Initial Agent Spawn Point

Supporting Structure

0th Iteration

1st Iteration

173

Roof Condition

Next layer plane offset by 0.5 * diagonal

Aggregate Boundary

Approximation of actual roof condition

Urban surfaces in the city are populated with configurable farms using a diffuse limited aggregation model to maximise farmable area. Container farms aggregated on urban surfaces allow for varying urban conditions with maximum reconfigurability.

Branching Spread

Root Like Spread

Top: Outline of Algorithmic Model Used in Urban Scale Distribution of Farms Top: Image by Author

Crawling Spread

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Aggregation Strategy for Urban Surfaces


100% Density

50% Density

200% Density

Branching Spread, Central Spawn

Branching Spread, Central Spawn

Branching Spread, Central Spawn

X-Y Plane Orientation

X-Y Plane Orientation

X-Y Plane Orientation

100% Density

50% Density

200% Density

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

X-Y Plane Orientation

X-Y Plane Orientation

X-Y Plane Orientation

Urban Parametric Iterations

174

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Urban Parametric Iterations

100% Density

50% Density

200% Density

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

Crawling Spread, Corner Spawn

Bridge Facing Orientation

Bridge Facing Orientation

Bridge Facing Orientation

Top: Fragmented Farming Unit Spread Iterations

Top: Image by Author


175

Proximity Control for Increased Density Around Farming Depots

Top: Fragmented Farming Unit Spread Control

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Void Region Control for Undesired Retrofit Surfaces


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Building Facade Envelopes as Farms

Balconies as Farms

Building Extensions as Farms

Bridges as Farms

Ground Surfaces as Farms

Elevated Park Network as Farms

Roofing Additions as Farms

Roof Shelter as Farms

176

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

BUILDING TYPOLOGY STUDIES


0

50

100 m

ROOF FARM TYPOLOGY

177

Top: Rooftop Condition

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

1:2500 Farm Roof Plan


1:2500 Surface Farm Plan

0

50

100 m

SURFACE FARM TYPOLOGY

178

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Top: Surface Condition

Top: Image by Author


0

50

100 m

FACADE FARM TYPOLOGY

179

Top: Facade Condition

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

1:2500 Facade Farm Plan


1:2500 Bridging Farm Plan

0

50

100 m

BRIDGING TYPOLOGY

180

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Top: Bridging Condition

Top: Image by Author


50

100 m

SHELTER FARM TYPOLOGY

181

Top: Shelter Condition

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

1:2500 Shelter Farm Plan


182

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

UNIT

Top: Axonometric of the Fragmented Farm

Top: Image by Author


183

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


TRANSPORT

2.70 m

Various Drone Activities that operate above current vehicular traffic

184

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

6.00 m Different modes of the farm to table concept using technology

3.00 m

Top: Transportation Concept

Top: Image by Author


185

.BJOUFOBODF 6OJU

Top: Farming Floor & Maintenance

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Roof Farming Floor Section


FARMING x ROBOTS x PEOPLE

186

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Water Savings

Trackless Mobility

Fuel Efficient

Top: Container Farming Scheme

Top: Image by Author


187

Integrated Pest Management

Robot Farmer

Top: Floor Plan of Unit

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Autonomous Precision Irrigation


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Hybrid Working Spaces

MAINTENANCE Sustainable building facility management can be in place easily due to the rapid reconfigurability of container farming modules. The unit can be brough on site and off site easily through its modularity compared to conventional methods of vertical gardens

? Scale of Robots with Humans

Scale of Robots with Humans

188

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Workplace Sharing With Robots

Top: Maintenance Scheme

Top: Image by Author


189

ENERGY & WATER

Irrigation and Power Supply are provided in separated modules and are in close proximity to farming modules

Top: Floor Plan of Unit

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

1 : 50 Drone Dispatch/Receiving Module


ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Staircase utilizing sustainable materials Hybrid Farms i.e. manned & unmanned

190

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Vertical Cores for Robots and Plants

Water Catchment for Grey Water Harvesting

Storage & Transportation Preparation Drone Dispatch/ Drone Arrivals

Top: Isometric Plan of Farm

Top: Image by Author


Depots are co-located to be adjacent to transport railway networks such that vertical channels can created to facilitate transport of food to peripheral heartlands from the location of the city farming machine Additional carriages filled with food will latch onto the existing public transport system to provide public services

191

1: 50 Farming Module

Additional Carriages for Urban Farmed Foods to be transported to the heartlands of Singapore outside the Museum Core

1 to 100 Shaft -Shaft Connection

Top: Depot to MRT Connection

Top: Image by Author

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

DEPOTS


192

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

ROBOTICALLY NETWORKED EDIBLE SURFACES

Top: Day & Night Perspectives

Top: Image by Author


193

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Section Persepective @ Waterloo Street


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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine


REFERENCES — Page [195] to [197]

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

References & Additional Readings


REFERENCES

Websites/Publications/Newspaper “The Development of Agriculture.” Genographic Project. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017.

“Memo 2: A Timeline of Vertical Farming.” Shaping the Future of New York City. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. Apr. 2017. Trabucco, Dario. “150 years of reaching for the sky: the evolution of tall buildings.” URBAN HUB. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. “The Skycourt and Skygarden by Jason Pomeroy – book review by Tom Turner.” Garden Design and Landscape Architecture. N.p., 23 Mar. 2014. Web. Apr. 2017. Patrizi, Paolo. “Urban Farming.” Maptia. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017.

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THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

“History of agriculture.” History of agriculture - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017.

Kim, Leah. “Using Building to Feed Cities.” Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Brightfarmsystems.com. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. New York Sun Works. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Rosenwasser, Jake. “New York City’s Biggest Rooftop Farm.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. Apr. 2017. “Pasona H.Q. Tokyo.” Architizer. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Rosenfield, Karissa. “Remembering Paolo Soleri 1919-2013.” ArchDaily. N.p., 08 Apr. 2013. Web. Apr. 2017. M. S. Srinidhi. “Agrarian Urbanism and Vertical farming.” Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Barbesh, Mark. “THE Game Changer in Local Food System Development.” Linkedin. N.p., 15 June 2015. Web. Apr. 2017.

2017. Barbesh, Mark. “THE Game Changer in Local Food System Development.” Linkedin. N.p., 15 June 2015. Web. Apr. 2017. “Rethinking green infrastructure.” ARUP. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. “It’s Alive!” Arup | Publications | It’s Alive! N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. “Cities Alive: Rethinking green infrastructure.” Arup | Publications | Cities Alive: Rethinking green infrastructure. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Lim, Jean. “NEWater.” Infopedia. N.p., 06 Aug. 2009. Web. Apr. 2017. Ramesh, S. & Perry, M 2008, “Singapore Inflation remains low by international standards”, Channel News Asia, 3 February. Ifr. “Robots Create Jobs!” International Federation of Robotics. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Lewis, Collin. “New research ‘fears of technological change destroying jobs may be overstated’” RobotEnomics. N.p., 31 July 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Ong, Edward. “Automation the future of Singapore economy.” The Straits Times, 29 Apr. 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Singh, Bryna. “Vertical farms on the rise in land scarce Singapore.” The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings, 10 July 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Agritecture. “NEWS: Modular High Density Farming Using Shipping Containers on the Rise.” AGRITECTURE. N.p., 26 Mar. 2013. Web. Apr. 2017. Novikov, Petr, and DOM. “Architectural robots: The shape of the robots that will shape your home.” Robohub. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Molloy, Jonathan C. “5 Robots Revolutionizing Architecture’s Future.” ArchDaily. N.p., 27 Feb. 2013. Web. Apr.

“Agriculture.” GPS.gov: Agricultural Applications. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Castle, Mike, Bradley D. Lubben, and Joe Luck. “Precision Agriculture Usage and Big Agriculture Data.” Agricultural Economics. N.p., 27 May. 2015. Web. Apr. 2017. Trianni, Vito, Joris IJsselmuiden, and Ramon Haken. “Swarms of precision agriculture robots could help put food on the table.” Robohub. N.p., 21 Oct. 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Tobe, Frank. “Digital farms are already a reality.” Robohub. N.p., 10 Nov. 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Harper, Caleb. “The farming of the future looks nothing like it does today.” The Aspen Institute. N.p., 29 June 2016. Web. Apr. 2017. Thimbuktu. “Ways Done in the Past Laundry Services.” Blog To Express. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017. Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon, and Eng Chuan Ong. “Cathay Building.” Infopedia. N.p., 07 Mar. 2011. Web. Apr. 2017. Ho, Olivia. “SMU launches Grow initiative.” The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings, 6 Jan 2015. Print. Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore). “Our Future, Our Home. Draft Master Plan 2013 exhibition at URA.” Urban Redevelopment Authority, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. Apr. 2017. “BREAKING GROUND FOR NEW SCHOOL OF LAW BUILDING.” Smu.edu. sg. N.p., 23 Jan. 2014. Web. Apr. 2017. DataSpark. “How well do you know your shoppers.” Datasparkanalytics. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2017.


Books

Journals

Tauranac, John. The Empire State Building: the making of a landmark. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1997. Print.

Badgley, Catherine, and Ivette Perfecto. “Can organic agriculture feed the world?” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22.02 (2007): 80-86. Web.

Greenbacks from green roofs: forging a new industry in Canada. Ottawa: CMHC, 2000. Print.

Pomeroy, Jason. The Skycourt and Skygarden: Greening the Urban Habitat. London: Routledge, 2014. Print. Wood, Antony, Payam Bahrami, and Daniel Safarik. Green walls in high-rise buildings. Chicago: Images publishing group, 2015. Print. Global environment outlook: environment for development GEO4. Nairobi: UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme, 2007. Print.

McHarg, Ian L. Design with nature. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 1992. Print. Deakin, M., Diamantini, D., & Borrelli, N. Governance of city food system. Case Studies from around the world. Fondazione Feltrinelli. 2016. Web. Malthus, T. R. Parallel chapters from the first and second editions of An essay on the principle of population: 1798, 1803. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2008. Print. Despommier, Dickson D. The vertical farm. New York: Picador, 2011. Print. Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore). Skyline, May/June 2000. Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2000. Print. Carles Broto Camerma. Vertical Gardens: Design Guide & 42 Case Studies. Barcelona, Spain: Links, 2016. Print.

Barbosa, Guilherme, Francisca Gadelha, Natalya Kublik, Alan Proctor, Lucas Reichelm, Emily Weissinger, Gregory Wohlleb, and Rolf Halden. “Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponic vs. Conventional Agricultural Methods.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12.6 (2015): 6879-891. Web. Koninck, R. D., Drolet, J. & Girard, M 2008, Singapore: An Atlas of Perpetual Territorial Transformation. NUS Press, Singapore. Michaelos, George, Makris S., and Panagiota Tsarouchi. “Design Considerations for Safe Human-robot Collaborative Workplaces.” Design Considerations for Safe Humanrobot Collaborative Workplaces ScienceDirect. N.p., 14 Aug. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. Krüger J, Lien T, Verl A. Cooperation of Human and Machines in Assembly Lines. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology 2009; 58 (2): 628–46. doi:10.1016/j. cirp.2009.09.009.

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Bhatia, Neeraj, and Lola Sheppard. Goes soft. Barcelona: Actar, 2012. Print.

Berg, Agnes E Van Den, Marijke Van Winsum-Westra, Sjerp De Vries, and Sonja Me Van Dillen. “Allotment gardening and health: a comparative survey among allotment gardeners and their neighbors without an allotment.” Environmental Health 9.1 (2010): n. pag. Web.

THE FUTURE OF URBAN ARCOLOGY: Towards a Resilient City Farming Machine

Kaiser, H. “An Attempt at Low cost Roof Planting.” in Garten und Landschaft 1981. Print.

Wong, Nyuk Hien, Alex Yong Kwang Tan, Puay Yok Tan, Kelly Chiang, and Ngian Chung Wong. “Acoustics evaluation of vertical greenery systems for building walls.” Building and Environment 45.2 (2010): 411-20. Web.


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