Rooftop Farming

DAAE3001 Assignment 2 High Point Apartments, Bangalore, India

Rooftop Farming

NIMIT BATAVIA 490233696

150m 4.5m

15m

4m

17m 30m

44m 6m

Height of buildings

Over a 1:1000 site plan, the apartment complex and surroundings of my residence in Bangalore, India were initially mapped out.

This helped develop a thorough understanding of the connectivity of the complex through the location of roadways and bus stops.

44m

4m

44m

44m

4m 4.5m 50m

4m

15m 15m

10m

The solar path diagram showcases how sunlight round the year is consistent and not harsh. Day lenghts do not vary tremendously either. The wind rose indicates the west and east comprise of strong winds because of the proximity of coastal regions on either side.

A deep site analysis was undertaken based on environmental factors, privacy amd noise around the site.

The climate of the area was also evaluated with a study on temperature, precipitation and solar impact.

Cold Coastal

Through research, it was found that food sources (essential vegetables, fruits and crops) to the city were sourced from a 75km radius, with 13 key locations on the north, west and south.

Problem tackled In 2020, due to the impact of the global pandemic - many routes were blocked out because of lockdowns and containment zones.

Basic food was rationed and that gave birth to the idea of creating a sustainable food producing unit within the apartment that could provide for the residents and local areas.

Due to the scarcity of space - a Rooftop Farm was finalised to be an ideal solution.

Rooftop Farming

HIGH POINT APARTMENTS, BANGALORE

This technique not only makes the apartment agriculturally sustainable but also adds to the overall sustainibility of the entire apartment and enhances welfare of residents:

Part 1: Biophilia Two types of farming systems - Aeroponic and Soil Compost.

Part 4: Thermal Comfort Minimising the heat island effect.

Protection from UV rays and extreme flux in temperature.

Part 2: Water Management Locally souced bamboo water pipe strategy.

Aeroponic farming.

Part 5: Community

Responsibility and Reward.

Waste segregation for formation of compost soil.

Part 3: Waste Management Soil Compost Farming system.

Waste from residents units recycled to form compost.

Part 1:

Biophillia Percentage of crops

As studied in the site analysis - the lack of space in the complex and the growing person per sq.m. ratio - the rooftop was identified as an ideal spot for the farm. The rooftop farm consists of two very partucular farming systems which have defined focusses and yield crops in their own unique manner.

Aeroponic System - 30%

Aeroponic System

Soil Compost System - 70%

Aeroponic System Aeroponic gardens are inventive methods to grow crops with the aid of an air mist environment. It does not utilise natural soil. The system uses plant cuttings which are suspended off the ground in a nurturing enclosed environment, as mist of water nourished with nutrients is continuously sprayed over the roots of plants. This system is most effective in a protected environment like a greenhouse, where environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity can be controlled. But in a place like Bangalore - where the temperature and humidity does not fluctuate too much through the year, the Aeroponic System can be ideal. The farm requires year round sunlight in order to deliver essential nutrients for consistent growth.

(Barth, 2018)

Soil Compost System Each of these systems depend on different means which are specific to the site and the community of the apartment complex to be able to function.

The aeroponic system relies on the year round stable temperature and humidity level of the city of Bangalore. The soil compost system depends on the waste materials of the residents of the complex that can be recycled for beneficial use within the complex itself.

Soil Compost System

Rooftop farming systems

Aeroponic System Cabbage Leafy vegetables Herbs

Recycling the waste from the resident units of the building and then segregating it can lead to the formation of compost that can function as traditional soil to grow crops. This is a striking step towards sustainibilty as all the waste produced from the apartments would usually be transported to dumpyards which are located far away from the city. This farming technique would hence cut down those transport costs and also engage the residents whose waste can be utilised in a manner that benefits them. The crops grown from the compost soil are 100% nutrient provided and this is elaborated in the waste management section.

Soil Compost System Root Vegetables Greens Tomato Fruits

Soil Compost System

Part 2:

Water Management

Aeroponic System This system relies solely on nutrient-laden mist.

Hydroponic systems have inspired the whole concept of the aeroponic way of agriculture, in which the roots are suspended in a soil free growing medium, over which nutrient-laden water is sprayed at regular intervals. Specially-designed misting devices pump water to the suspended roots.

Bamboo water pipes

Aeroponic system diagram whowing nutrient pumps directed towards roots.

The water from the bamboo pipes below will be sprayed out to the roots using a pump which receives its energy from solar panels which are located at proximity.

Through solar panels, the energy harnessed is distributed to the water pumps on the aeroponic farming system side. !:100 Rooftop plan showing the two different farming systems and their water supply strategy.

A similiar layout was considered for both spaces as inspite of their contradicting methods - they provide the same function with equal efficiency.

Inspired by the traditional Bamboo Drip Irrigation method in northeastern states of India, the terrace farm uses bamboo in order to transport water around the terrace farm. Bamboo is a locally sourced material in the region which can serve as an alternative and low cost method to transport water By converting bamboo poles into troughs or pipes by removing the nodes between segments of the bamboo and waterproofing the joints with old bicycle inner tubes or tar can be a comprehensive way to transport water.

Part 3:

Waste Management Recycled for soil formation

Oxygen

Heat

Carbon Dioxide

Brown (Carbon) Materials leaves, straw, woody materials

Compost

Green (Nitrogen) Materials

Macro-organisms

Micro-organisms

earthworms, insects

bacteria, fungi, microbes

food scrap, manure, grass

For the Soil-Compost section of the rooftop farm: Residents dropping off waste Is recycled to process and form compost.

The soil-compost section of the rooftop farm depends entirely on the waste provided by residents which is recylced in the facility. The recycling is in a cyclic manner with designated zones for waste drop-off, waste segregation, compost forming area and ready compost area.

The final produced compost is then shifted to the farm which is just adjacent to it.

Organic matter enhances agricultural growth by breaking heavy clay soils into finer texture, by adding water and essential nutrients to a specific type of soil based on the requirement. The primary step towards enhancing plants is by initially improving the soil. In turn, plants that are well nourished not only clear the air around it but also keep the soil healthier. Composts are quite flexible and therefore can be used in gardens, lawns, shrubs. (Gibson 2021)

1:100 Rooftop Plan showcasing the Recycled waste cycle and compost forming unit. The plan follows a cyclic pattern to conver the waste into compost.

Part 4:

Thermal Comfort

Reducing Heat Island effect Heat islands can often hamper the climate of a city by a considerable amount, but green roofs can be a strategic solution in order to tackle it.

The Rooftop farm can cool the air and considerably decrease temperatures of the surface. Even the surrounding air is impacted which can have positive implications on cities. During the day, green roofs are comparatively more effective as the vegetation moderates the heat island effect. The typical impact of green roofs from a numerical viewpoint is by a couple of degrees (1-2 degrees celsius) and overall city temperatures can be impacted by uo to a few degrees. Building energy consumption can also be reduced - an analytical study showed that it is 0.7% lower than buildings with conventional roofs. This results in an average of annual savings of 17 rupees ($0.30AUD) per square metre of the surface of the roof. (Hibbard 2021) Rooftop Farm sq. m = 550 sq. m Total annual savings= 550 x 17 = Rs. 9350 ($165AUD) This Rooftop development idea for farming can be used as a template in order to replicate in many similiar buildings in the city. The opportunity that is at hand due to the perfect climatic conditions in the city can be maximised effectively. This would make the Heat Island Effect reduce significantly as the city is converging towards becoming a concrete jungle which is not ideal for the environment.

The rooftop farm also protects from ultraviolet radiation and extreme flux in the temperature that causes roof membranes to deteriorate and results in leakage during the rainy season.

Part 5:

Community Engagement

Responsibility and Reward One of the key aspect of the Rooftop Farm is the contribution it requires from residents to fulfil their responsibility and segregate + dispose their waste in the manner which aids the functioning of the rooftop farm. The responsibility of the residents is hence directly proportional to the reward they can bare.

The compost soil section of the farm is completely dependant on this responsibility that the residents are indebted to the society. In return - they receive fresh produce which is essential because it makes the society agriculturally sustainable. Volunteers would have to be actively involved round the year - this social responsibility can also reflect in their personal lives leading to self growth and inner development.

There is also potential in the scheme to involve neighbouring societies in order to contribute to the farming which can also benefit them as a greater crop produce would mean that the High Point complex can extend their services beyond their own residents - a feat that exemplifies and glorifies community engagement.

Sustainable socities in terms of food systems aided with modern technology and passive design principles is the way forward in order to maintain compactareas which are self - dependant.

1:500 Section shwacasing cycle of waste management to fresh produce.

Bibliography Barth, Brain. 2021. "How Does Aeroponics Work?". Modern Farmer. https://modernfarmer.com/2018/07/how-does-aeroponics-work/.

"Advantages Of Vertical Aeroponic Farming With Tower Farms". 2021. Tower Farms. https://www.towerfarms.com/us/en/advantages.

Gibson, Matt. 2021. "Compost Vs Soil: What's The Difference? - Gardening Channel".

Gardening Channel. https://www.gardeningchannel.com/compost-vs-soil-differences/.

Hibbard, S. 2021. "Learn About Heat Islands | US EPA". US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/learn-about-heat-islands.