Trent Wenker | Urban Agricultural Independence

Urban Agricultural Independence A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Interior Design of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

by Trent Wenker Bachelor of Science in Architecture University of Cincinnati, 2020

Committee Chair: Michael Mcinturf Committee Member: Elizabeth Riorden

Abstract The world is growing at a steady pace and cities are at the forefront of tackling the future problems for humanity. However, issues already exist within cities that prevent them from being able to accommodate rapid population growth. Attempts at revitalizing a variety of Midwestern cities have been ineffective and short sighted. This thesis will focus on tackling the issue of urban agricultural independence within the city of Cincinnati by creating an urban campus that grows, cultivates, processes, and sells farmed goods all in one location.

Incorporating a variety of different programs seeks to create a self-sufficient design that allows the agricultural industry to function with limited needs from external factors. The project utilizes cutting edge technologies that will create an artificial intelligence-based system and meticulously calculated framework while creating the best product for the market.

The project will focus on a plot of land located along the Ohio River and bound by the existing parameters of the interstate system and rail lines. The program will focus on engaging these existing infrastructure systems and incorporate an industrial urban farming system combined with aspects that reinforce the goal of self-sustainability, such as utilizing native species to the region and incorporating green technologies that focus on limiting waste throughout all processes.

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This thesis aims on educating and creating an example of what a self-reliant urban center could look like in the future. The architecture will be centered around establishing a strong foothold in a tumultuous area of Cincinnati that utilizes attitudes held currently while also looking forward to what can be. The project seeks to reestablish Cincinnati as a national innovation hub now and for years to come.

Preface An appreciation for the following:

Table of Contents I. II.

VII.

Introduction America’s Infrastructure Shortfalls a. America’s Train Infrastructure b. Potential Shortfalls and Remedies of America’s Logistics Network Algae-Based Urban Farming a. Precision Farming b. Aquaponics c. Vertical Farming d. Community Incorporation e. Food Deserts Urban Mechanization a. Agricultural Cybernetics i. Physics Based Model ii. Input-Output Model b. Case Study: 80 Acre Farms Site Investigation a. Kenyon Barr Design Methodology

VIII. IX. X.

a. Phase 1 b. Phase 2 c. Phase 3 d. Phase 4 e. Phase 5 Project Proposal Conclusion Bibliography

To my committee chair, Michael Mcinturf, and committee member, Elizabeth Riorden, for their guidance throughout this thesis process.

III. IV.

To professors Andrew Tetrault and Sergi Serrat for inspiring me to pursue a thesis topic related to urban agriculture.

V. To my friends and family: Mom and Dad, Evan, Theresa, Aili, and Fritz, Kyle, Megan, and Finley, and Mikaila, for your consistent support.

VI. To my grandparents, Albers and Wenker, especially Oma and Grandma for making a series of sacrifices to ensure a prosperous life and better opportunities for myself, I am forever grateful.

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Introduction America’s infrastructure system is always teetering on the brink of collapse. Whether it be foreign adversaries, internal ineptitude, or government malpractice, a variety of essential services such as energy, transportation, and food are a few missteps from destabilizing an entire region.

The reliance on a more powerful entity to provide these essential services leaves its citizens at the mercy of unpredictable circumstances. This threat of disaster is never more prevalent than in urban centers. American urban centers are increasingly more reliant on importing goods into the region to feed the inefficiencies of the local region. The answer to making these areas less dependent on a series of logistical systems might be through what they prioritize and what they neglect.

The “concrete jungle” is a brutal adaptation of what dense urbanism could be. Exploring a majority of America’s urban centers will reveal a heavy reliance on paved areas to supply the American necessity of automobile transportation.

While this dependency cannot be remedied in one fell swoop it can certainly be improved upon. The centralization of parking destinations, to a select few regions, throughout an urban center can bring ways towards creating a more independent city core. With these new opportunities created, a city can begin to target their needs and through this paper, creating a more self-sustainable future will

be accomplished with efficient energy and food production systems. This project seeks to develop an urban center that can grow, cultivate, process, and sell farmed goods all in one location.

America’s Infrastructure Shortfalls The current state of America’s infrastructure system appears to onlookers as an inevitable disaster. Regardless of administration or along which party’s lines, trillions of dollars have been sunk into improving America’s transportation networks since the turn of the millennia. However, with all of this money being dumped into improvements how often have we seen these actions take place? When these much needed improvements are accounted for, they are rarely accomplished in a timely manner and typically when these changes are made, it is only a temporary fix to a large scale issue.

There are a litany of issues that derive from poor infrastructure systems. One already mentioned, is the inability to improve the system, but just create a temporary band aid to cover the problem; because of the backlog of billions of dollars’ worth of projects sitting on the backburner, there is not enough time nor money to complete reinvent the infrastructure system of air, train, and automobile travel without a reformation of the current funding systems1. The issues do not harm 1 Harvard gazette, 2017-01-06T14:06:55-0500, 201701-06T14:06:55-0500, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/01/our-crumbling-infrastructure/.

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the politicians that are in charge of fixing the issues nor the billion dollar companies that use these services, it disproportionately effects working class citizens who combined lose billions of dollars to car maintenance caused by poor roads, along with billions of hours lost due to an increase in time per daily commute.

America’s Train Infrastructure The perception of American transportation has morphed throughout the country’s 250-year existence. Initially halted by natural land features, the industrial revolution brought about the creation of automated technology such as the steamboat, but more importantly to how America was shaped, the locomotive. The train allowed for the expansion towards the west and helped accomplish the early concept of Manifest Destiny. A symbol of freedom and pure manufacturing prowess the train in a centuries time was replaced by the automobile. As seen since the car has been molded into the idea of an American’s personal freedom, a plethora of issues have risen including heavily paved urban centers to accommodate cars, a never ending dump of money to maintain this system, and a more sporadic building logic that has left areas feeling few and far between.

The reason behind why the train has fallen to the wayside to the car might just be through leadership ineptitude. It takes a brief glance around the country to understand the issues that arrive. One

of the most obvious issues comes in the sheer size of the country, it might not be even possible to fulfill all the areas that cars are able to. Another issue would be that outside of the eastern corridor and select regions out west, most young Americans have probably never utilized a train as a primary source of transportation. Looking at the Midwest would be an obvious site to try to understand this issue of interconnectivity. Outside of Chicago are there really prominent rail systems in other large Midwest urban centers? Cincinnati obviously has a large urban rail yard, but are there passenger options to give me a speedy trip to Columbus, Louisville, or Indianapolis?

Maybe there is, but I have never utilized it nor have any friends that I know. The issue might come in what these rail systems really look like, the eastern seaboard to trying to remedy this, but the majority of central America’s rail systems were laid back in the 1830’s meaning that train transportation is not only potentially hazardous, but also extremely inefficient.

Potential Shortfalls and Remedies of America’s Logistics Network As stated previously, there are a multitude of complications that can and have arisen through the current goods supply network. Because of the crumbling infrastructure there are greater possibilities for an issue to occur and if the supply chain is broken, a litany of regions will be affected.

An obvious example would be one that happened 11

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in early 2021 when Colonial Pipeline was hacked by foreign adversaries and skyrocketed gas prices around the country, but in particular the Southeast.

That is one of the biggest points that this paper will try to remedy; regions differ, peoples’ needs differ, so relying on one autonomous system to supply every area as if they were all the same is bound to create instability in the future. There have been debates around a variety of solutions to these complex infrastructure issues. There are arguments about dumping more money into the problem, which hasn’t worked in other fields such as education, or potentially reform the system all together and have those who use the system the most pay for the infrastructure they use, mainly targeting multi-billion-dollar conglomerate corporations. However, all these solutions rely on a gridlocked system that could take years to remedy.

If urban centers could even take a miniature step towards self-sufficient methods, particularly in food production and energy usages, they might not have to be as reliant on outside forces to keep them functioning.

Algae-Based There is no secret when it comes to the need to develop a more sustainable energy future.

The population is increasing dramatically, especially in third world countries, meaning that carbon-based energy sources will be used exponentially over the coming decades. While this paper is not aiming at

solving the energy dilemma that cities face, the goal is to incorporate a system or series of systems that can work with creating an efficient self-sufficient society. Algae based energy is an intriguing avenue for a renewable system. As compared to other alternative green energy solutions, algae can be managed in an interior space and conform to the environment it is presented within.

Potentially the most intriguing energy solution might be an Algae-Based renewable system. Essentially, a system of water channels creates a filtration system of algae which can be synthesized into biomass, which then can be converted into fuel.2 The fuel is as efficient as biodiesel and absolutely eclipses other seed-based fuels such as soybeans or corn. Algae can also be utilized in other methods predominately as a source of natural fertilization and / or as a food source for animals and even humans. One of the best features of Algae-Based fuel is that it needs to utilize an extreme amount of caron dioxide. Obviously, this would create a net negative energy source that could benefit human and plant life along with depleting other carbon-based pollutants.

Algae is not without its own shortfalls. Even though microalgae can produce upwards of 100 to 250 times the amount of oil as its closest competitor (oil palm), a photobioreactor is still inefficient and 2 Campbell and Biodiesel, Transmission of Symbiotic Algae through Sexual Reproduction in Hydra: Movement of Algae into the Oocyte, Vol. 22Elsevier BV, 1990), 137. doi:10.1016/00408166(90)90017-4.

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presents a multitude of issues. There is a reason why the production rate (in gallons) of microalgae varies so widely, this comes from the strains of algae compounded with production practices which have not been fully realized. The oil production system can process microalgae between a range of 20% to 80%, which leaves a lot of efficiency to be desired.3 Algae systems take a scattershot approach, the larger the system, the higher potential output that can be allotted; this also allows a system to cover the bare minimum needs while also creating the potential for a large surplus of oil reserves.

Urban Farming Urban farming is not a new concept and has been a growing desire over the past several decades.

There is a growing drive to create a more selfsufficient method of incorporating food production within urban areas. The motto “farm to table” has been a push from a more health-conscious society that desires less processed and preservative fueled meals for more “clean” alternatives. Large scale field farming has not been incorporated into American urban centers for a variety of reasons, but alternative methods such as aquaponics have begun to fill in those voids.

Precision Farming Precision Farming is an evolving technology that utilizes efficiency, science, and mechanization into the food cultivation process. It’s obvious that farming techniques have evolved dramatically several times since the dawn of man. Considered as one of the first recorded pieces of technology and

3 Zhiyou Wen, “Algae for Biofuel Production,” (April 3, 2019). https://farm-energy.extension.org/algae-for-biofuel-production/#Production_challenges.

self-sufficiency among civilized humans, we have grown to adapt our improving innovations to make our lives easier. With complex studies associated with, soil studies, fertilizer, pesticide, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), farmers are able to utilize advance mechanisms to create a more efficient system of growing foods. In short, this system maps farm fields to understand where production is best and where production is worse in order to make 15

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adjustments to utilize a higher percentage of the crops grown. This method can be crucial in an urban setting because space is crucial and if that space is not being utilized efficiently, local officials or entrepreneurs will find better use for the space.

Along with this, it’s important that all necessary studies are created in order to provide food for the residents around this urban farming technique.

Precision farming has been progressing slowly throughout the agricultural industry. Initially viewed with some skepticism based off of typical analytical studies, a series of case studies have been performed in Southern Ohio to get a better understanding of how this new technology can benefit everyday farmers. The study focused on six different farmers all with similar crop growths, year over year revenues, and education backgrounds (most were just high school educated). The study presented each of these farms with a series of different technologies to use over the course of the study, ranging from Mapping software to Georeferenced scouting for weeds.

The results of the study found that at least one of the farms stuck with all technologies presented in the study, while all six of the farms continued to use: GPS receiver, Mapping software, and a Yield monitor. The researchers began to question why some of the farmers began using some of the software and not using others. The number one reason for both why they chose to

keep the software or stop using it was related to profit.4 The other concern that some of the farmers mentioned was compliance with environmental conditions. The conclusion of this study found that precision farming can be catered towards each individual’s needs and some of the more erroneous technological devices would not be needed for a generic farming method but could be utilized in a more fragile growing climate.

Aquaponics Aquaponics is an ideal farming technique for an urban setting. Aquaponics takes root in two different growing techniques: hydroponics and aquaculture. Hydroponics has been a system utilized since the Second World War in which plants are grown in a mineral substantive water solution that gives nutrients to plants without the need for heavy soil. Aquaculture is a fish farming method that duplicates what hydroponics does but with fish instead of plants.5 Aquaponics takes those two ideas to make one, essentially taking the water solution and adding the fish to create a natural fertilizer for the plants to grow.

Aquaponics is unique in the fact that it can be developed in individual, commercial, and industrial levels (small, medium, large). This system 4 Marvin T. Batte and Michael W. Arnholt, Precision Farming Adoption and use in Ohio: Case Studies of Six Leading-Edge Adopters, Vol. 38Elsevier BV, 2003), 125. doi:10.1016/s01681699(02)00143-6.

5 W. F. Gericke, The Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1940).

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is helpful in the fact that an individual does not have to rely on the commercial or industrial level to supply their needs, they can grow these plants on their own, for a relatively cheap cost. The cost exists along an exponential scale whereas you add more plants the more expensive it can become. The most important factors in starting an aquaponic system are water, energy (both electric and gas), and mechanical devices such as pumps. There are some secondary costs that go into growing including feed for the fish and fertilizers for the plants.

There are some drawbacks in this growing method, deep rooted systems are next to impossible to be grown, so tomatoes, lettuce greens, and different spices are the most common crops to be grown through this method. Aquaponics can be viewed as being a complimentary system when incorporated with a larger scale farming system.

There is belief that a wholly self-sufficient aquaponic system can be created, which would entail a variety of fish creatures including crustaceans, along with a variety of plants that can provide adequate nutrients for these creatures.

Through an international survey of aquaponic growers, it has been shown that the majority of growers use aquaponics as a means to produce a variety of different systems. A third of growers use rainwater to subsidize water reserves for their grow houses. It has also been found that growers who transitioned from hydroponics to

aquaponics found a 40% decrease in water usage during a grow cycle.6 Along with that factor, it was found that aquaponic farming is typically fueled by renewable energy resources.

The yields for an aquaponics system fluctuate on a series of factors. These factors include the type of plants or fish grown, the size of the grow plant, the incorporation of technology in the facility, and the usage of different fertilizers, chemicals, and frequency of harvesting. What we do know is that there have been studies about individual labs over annual cycles and we can use some of this data to extrapolate for this project.

This thesis does not aim to completely resolve the needs of an individual and fulfill the nutritional needs they have annually. However, it is important to acknowledge the statistics from a general background point of view. We understand that a typical human will consume roughly a ton (2000 lbs) of food within a given year, and also consumes roughly 50 lbs of farmed goods that can be grown in an aquaponic system.7 This number is extremely generic and cannot be applied strictly to each individual, but it can give a strong baseline of where production should try to achieve.

The study that will be looked at in this 6 David C. Love et al., “An International Survey of Aquaponics Practitioners,” PloS One 9, no. 7 (2014), e102662. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102662. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/25029125.

7 World Health Organization, World Health Statistics 2009 World Health Organization, 2009).

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paper focuses on a series of four 8 m3 fish tanks, harvested every six weeks, and 213 m2 of herbs, harvested every four weeks. The size of this grow facility pales in the size of an industrial one. This study found that in an annual cycle, 3649 kg of fish were harvested, while 110,760 bunches of herbs were grown (there were 40 bunches per m2 for each harvest). The study found that 591 fish need to be stocked every six weeks in order to produce a harvest of 561 fish every six weeks (with a 5% mortality rate), this resulted in a net yield of 421 kg/ harvest of fish.8

to replace those that would be a casualty over time.

The predictability of when a fish, in this system a tilapia, would die varies and the production of fresh fish eggs would vastly outnumber the need to replace the existing fish needed to supply nutrients for the plants. However, this system could be a bonus where the surplus of fish could be sold.

Another important factor to consider are the requirements to maintain the feed for the fish per day. It was calculated that the fish needed 6204 kg/year which resulted in a need of 17 kg of feed per day. The last caveat of this study was to understand that these calculations all take into account different efficiencies for different environments and skills of the laborers. It is anticipated that as the facility goes through multiple harvests, and in turn multiple years, that the efficiency would be improved and more kg/year could be harvested.9 The aquaponic system is, at its core, utilizing a series of fish tanks producing nutrient rich water and some type of agricultural grow system.

In order to keep the system functioning it would be important to incorporate a renewable crop of fish 8 Julia Marie Simonetti, Economic Analysis of a Small Urban Aquaponic System, 2015).

9 Julia Marie Simonetti, Economic Analysis of a Small Urban Aquaponic System, 2015).

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Vertical Farming Vertical farming systems are a growing form of industrialized agriculture production. Many growers have begun to utilize the vast technology at their fingertips to produce the best product possible for consumers. Vertical farming uses a fraction of square footage to produce an exponential increase in output. The appeal of vertical farming stems from the quality of the crops that can be grown and the ability to grow products without the use of harmful chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides, giving an overall more natural, healthy, and bountiful product.10 The system is typically implemented in a large-scale system but can also be done in one’s own home. Vertical farms are typically paired with an aquaponic system because it provides flexibility in the mass production of goods; since no soil is used only shallow root vegetables can be grown, limiting the strain placed on the system. The framework of the system is built to accommodate the space and overall production required is an assembly of basic pieces: plant holders, a water bed, vertical framing, piping, UV adjustable lights, and remote sensing cameras.

The system is described, which displays how the function produces products. Essentially, water is pumped into each of the water beds which 10 Dickson D. Despommier, “The Vertical Farm : Feeding the World in the 21st Century,” https://www.overdrive.com/ search?q=F8F2B4F0-CB87-42A2-A889-BFC6CFA04DB7

provides the appropriate nutrients for the crops, while simultaneously the remote sensing cameras alert the staff about the vital chemical makeups of each of the plants to produce the lushest product.

The system functions on a system that mitigates itself, as described in the Urban Mechanization section. A framework is implemented that places an expectation for the AI remote sensing software to interpret and make sure that all pieces of the system work fluidly with one another and alerts of issues if one is presented.

Community Incorporation While it is important to understand the complexity of growing methods in an urban environment the effects on the inhabitants of the area are also integral. The impacts are not only beneficial for the community as a whole, but also for the individual. In a time where people feel more and more disconnected from one another giving a public project that everyone can contribute to will create a stronger sense of social connection.

Also, these systems will be unique from other neighborhoods and will provide a better reputation for surrounding areas increasing the demand to live in a community like this. Lastly, these systems will create opportunities for the citizens to create youth development and education along with employment opportunities for others within the area, reinforcing the idea of self-sufficiency.

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Food Deserts A pervasive issue that permeates in a lot of urban conditions is the lack of sustainable or healthy, cost effective food markets. There have been several studies to try to tackle what creates this issue and who this directly targets. To understand the difficulties that are presented by food deserts, we first must understand the varying influential factors that create one, because not all food deserts are the same.

Food deserts are largely categorized by these major factors: poverty and access to public or private transportation. A study conducted found that over 23 million low-income Americans live over a mile away from a large supermarket or grocery store11. A reduced vision of where food deserts are more likely to permeate are in the extreme ends of urbanization: cities and rural. Typically these regions reduce the individuals ability to travel to alternative options for all basic necessities. This fact compounded with the likelihood of the individual being poorer in these regions, creates a greater chance for food deserts to appear.

The final factor that subtly plays into the creation of food deserts comes into the demographic and racial background of the region.

While a lot of the aforementioned stats for the creation of food deserts is correlation, not causation, 11 Paula Dutko, Michele Ver Ploeg and Tracey Farrigan, Characteristics and Influential Factors of Food DesertsUnknown, 2012). doi:10.22004/ag.econ.262229. .

most food deserts appear in predominately minority areas. A difficulty within this factor is that while rural areas and urban areas can fall victim to food deserts, rural areas contain the ability to expand and potentially branch away from these issues via population growth; urban areas cannot physically expand and need the areas that currently exist to change in order for overarching changes to occur.

The results of a NIH study found that the reason for obesity found within food deserts was not as cut and dry as a lot of our assumptions would have been. This study focused on the distance the test subjects lived from a supermarket versus the price of the goods they bought and how this impacted the individuals’ obesity. The study found that when both the distance and price were high, the obesity of the individual was five times as high versus when only one of the factors were high.12 The study also found, regardless of income level, that participants who spent more money at the grocery were less likely to be obese, potentially correlating to the fact that those within better economic means can purchase fresher foods. The conclusion of the study found that just adding supermarkets closer to customers, within food deserts, was not an apt way to combat the issue. The doctors and researchers found that offering more affordable prices for 12 Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar PhD et al., “Distance to Store, Food Prices, and Obesity in Urban Food Deserts,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 47, no. 5 (2014), 587-595. doi:10.1016/j. amepre.2014.07.005. https://www.clinicalkey.es/playcontent/1-s2.0-S0749379714003705.

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healthy foods and higher advertising for healthy foods within stores enabled consumers to resist the influence of purchasing junk foods.

Urban Mechanization There have been several attempts to incorporate cutting age AI and mechanical technologies within the farming industry. As stated, there are new systems such as vertical farming, aquaponics, and precision farming that utilize technological, spatial, and output advantages that typical farming methods would not be able to accomplish. Two conditions of urban farming that will be replicated and utilized in this thesis are Aerofarms and 80 Acre Farms, while incorporating advanced AI systems that can be found from ZERO technologies.

Agricultural Cybernetics Cybernetics is a long-term study that focuses on how a series of inputs contribute to a functioning system. The central idea is to understand the functions and processes of how a system stores, processes, and receives information.

This process can be viewed as a repeating system of looping.13 Feedback is essential for the system to work, and each piece must understand the surrounding elements in order to operate. The system learns from both positive and negative 13 Huang, Yanbo.,Zhang, Qin., “Agricultural Cybernetics,” https://ezproxy.library.dal.ca/login?url=https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-030-72102-2

results which helps build a more efficient system over time. Cybernetics can be focused around any physical area of study, including agriculture.

Agricultural cybernetics seeks to create a framework around the idea of crop growth monitoring and control.

Physics Based Model There are two ways to understand growing systems for agricultural methods. A physics-based model is grounded in reality and focuses on the study of how each individual element impacts the overall cybernetic framework. The processes are identified as being a part of environmental factors (radiation and temperature) along with the state of the crop, including leaf area, development stage, and nutrient availability.14 These conditions can be applied to a variety of different global institutions, most notably AquaCrop, which focuses on a limited supply of herbaceous crops along with a dwindling water supply. This idea is pertinent to this thesis because it focuses on a confined grow field with fluctuating external conditions.

Input-Output Based Model The Input-Output based model describes the process of how the system of a physics-based system works. The easiest way to describe this process is by utilizing the metaphor of a black box. A 14 Huang, Yanbo.,Zhang, Qin., “Agricultural Cybernetics,” https://ezproxy.library.dal.ca/login?url=https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-030-72102-2 27

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black box system has no prior inputs placed on itself; therefore it is not directly studying the difficulties that biological plant matter presents to creating an efficient cybernetic system. The black box is molded by its parameters and is focused on the idea of system identification.

System identification was typically used for engineering systems, such as irrigation, but is slowly making its way to dictating how agriculture can function. The system can be either online or offline, where the differences are relatively minute and are used for certain purposes. The easiest way to understand is that online system is much more rigorous and is utilized for small scale productions and mainly focuses on the most trivial biological structures, while offline systems are used for larger scale productions, since a lag of information produced will not derail the entire process.15 The most important factor of system identification is the model validation portion. Model validation is the way that a system can extrapolate information from previously set parameters to establish the parameters needed for the intended production.

The parameters also create a tolerance based off of white noise, which effects the simple processes of the production and is essentially a dial that will help crank results to be their most efficient.

80 Acre Farms is very similar to Aerofarms in the aspect that they are an aeroponic grower, who use no pesticides, and integrate AI sensors to cultivate their crops at peak harvest to give the consumer the best experience. However, the biggest difference between 80 Acre Farms and Aerofarms would be their desire to give the consumer the freshest product possible. While Aerofarms focusses on a larger commercial scale products, 80 Acre Farms seeks to create plants for different regions (predominately in Ohio) so that they cut down on transportation mileage in order to supply the freshest of fresh crops.16 80 Acre Farms takes an approach that this thesis will aim to tackle: grow, cultivate, and sell farmed products in a local region. 80 Acre Farms utilizes this process by establishing grow plants in a variety of different regions and using each of those locations as a way to provide local grocery stores with a kiosk of their goods. This thesis will aim to provide a similar function, but also add on adjacent functions that were presented in Aerofarms. The goal would be to provide a campus where consumers can educate themselves on the process, buy goods, and transport goods (via rails) to surrounding supermarkets to further educate and provide the best products for the local communities.

80 Acre Farms 15 Huang, Yanbo.,Zhang, Qin., “Agricultural Cybernetics,” https://ezproxy.library.dal.ca/login?url=https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-030-72102-2

16 80 Acre Farms, “80 Acres Farms | how it Works,” https://www.80acresfarms.com/how-it-works/ 29

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The proposed site for this project is located along the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This selection was made because of a variety of issues that this site presents. This parcel of land is partitioned and landlocked because of both interstate roads and the river itself. Located in the Kenyon Barr region of Cincinnati, there has been a lot of upheaval, leading to drastic changes in the zoning following the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.17 This has left the site exist mostly in limbo, with few new businesses moving in and barriers for existing plots of land to be fully utilized.

Kenyon Barr Kenyon Barr was a once lively destination that rivaled the highly dense neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. The installation of the I-75 highway completely decimated the culture that persisted in Kenyon Barr.18 Like many other highway installments across the country, the federal government bought up cheaper land to instill this new transportation; unfortunately, a majority of these plots of land were owned by minorities and immigrant families that were dispersed to relocate within the city. These highways led to a complete transformation of use in the region. Current Kenyon Barr, now referred to as Queensgate, is utilized as

an industrial hub, anchored by the railyard at Union Terminal. Many major corporations exist in this cradle and have easy access to the highway system and rail transportation.

The particular site decision was made based off of existing conditions surrounding Queensgate. There are several warehouses in the area that are still being utilized, except for a plot of land with a few vacant plots and small businesses.

The site is framed by the Sixth Street Viaduct to the north, and a set of rails that divert in the southwest corner, further framing the east and west portions of the site. Mehring Way/Freeman Avenue is an essential avenue that branches over Sixth Street Viaduct to connect the southern half of Queensgate to the northern half. This project seeks to incorporate existing infrastructure systems within the programmatic design to optimally connect the design to the rest of the surrounding areas.

17 Hurley Dan, “”Kenyon Barr Collection: Cincinnati Historical Society Library”,” Ohio Valley History 6, no. 1 (2006), 61-64. muse.jhu.edu/article/573059.

18 Aeqai, December, 2018, http://aeqai.com/ main/2018/12/signs-of-erasure-finding-kenyon-barr-at-ucs-meyers-gallery/.

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Design Methodology Phase 1

efficiently. (Algae Biofuel, Aquaponic Fertilizer, Aquaponic Hatchery, Vertical Farming, Market Plaza, Water Filtration, Processing and Shipping).

The project is centered around creating an optimal urban farming structure that resembles a well-oiled machine. In order to accomplish this vision, the design of the project was broken down into separate categories to reach a final design decision. The initial stage was examining the production of each essential program by a base unit of an acre; five of the programs have already been broken down (Algae, Aquaponic Fertilizer, Aquaponic Hatchery, Vertical Farming, and Market Plaza) with two new programs (Water Filtration and Processing and Shipping) to round out the system. The acre was predetermined using Vertical Farming as its basis because calculating crop output is typically adjusted towards square footages and pounds.

Phase 2 The second stage of the design process focused on examining each program based on a 15’x15’x15’ cube (this framework was based off the division of an acre, 196 of these cubes make up an acre). Each of these cubes examine what these programs look like in these confined spaces and then would be extrapolated to create a building form. Using these calculations, it can be derived as to what percentages of an acre would be needed to accommodate each of the programs to function 33

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Phase 3

Phase 4

The third stage of this design process is forming these cubes into a building structure. Once again, the basis of this form was derived from the Vertical Farming. The building form is roughly, 60’ x 150’, where each level is approximately 9000 SF where a Vertical Farming system can produce roughly a third of an acre in this space.

As referenced, when using Vertical Farming as the driving factor, an analysis can be drawn, where Algae Biofuel is the primary square footage contributor, and the market plaza would be the least. The stacking of these programs was oriented around the idea of vertically shifting how the process of the building would operate. The ground floor comprises of the Aquaponic Hatchery and Water Filtration; the second floor is the Aquaponic Fertilizer, the third floor is the Vertical Farm, and the sequential floors house the Algae Biofuel energy system. The Processing and Shipping programs are separated in a much larger warehouse to package and distribute the grown goods and is located along the eastern rail. The intention is to pull a form away from the typical urban environment and mold it to transform into a future vision of where industry can head towards. The program creates a system that allows for placing puzzle pieces together to create an optimal system.

The fourth stage examines how the building typology can interact on the site. The idea is to work with peak efficiency and arrange an array of buildings across the site utilizing the confines of the space allotted. The buildings are aligned north/ south and each row is offset so that the buildings are not just lined up in perfect rows. Service roads will be placed between two rows of buildings in order to collect the goods grown in each of the buildings while the surrounding open spaces would be flanked with market plazas and green spaces that specialize in native species. These interstitial spaces are intended to give insight on how the process all works together and gives a consumer a chance to meander and engage with the site. Across Freeman Avenue will be the processing and shipping plant which will house space for trucks to offload goods from the adjacent grow plants and also have a terminal to load goods onto the rail line. The whole design of the project is oriented around personifying a circuit board, taking a series of programs that need to work together, attaching them, and placing them in an efficient manner on the site.

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Phase 5 The fifth stage is focused on developing the skin of the buildings and how they interact with the surrounding environment. The intention is to implement a façade system that works with the program it houses. The building should feel as though it is growing from the ground or was placed there from another planet. The ground levels will be hidden from the user, while the upper levels will reveal the technologies (vertical farm and algae biofuel) and emit a mysterious hue at all hours. The exposed façade will serve as a beacon of light to the surrounding areas, driving citizens to seek out this new experience. An incorporation of different metal materials will allow the building to acclimate with the existing infrastructure while also providing a new vision.

elements for each of the major programs. Some of these programmatic spaces include, offices, storage spaces, freight elevators, and faculty spaces.

The more complex additions are attached solely to different programs, the two most important ones are the microalgae oil processors and the agricultural cybernetic control room. The oil processors will be located in the central space of the Algae Biofuel program spaces and will funnel all of the processed algae to be converted into oil for energy of the buildings. The control room operates on the Vertical Farm level, which will give technicians the opportunity to manage all of the processes across the individual buildings to make sure that everything is operating optimally. The culmination of all of these programs will allow for the future vision of an urban farming campus to come to fruition.

Upon entering the space, a central market plaza will beckon for you to move further inside. The adjoining industrial spaces will slowly reveal their interiors as you move closer towards the center (the glazing near the door is more narrow than at the center). In the middle, you will be able to see the AI software at work as a series of cables, tracks, and lights move all around you.

The final result of this thesis creates a functional operating urban farming industry that grows, cultivates, processes, and sells farmed goods all in one location. Some of the loose ends that will be noted are the additional programmatic 57

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Conclusion Utilizing a variety of accompanying programs, including Algae Biofuel, Vertical Farming, and Aquaponics this project seeks to bring a new philosophy to how goods are produced and sold to urban environments. By utilizing a framework blocking system allows for the project to scale according to the environment’s needs. With all programs incorporated within one building, this allows each individual “circuit” on site to operate independently from one another and be able to monitor their own needs without the potential shortfall of the whole system collapsing. The design of the project sought to ingratiate itself within existing urban conditions by utilizing a similar material palette and façade system while also incorporating new aspects that bring the project to the modern age.

Cincinnati provides a diverse set that will help create a basis of what urban farming could look like in the future and be an initial steppingstone for creating a more self-sustainable urban city. It is important to get ahead of what future problems may bring and try to be the spearhead for change.

By establishing a system that can be replicated easily and placed in any city’s industrial core, this project can serve as that force for change. Cincinnati was once the Queen City of America and it longs to be an innovation hub for future generations, establishing an example of urban agricultural independence is a step forward for Cincinnati to reclaim the throne once more.

With the ever-increasing uncertainty about America’s future infrastructure system, compounded with self-sufficient capabilities of urban farming and energy sustainability, architecture can be at the forefront of innovation in a dense urban sphere. Through a collection of harmonious programs, a new vision of creating an agricultural independent center can be placed in downtown Cincinnati. A meticulous study of production allows for these separate ideas to culminate into one and establish an outline for other urban centers to replicate.

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