Commensality: Exploring Urban Gastronomy by zainamurad

EXPLORING URBAN GASTRONOMY

ZAINA MURAD

COMMENSALITY EXPLORING URBAN GASTRONOMY

Zaina Mohammad Murad

A thesis book for the Final Architectural Project submitted to the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Art, and Design, American University in Dubai In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Architecture Fall 2021

Approval of the Thesis Book for Final Architectural Project Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Art, and Design, American University in Dubai

Student’s Full Name: Zaina Murad Thesis Book Title: Commensality

Student Signature:

Date

Advisor / Professor Name: Dr. Abdellatif Qamhaieh Advisor / Professor Signature:

Date

ABSTRACT

The food industry is an all-encompassing network that supplies the food that is consumed by the worlds population. As the metropolitan fast-paced life asks for faster, more convenient produce to be supplied to the people, the food cycle has shifted into a system that is manly relying on import and export to constantly provide cities with the products they need. This push for faster and more is the leading factor for the majority of food waste in this day and age. This thesis proposes an architecture for the people, to redefine the modern food production cycle, and responds to the needs of the community in terms of social health and well-being. With the rise of consumer concern in health and sustainability, the implementation of a new food system seems reasonable, and probably even inevitable. Commensality is the practice of eating together. Humans are social beings, and eating is one of the most universal languages. Food unites us just as life and death unite us, as food is essential to life. Eating together is one of the most intimate activities to engage with someone, whether it means sharing the food, or just having a meal in each other’s company. Food is very powerful; it even defines the cultural identity in some countries. It is the necessity that dictates the quality of people’s lives. Food can indicate the health, wealth, class, ethnicity, even the identity and many other attributes of the person eating it. Exploring the way food affects people on a large scale facilitates the creation of a new type of environment. People need a place where they can properly interact with their food, away from the fast-paced life in the city, while also having the opportunity to interact with other people. This union will result in a self-sustaining food system which will lead to a healthier community, both physically and socially.

DEDICATION

To Teta & Sido, this book is made for you.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my family for always pushing me to work hard and focus on my goals & ambitions. I would also like to thank you for staying cool after the mess I made of the dining table when I made it my workspace all those years. Thank you for listening to and believing in my dreams, both the real ones and the ones in my sleep. I want to thank my friends for being there for me when I needed them, for helping me stop procrastinating, motivating & supporting me, tolerating me and all my shenanigans, and also for helping me take a break whenever I needed to. Thank you to all the ones who stayed up with me while I worked until the next day, just to keep me sane and be my company. And thank you to the ones who made classes & studio much more fun all these years. I would definitely not have survived the 5 years without you. Most importantly, I would like to thank all the people who have taken me and come with me on food adventures. I appreciate the fun we had, you have no idea the value these memories hold in my heart. My Professor, Dr. Abdellatif Qamhaieh, made this entire project possible and was as enthusiastic about my work as I was. I am extremely grateful for that, and for having him guide and mentor me throughout it.

Table of Contents 1 2 3 4 5

Introduction

Eating & The Restaurant 2.1 The Restaurant in History 2.2 Food across Cultures 2.3 Social Aspects of Food 2.4 Types of Food Service 2.5 Trends 2.6 Comparison Diagram

18 20 24 30 38 52 66

The Food Production Cycle 3.1 Production 3.2 Processing 3.3 Retail 3.4 Consumption 3.5 Transport

74 84 90 94 98 100

Dubai’s Food Scene 4.1 Dubai and the food industry 4.2 Demographics & Market trends 4.3 The Food Cycle in Dubai 4.4 Food Waste & Consumption

106 110 112 114 118

Case studies 5.1 West Louisville Food Port 5.2 Agro Food Park 5.3 Sawmill Market 5.4 Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District

122 126 140 152 162

Program 6.1 Area Breakdown Table 6.2 Spatial Relationship Analysis 6.3 Function Analysis

174 176 178 180

Site & Context 7.1 Site Selection 7.2 Comparative Analysis 7.3 Site Analysis

182 186 188 190

Concept 8.1 Irregular Forms 8.2 Defined Blocks 8.3 Amorphous Blob

208 210 216 222

Conclusion

230

Works Cited

238

1 Introduction

The food industry is one that influences every human on earth, it brings people together through their food. Food is considered one of the most important cultural aspects in any country, it shapes many cultures and has its importance on a personal level with all individuals. As with everything else, the way we eat and experience our time with food has been changing, both due to the pandemic and other sociological reasons. These changes should be seen as an opportunity to evolve the way we perceive food through architecture. Since the food industry is a multi-faceted industry, it has many different contributing sectors within it. Some topics that make it up are the food production cycle, on a macro scale, and people’s perception and interaction with food, on a micro scale. The food production cycle in itself involves many industries such as agriculture, logistics, retail, manufacturing, and marketing just to name a few. As for people’s interaction with food, several factors play a role in the importance of food on individuals. Physiologically, socially, and culturally, are some of the main factors that will be investigated.

Restaurants, markets, and food hubs are all different typologies of places that serve or sell food in various stages. These typologies offer different experiences, each focusing on a different aspect such as sustainability, luxury, health, or convenience. The aim of the research on different eatery typologies is to support and justify the design of an all-encompassing system that will guarantee food security and bring to the world a new perspective on the eating experience.

The world’s approach to dining and eating out has been changing drastically in recent years, as delivery and take-out services become more mainstream than ever. Both the occurrence of the pandemic and technological advancements have been determining factors in the inevitable change of behavior when it comes to eating and dealing with food. Creating a new type of system or venue is rather complicated, but by breaking down the food industry into main points, they can be studied and put together to form this new system. The envisioned output of this research is a place that will fuse all the different elements discussed to create a cohesive, self-sustaining environment meant for growing food, eating, socializing, researching, and further exploring this innovative approach. The research and education part of the project will normalize the idea of something new that will change the way people interact with food, as well as realize the newly altered future of food production as a whole system.

2 Eating & The Restaurant 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6

The Restaurant in History Food across Cultures Social Aspects of Food Types of Food Service Trends in the Industry Comparison Diagram

Eating & The Restaurant

2.1 HISTORY

The concept of the modern restaurant was created in 1765 Paris, France. Before that, people would congregate and eat from communal platters at a kitchen since private home kitchens were not a thing back then like they are now (Bednarz, 2015). Eating outside the house was a concept created as a product of social and economical developments. In ancient Mesopotamia, ceramic bowls were created in order to feed workers. This experience more closely resembled the military rather than the eating out we know now, but it is how the concept first began. Later, travel, celebrations, and political meetings were the situations that led to the change in people’s dining habits. Eating and drinking in groups, especially in public, was a behavior found even in the most ancient of times. Flash forward to around a thousand years ago, cookshops emerged. They were restaurant-type establishments which offered food for the lower class, seeing as having kitchens in their homes was not a standard back then as it is now.

The cookshops would prepare food in bulk for the people, and they would take it home to eat, but some would stay outside and eat it in public (the cookshops did not offer seating, but were just a kitchen that cooked for the public). This typology of restaurant was common in many different parts of the world such as Cairo, London, Madrid, and other major cities. (Passidomo, 2020) Other typologies emerged after that, and over time, dining out started to have its own etiquette which resulted in the acts of waiting to be seated, looking at menus, ordering from waiters, and having the freedom to order a meal of your choosing. The typologies were part of history but still exist to this day so they are addressed in section 2.4.

Figure 1 Classic retro style diner, USA

Eating & The Restaurant

Finally, the modern restaurant, also known as the public dining room. The restaurant we now know relies on services and choices. That being said, the first actual restaurant became a thing in the Song Dynasty, in 1100CE China. (Roos, 2020) It was a result of several social and cultural factors: the huge population, the trade scene, and the diverse urban structure which led to the variety of choice of cuisine in a single establishment (Passidomo, 2020). The reason that restaurants are commonly associated with France is because that is where the idea of eating out became a regular thing, mostly practiced by the upper class and bourgeoise. This behavior started around the time of the industrial revolution, in the 18th century, and was characterized by serving special foods to represent having feasts as a special occasion. This is also why most terms related to eating out are French, e.g.: hotel, restaurant, cafe, menu, entree, chef (chef de cuisine), cover charge (couvert), maitre d’hotel, restaurateur, hostess (hotesse), etc.. (Fox, 2003).

Figure 2 Busy carry-out restaurant kitchen

Eating & The Restaurant

2.2 FOOD & CULTURE

Food is more than just sustenance. Food has a major impact on people, beginning first with culture. It is a part of every event, whether a wedding or a funeral. It is a part of any civilization, ancient or modern. It is found everywhere and in all different forms. (Moffat et al., 2017) In most third world countries, eating wheat and other crops is very common because of the agricultural history. Most countries/cultures still practice what they have always known, in some way or another. For example, Italians are famous for their pasta because of the wide availability of wheat. Same thing with Japan, India, France, and many other countries. Food culture can also be created from the basic need of survival. It can also be a product of status or even pleasure.

Figure 3 Dinner spread with food from around the world

Eating & The Restaurant

If you have paid close attention to the national dish of most countries, patterns can easily be detected all across the world. Many national dishes can essentially be boiled down to a grain-based component (noodles, rice), a protein (beef, chicken, and fish) and a stew or broth-like component (most probably tomato based) accompanied with vegetables as secondary but complimentary ingredients. Other food retail typologies such as fruit and vegetable carts/vendors are very common in countries all over the world like Egypt, Greece, Russia, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, the Levant, Thailand, Sudan, China, Cambodia, and so many more. (Hannah Gould, 2015) These common themes are also apparent because of the migration and adoption of customs and items across the world. This is why, for example, the national dish in Austria, Wiener Schnitzel, originally comes from Italy (National Geographic, 2011). Another common theme between food and eating habits around the world is the use of easily obtainable items.

The first example that comes to mind is utensils. At around 500 AD China, chopsticks emerged as a vessel to pick up and devour small cut pieces of food. They were made of cheap readily found materials, mostly wood, and were later migrated to other Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam (Thomas, n.d.). Regardless of the variety in food, social behaviors, and eating utensils around the world, one of the most universally recognized symbols in dining practices is the dining table itself. The dining table spans from the emperors of the Roman empire to the peasants of the Middle Ages. In places like India and Africa, however, the dining place is a mat on the ground, as one quarter of the population of the world eats sitting on the ground. With the evolution to modern times, the dining table has made less of an appearance in people’s lives as they sit infront of the TV to eat, or have a “quick bite” during their busy day. This has given the dining table a special status, it evokes discipline (Louise O. Fresco, 2015). In households that practice dining together, dinner time is the time where every one in the house sits together to have a meal, and even help with its preparation and clean up.

“The human is the only animal species that surrounds its food with rituals and takes account of hunger among others who are not direct relatives. The table makes us human. Cooking is the basis for relationships.”

Eating & The Restaurant

2.3 SOCIAL PRACTICES AND FOOD

Whether people choose to eat outside the house or inside does not affect the fact that food forms a special bond between people who eat together. There is no doubt that communal eating creates a sense of attachment to one’s community and increases their overall satisfaction in life and wellbeing. After the modern restaurant model became known, it started to morph into other versions of itself. We have many different restaurants around us, all for different events/settings. Fine dining, for example, is usually the first choice for a romantic holiday such as Valentine’s Day or a Wedding anniversary. Fast food chains on the other hand, claim to provide food for those “in a hurry”, but realistically they are usually the option people choose when they are tight on money or want to satisfy the child inside of them, or their actual children. Business lunches are also a widespread phenomenon in the modern world, they solidify the connections people build in a workplace (Fox, 2003).

Unlike our ancestors, people nowadays choose to dine out not out of necessity, but for entertainment. Whether there is an event to celebrate or not, people usually look forward to dining outside and tend to put in more effort than when they want to eat at home. There is a special kind of intimacy when you decide to invite your family for dinner outside, rather than the usual family meal on a Friday. It really evokes the feeling that there is a special occasion happening when such a change in setting occurs, and it usually happens on birthdays or holidays. (Epter, 2009)

“What you want to cook and eat is an accumulation, a function of your experiences — the people you’ve dated, what you’ve learned, where you’ve gone. There may be inbound elements from other cultures, but you’ll always eat things that mean something to you.”

Eating & The Restaurant

SOCIAL PRACTICES

Catching up with friends, family, or a loved one over lunch. Everyone needs to eat during the day so in a busy world, food is what brings people together.

Business lunch/dinner. Eating with coworkers in more formal settings for events, or casually to build strong relationships with one another in the workplace.

Family feasts. Gatherings like this bring people together whether it is for a celebration, holiday, religious feasts, or even just a spontaneous get-together.

The figures below show different settings in which food affects society. Eating is an intimate activity, it creates and strengthens bonds between people.

Casual hangouts with roommates, friends, and family. Sharing food with one another is even more of an intimate activity as it releases endorphins, creates healthier diets, and increases one’s overall satisfaction in life.

Meeting someone new. One very common way for meeting new people is by eating with them. This also gives a chance for people to get to know each other in a comfortable atmosphere.

Eating alone. One of the most underrated and least common scenarios with food is eating alone. It is usually practiced by people who cook their own food, busy people, or simply those who want to have their peace of mind.

“The more often people eat with others, the more likely they are to feel happy and satisfied with their lives.”

Eating & The Restaurant

2.4 TYPES OF FOOD SERVICE

Cookshops were relevant in multiple stages in history. First, they were created to provide sustenance for workers. Later, they became an essential part of Caravanserai and Khans which travelers and merchants would stop in for rest and a good meal. As time passed, more options of food was offered, just like a modern day menu, as opposed to how it began with just serving whatever was available that day (Passidomo, 2020). This typology evolved with time, but we can still see it around in the forms of food trucks, food stalls, and petrol stations. Cafes and teashops became common hotspots for socializing, and not really for having a meal, but for lighter snack food.

Eating & The Restaurant

Take-away restaurants, also known as carry-out restaurants, originated for the same reason as cookshops, which is to provide people who do not have time or resources to cook with sustenance. They usually had a “meal of the day” and no seating, just a kitchen dedicated for making food and distributing it. The figure shows an Asian Takeout restaurant with meals ready to be delivered, as well as freshly made food available for customers that want to choose and pick up their meals themselves.

Figure 4

Figure 5 Busy carry-out restaurant

Eating & The Restaurant

Clubs and communal halls were more higher-class establishments, where a membership was required. They offered a semi-private dining experience, unlike the previous typologies. It is worth noting that in the 1950’s, at the height of Communist China, private kitchens were demonized and were deemed “symbols of selfishness”, which lead to the communal canteen. This communal dining concept did not last long in this situation, and was abolished by 1961, because it is believed to play a major role in the Great Chinese Famine. (Lu, n.d.) Dining halls now are most commonly found in universities and schools, where large amounts of people congregate to eat in a semi-private setting (everybody is in the same room, on different tables). This is also where the concept of Food Halls was derived from.

Figure 6 The Forks Market Food Hall in Winnipeg, Canada

Eating & The Restaurant

Table d’hote restaurants are the closest to a modern day restaurant, as they are the only type of establishment that provided both food and seating for the public. They had a fixed meal a day, along with a fixed timing for eating and fixed prices. This typology still widely exists but has more meals a day (set-menu restaurants). (Passidomo, 2020) In the figure is a professional chef plating a Beef Wellington dish in a Gourmet restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand.

Figure 7

Eating & The Restaurant

2.5 TRENDS

As the world around us changes, the food industry continues to grow and adapt to the circumstances. Here are some trends that restaurants have adopted as a response resulting from the recent health and business developments: • Ghost kitchens + carryout restaurants • Food delivery + curbside pickup • Locally sourced product • Food trucks • Food malls Switching from heavily relying on imported products to locally sourced products helps the economy and environment in many ways. One of the main advantages is that this creates a self-sustaining economy (Zaki, 2020), which means the elimination of several transit trips for food, which means three things: • Better quality food = healthier people • Less carbon emissions (because of less transport) = healthier environment • Better economy = happier people because farmers and labor will receive better income

Eating & The Restaurant

CURRENT FOOD TRENDS

Ghost Kitchens (also known as cloud kitchens) are commercial kitchens that serve the delivery-only market. Industrial and commercial kitchens have always existed, but the convenience and efficiency that a ghost kitchen provides is unmatched. The ability for virtual businesses to host their operation in an isolated cloud kitchen is what made this system as convenient and efficient as it is. This completely eliminates multiple facets of opening a fully functioning restaurant, like renting huge spaces, making the need to open a “normal” restaurant entirely unnecessary.

Eating & The Restaurant

One of the most commonly used methods for food distribution is retail food delivery. The convenience of using online apps to order food and have it delivered is the main reason this method is as popular as it is. Figure 8 shows a delivery man picking up a food order from a London Restaurant late at night.

Figure 8

Eating & The Restaurant

Curbside pickup also became a very popular method to distributing food during the pandemic, and is expected to become regularly practiced. In figure 9, a person eats their Chili’s to go meal in the car. Chili’s recently started offering a curbside pickup program, where customers would order and pay for their order in advance using the app, drive up to their designated pickup spot at the venue, and then notify the staff of their arrival in order to have a staff member deliver the food to their car.

Figure 9

Eating & The Restaurant

Locally sourced products have been a point of interest in recent years, as interest in health and sustainability begins to rise. Farmer’s markets and friday markets are types of open-air markets that have been populating cities and towns for decades, as well as indoor markets which mainly sell fruits and vegetables.

Eating & The Restaurant

Food trucks are not a new invention, however, they have had a surge in recent years, especially in widely populated modern cities. Again, food trucks provide a convenience that is not found in the typical commercial kitchen, as they are compact, rentable, mobile units and they do not require a built space. Compared to conventional restaurants, they require minimal start up and maintenance costs. They have become a go-to after the pandemic occured. They give flexibility to the diner, as they can choose to dine wherever they may please after receiving their food. Food trucks may have outdoor seating, or may choose to completely opt out of providing seating. Food parks/malls have also started to emerge, especially in the GCC region, as they combine the concept of food trucks and curbside pickup/dining to form a vehicle based park with various restaurant options in a single venue.

Eating & The Restaurant

2.6 CHORD DIAGRAM

Since there are many typologies of restaurants and food-selling venues, an exhaustive diagram like this encapsulates the essence of the types by highlighting aspects such as their dining style, convenience, formality of the setting, and level of privacy. This chart is a comprehensive relationship diagram that emphasizes the connections between characteristics of different restaurant typologies and food service outlets that have been discussed in the entire chapter. This format for charts is unique because it bundles together clumps of related information to highlight the clear connections, which helps in this case because of the many-to-many relationships being displayed.

Remote describes the types of restaurants where interaction between consumer and establishment is minimal. Full service restaurants have staff that directly take care of customers, unlike self service establishments where customers pay for their food at the cashier then seat themselves and are not waited on. The types that are labeled as versatile are places that offer a wide range of food/products. And lastly, the typologies labeled as self-sufficient produce the food that they serve in-house.

Figure 10 Juice cart in Moroccan fruits & vegetable market.

Figure 11 Moroccan merchants selling their freshly harvested produce.

“Buying local not only saves costs for F&B businesses, but it also boosts the entire ecosystem and showcases the development of regional farming.” – (Zaki, 2020)

ILLUSTRATION

3 The Food Production Cycle 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

Production Processing Retail Consumption & Waste Transportation

The food production cycle, also known as the food system, is made up of several building blocks that are the reason we now have a wide variety and easy access to food. It became well known after food production started booming after the second world war (Gladek et al., 2017). In summary, it describes how food arrived on your plate. It explains how food is grown, harvested, processed, transported, sold, packaged, marketed, and even what happens after it has been consumed. The UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) claims that fixing our food system will put an end to food insecurity. It also highlights the negative effects our current food system is creating.

Figure 12 Combine harvesters collecting ripe crops

“Food systems are responsible for 70 per cent of the water extracted from nature, cause 60 per cent of biodiversity loss, and generate up to a third of human greenhouse gas emissions.” - (UNEP, 2021)

The Food Cycle

3.1 PRODUCTION

The first stage of the cycle is Food Production. Agriculture alone is responsible for around 25% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (FAO, 2016). “The agri-food sector is the world’s largest economic sector and is therefore deeply entwined with poverty. Half the global workforce is employed in agriculture.” - (Gladek et al., 2017) Sustainable food production is a concept that has been very relevant the past few years. The UNEP has released several articles explaining it and raising awareness on the matter, as well as created a summit to highlight and discuss the entire food system in order to create a better one. “Sustainable food production is a method of production using processes and systems that are non-polluting, conserve non-renewable energy and natural resources, are economically efficient, are safe for workers, communities and consumers, and do not compromise the needs of future generations” - (EUFIC, 2015)

The projected dietary needs for the world’s population in 2050 cannot be met if the system stays exactly as it is now. Resources such as land, water, soil, nutrients, and natural habitats could eventually be destroyed and cease to exist due to the simple fact that they are finite, if the same production system is in place for the coming few decades. About 70% of the accessible fresh water is used for agriculture, where 8.300 billion cubic meters of water has been used solely between 1996-2005. (Gladek et al., 2017)

Figure 14 Workers inspecting mussels in industrial kitchen

Figure 15 Strawberry pickers in California, USA, rushing to collect as many strawberries in their boxes because they get paid per box. So much work gets put in to provide us with the smallest of produce, these workers are essential to our livelihoods.

Figures

Figures 16 and 17 illustrate the main environmental impacts of food and agriculture on the Earth. Figure 16 shows the finite resources found on the Earth that are being used up in food production. The specific activities in the cycle that result in the intense impacts are outlined in figure 17.

Figure 16 Our World in Data

Figure 17 Our World in Data

The Food Cycle

3.2 PROCESSING

The processing stage is the most controversial, as there have been many studies that indicate the negative effects of food processing. It is an essential step to ensure food is preserved and will not spoil during the long cycle before food reaches us, however, it is a known fact that too much processing or certain processes breakdown the nutrients in our food and therefore desperately lowering its nutritional quality.

Processing is also known to cause several different health complications due to the stripping of natural minerals and nutrients found in the food when they undergo processes for storage and packaging such as heating, freezing, or refining (EUFIC, 2017).

“It’s this shift to processed foods, taking place all over the world, that’s contributing to a rising epidemic of obesity and related diseases.” - (Gibbons, n.d.)

Figure 18 Meat processing unit in local butchery

Figure 19 Siti Khatijah Market, Kelantan, Malaysia

The Food Cycle

3.3 RETAIL

The most common misconception in the food retail industry is the “freshness” of the foods around us. The reality is that most of the fruits and vegetables found in the produce section of the supermarket are really weeks or even months old and have lost huge amounts of their nutritional value which makes them less healthy than they sesem. Locally sourced food is known to taste better, and because it does not stay in storages and travel long distances for weeks at a time, it is also much more healthy and sustainable option. This kind of food can be distinguied not just by the place it is sold in (open air markets), but also by the food miles it has traveled. The “locally sourced” label applies if the food is grown within 200km of the place it is being sold.

The Food Cycle

The packaging of foods is another major factor of the food waste crisis. “Of the 3.4 to 4 billion tonnes of municipal and industrial waste generated globally each year, almost half of this waste is generated by households” - (Gladek et al., 2017) Again, the reason packaging exists is to give food a longer shelf life. While it does satisfy its function, marketing for f&b products should evolve past the need for traditional packaging. Other marketing strategies could be considered too, such as serving food directly as evident in markets and some restaurants.

The Food Cycle

3.4 CONSUMPTION

Food waste from consumers is also one of the biggest contributors to food waste, mainly because people tend to misjudge the spoilage of their food. People’s biggest concern when it comes to preparing or eating their own food is whether or not their food is spoiled. More often than not, the food is still safe to eat, but the inability for people to judge the state of their food leads to more food spoilage which eventually leads to more unnecessary waste. There are also other factors that lead to spoilage like the lack of proper storage and excessive portions (Gladek et al., 2017).

Figure 20 Pollution caused by inappropriate food dumping and excessive waste in Zunil, Guatemala

The Food Cycle

3.5 TRANSPORT

Between each stage of the cycle, there is a transition which is the transportation of the product of each stage to the next. This amount of transportation and stages before our food reaches us results in a couple of problems which are: • Loss of nutritional value from our food • Increase in greenhouse gas emissions • Biodiversity loss • Food waste • Food insecurity These are to name a few. The point is that the process from start to finish has major health and environmental impacts (Gladek et al., 2017). My goal is to make this cycle smaller in order to make it healthier and more sustainable to suit the needs of the Earth and its residents.

101

The Food Cycle

Other than the downsides of transport, delivery and drive through services have become very common thanks to the pandemic. This poses a whole other group of threats to the environment, while also providing us more opportunities for designing a new restaurant typology. We need to keep in mind that the emergence of drive through restaurants will erase the concept of the dining table, however, the close social contact will still exist in a car, it will just be a different type of eating experience. (Littman, 2020) Delivery services have also had a major demand following the pandemic and might become an essential part of our daily lives.

103

Figure 21 Industrial warehouse storage unit for long distance food travel in Verona, Italia

The Food Cycle

FOOD MILES

Transporting food by air emits almost 50 times as much greenhouse gases as transporting by sea. Figure 21 shows the emission factors for different transport modes used. Food transported by sea does not add much to the carbon footprint, and only account for 6% of the carbon footprint of food. As for air-freighted foods, they travel longer distances and usually are intended to deliver food items that are highly perishable (some types of fruits and vegetables) and cannot be transported by boat as they are much slower. Figure 21 illustrates the “Food Miles”, a unit which measures one ton of product traveling a distance of one kilometer, taken by different transportation methods.

Foods that have travelled by air can usually be identified by looking at the country of origin which they came from. Foods that have a short shelf-life traveled a long way, and that would not be possible except by plane. The intense “freshness” labels also help in identifying them as they get transported in a very short amount of time (Ritchie & Roser, 2020). Water transport is the most common type of transportation for food items and produce, with less than 0.16% of imported items being transported through air. In section 4.3, the heavy use of airplane-imported goods in Dubai and its implications are outlined.

105

Figure 21 Our World in Data

ILLUSTRATION

4 Dubai’s Food Scene 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4

Dubai and The Food Industry Demographics and Market Trends The Food Cycle in Dubai Food Waste & Consumption

4.1 DUBAI AND THE FOOD INDUSTRY

The food industry in the UAE has been highly boosted by the high rate of tourism. In 2019, the total population of the UAE reached around 10.7million, while also welcoming 16.7 million tourists that year. The UAE has set a few goals to reach regarding food security (Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2020), some of which are: • To reach 100,000 tons in domestic production by 2021. • To create more than 16,000 jobs in the food sector. Core strategies to reach these goals include: • Enhancing sustainable technology-enabled domestic food supply. • Reducing food loss and waste. • Sustaining food safety and improving nutritional intake.

109

Dubai & Food

Recently, online food delivery has become the UAE’s most popular method for ordering food (Rizvi, 2021), projected to reach $151.5 billion in 2021. Dubai is a very up to date city, so it is very advanced in the technologies and types of food services it has to offer. One of the most relevant type is ghost kitchens (also known as dark kitchens). The food delivery giant, Deliveroo, has opened up several ghost kitchens in Dubai since the beginning of the pandemic. A consulting report claims that ghost kitchens will outnumber restaurants within five years. This is because it is much cheaper to operate in the dark. As we enter a virtual world, we should probably expect to see the basic elements of daily life as we know it to transform into a world behind screens. This concept is successful because it creates an atmosphere where restaurants can be innovative while not having much of a risk to expanding.

111

Dubai & Food

4.2 DEMOGRAPHICS & MARKET TRENDS

The f&b sector in the UAE is expected to continue to grow, especially with the upcoming Expo2020 right around the corner. The onsite sales of f&b products alone are estimated to be $545 million, as 25 million visitors are to be expected at the mega event (Altios, 2020). An impressive achievement in the UAE is the appearance of more than 1,000 hydroponic projects (Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2020), which will revolutionize agriculture in the country because hydroponics is a farming technology that requires no soil, meaning vertical farming and other sustainable techniques can replace typical agricultural practices, which results in significantly decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases.

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Figure 22 Hydroponic farm

Dubai & Food

4.3 THE FOOD CYCLE IN DUBAI

In an older study, it was shown that more than 80% of food in the UAE has been imported. Countries that food has been imported from include India, Brazil, China, and the United States. This dependence on imported foods can be dangerous for continuing to sustain a rapidly growing population. (Robinson, 2011) Now, the pandemic was a stark reminder of the importance of food production within the UAE borders, rather than the heavy reliance on overseas production (Zacharias, 2020). On the bright side, in June 2020, the UAE Cabinet approved the national system for sustainable agriculture to improve the efficiency of farms, enhance self-sufficiency in food and create new opportunities in the agriculture sector.

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Dubai & Food

By launching the National Food Security Strategy 2051, the UAE aims to achieve zero hunger by ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round throughout the world. The strategy specifically aims to implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems. The strategy aims to: • Make the UAE the world’s best in the Global Food Security Index by 2051 and among the top 10 countries by 2021. • Develop a comprehensive national system based on enabling sustainable food production through the use of modern technologies • Enhance local production • Develop international partnerships to diversify food sources • Activate legislation and policies that contribute to improving nutrition • Activate legislation and policies to reduce waste.

117

Dubai & Food

4.4 FOOD WASTE & CONSUMPTION

Food wastage is widely viewed as a critical issue, especially in the MENA region. This type of harmful behavior is especially prevalent during the holy month of Ramadan for a number of reasons. The demand for meat, along with other food items like vegetables and fruits increases by a staggering 50% during the holy month. However, around one-third of these valuable resources will likely end up as waste. According to Dubai Carbon, the UAE is ranked among the top nations for waste generation per capita. Typically, around 38% of prepared food is wasted daily in the UAE, however, this figure rises to nearly 60% during Ramadan only. The decomposition process of food waste results in methane gas emissions, which is reportedly 25 times more harmful than CO2. (DCCE, 2021)

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Dubai & Food

The UAE Food bank is a non-profit charitable organization. It is the first food bank in the United Arab Emirates and was founded on the 4th of January in the year 2017, under the umbrella of The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). The organization is committed to distributing food to the needy and eliminating food waste, through collaboration with local authorities as well as local and international charities. The primary goal of the organization is to establish an ecosystem that capitalises on efficiently storing excess food from all sources possible. These sources include but are not limited to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets (UAE Food Bank, 2018).

121

Figure 23 Food packages for the needy

ILLUSTRATION

5 Case Studies 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4

West Louisville Port Agro Food Park Sawmill Market Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District

5.1 WEST LOUISVILLE PORT

Background • Architect: OMA • Location: West Louisville, USA • Project Size: 24 acres (Approx. 100,000m2) • Status: Proposed 2015, unbuilt • Function: Food Hub • Program: Industrial

Project Brief The designer and client of the FoodPort aimed to reimagine the local food cycle by creating a single public space where food could be grown, harvested, processed, sold and then consumed. The hub was designed to serve as a place to promote locally grown foods, and to educate the public on how and why to eat local. Concept The West Louisville Food Port is designed to provide more than the typical food hub with the addition of several key programs that serve and provide for all stages of the food chain, from farming, to processing, shared community kitchen spaces, retail, and recycling.

127

Figure 24 Food Port Illustration courtesy of OMA

West Louisville Port

Context Historically known as the “Gateway to the South” with a fertile connection to the Ohio River, Louisville has been identified as a top foodie city and now, the location for one of the largest food hubs in the US. The chosen site in West Louisville is located within an area classified as a food desert where nutritious and affordable food is scarce. The history of disinvestment in West Louisville after the Great Flood in 1937 has defined the area in contrast to East Louisville and the rapidly growing downtown area. As one of the recent initiatives to address the disparity between West and East, and the food hub has the potential to play an important role in the revitalization of the local Louisville community.

Food Port builds on the city’s historic position within the inland waterway network and the city’s legacy as a major shipping port by providing a much-needed infrastructural connection between farmers and suppliers and the growing demand for local food. Referencing the street grids of the city which are rotated at different angles from neighborhood to neighborhood to maintain orientation to the Ohio River, the masterplan stitches together the urban fabric.

129

Figure 25 Food Port Illustration courtesy of OMA

West Louisville Port

Circulation The functions of the building are laid out in a linear order that is influenced by the cycle of food production. The form of the building allows the easiest access and circulation for delivery and shipment, while also considering the flow of the visitors.

131

Figure 26

Figure 27

West Louisville Port

Program The project’s program is split into two main elements: the indoor program and the outdoor program. The enclosed program (indoor) is organized by shared facilities of the potential tenants. This includes retail, processing facilities, and kitchens. The processing facilities are located at the center of the site, connecting to the kitchens on one end and to the offices on the other. The open program (outdoors) includes the heavier parts of the program which include the urban farm and recycling facility. On the other side of the site it also includes the market plaza, food truck area, and edible garden. The program also includes a demonstration farm, which is an educational element where researchers can observe, research, and develop agricultural techniques. The program covers most aspect of my research, focusing on the food production cycle.

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Figure 28

West Louisville Port

Area Breakdown Project

West Louisville Food Port

Zone

Function

Size

Urban Farm Garden Production

Recycling Kitchen Incubators Single Kitchens

Industrial

Processing

Retail

31214m²

Test Kitchens Restaurants

185m²

Market

929m²

Pop-up shops Offices

1207m²

Startups Commercial

Business

Meeting Rooms Visitor Center

878m²

Auditorium Entertainment

Outdoor Spaces Seated Dining

Social

Eating

Communal Dining

1400m²

Food Trucks

7500m²

Drive Through

—

Demonstration Farms

8300m²

Test Fields Labs Educational

Research

Library

430m²

Services Operational Total

43207m²

Parking

—

Circulation (25%)

— 95625m²

135

Figure 29

Figure 30

5.2 AGRO FOOD PARK

Background • Architect: William McDonough + Partners, GXN/3XN Architects • Location: Aarhus, Denmark • Project Size: 2020 Phase 92,200 M2 2030 Phase 280,000 M2 • Status: Competition 2015 • Function: Food Hub • Program: Vision and Master Plan development plan, Innovation Strategy

Project Brief Agro Food Park is a hub for agricultural innovation. It aims to serve as a benchmark for future global food industry development. The project combines urban density with agricultural test fields in a collaboration of academic and commercial business. Concept In combining urban and agricultural development into one larger concept, AFP aims to create economic value within the urban and agricultural infrastructure. The master plan of the project is composed of three main elements— the Lawn, a central communal green space with several demonstration and test gardens, the Strip, which is the main street of the project, and the Plazas, which will bind together clusters of buildings that serve the educational aspect of the program. “This is a place, literally, where people could be engaging in the business of feeding the world safe, healthy food. That, to us, is very exciting.”

141

Figure 31 Food workshops interior render

Agro Food Park

Key Elements The Strip is a street and campus made of open facades and shared amenities. It hosts the companies and knowledge institutions of Agro Food Park and allows them to display their identity and products. The main street is built in a density that creates life and activity, while kept in a human scale. The Plazas are multiple plazas that have urban density and experiential qualities and give local character to the surrounding buildings. The Lawn is the central open green area in the masterplan. It functions as the showroom for experimentation and innovation within agriculture and food production. It’s made up of several test and demonstration gardens where innovative food production methods are studied and used to grow food and other natural products.

143

Figure 32

Figure 33

Figure 34

Agro Food Park

Program There are 3 main categories for the program of this project: agricultural, educational, and business related. The project contains more than 25,000 m2 worth of “flexible” buildings that have rentable spaces meant for companies in the food and agriculture industry to grow and develop. It also contains all supporting functional facilities such as meeting rooms, restaurants and cafes, and common areas like bathrooms and locker rooms. Outside of the buildings, there is a strip of land made up of a variety of test fields, gardens, demonstration farms, and produce fields.

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Figure 35

Figure 36 Madkulturhus, translated to mean “food culture house” contains the visitor center and restaurants, and will welcome all visitors of the park and strengthen AFP’s relationship to Aarhus and the world.

Figure 37 Innovationhus (innovation house) is the business center of the project, and it is where different companies and startups meet and host their events.

Sawmill Market

Area Breakdown Project

Agro Food Park

Zone

Function

Size

Urban Farm Garden Production

Recycling

17200m²

Kitchen Incubators Single Kitchens Industrial

Processing

Test Kitchens Restaurants Market

Retail

200-400m²/unit "showrooms"

350m²/unit

Pop-up shops Offices Startups

Commercial

Business

Meeting Rooms

400m²/unit

Visitor Center Auditorium Entertainment

740m²

Outdoor Spaces

92500m²

Seated Dining

4235m²

Communal Dining

900m²

Food Trucks Social

Eating

Drive Through Demonstration Farms

each row is 1015m wide

Test Fields Labs Educational

Research

Library Services Parking

Operational Total

925m²

Circulation (25%)

150m²/unit — 1200 parking spaces — 124500m²+

147

Figure 38

Figure 39

5.3 SAWMILL MARKET

Background • Architect: Eric Haskins, AIA • Location: Albuquerque, USA • Project Size: 3800m2 (40,000sqft) • Status: Completed 2019 • Function: Urban Food Hall • Program: Market

Project Brief The Market is a cornerstone of the Sawmill District Development project which aims to revive the sawmill neighborhood to the vibrancy that existed in this space in the early 20th century. Concept The building includes a food hall, outdoor gathering place, and community gathering hall for Albuquerque, which showcases the beauty of New Mexico through food, diversity, and art. Unlike a food court, central markets typically have an emphasis on the local culture and visitors are able to purchase both prepared food and specialty groceries. Focuses on innovation, art/culture, and food appreciation.

153

Figure 40

Sawmill Market

Program The market houses 26 individual local merchants, restaurants, mercantile areas, and several other f&b services. At the center is THE YARD, an outdoor dining + play space.

155

Figure 41

Sawmill Market

Area Breakdown Project

Sawmill Market

Zone

Function

Size

Urban Farm Garden Production

Industrial

Processing

Retail

Recycling Kitchen Incubators

50m²/unit

Single Kitchens

20-110m²

Test Kitchens

30m²/unit

Restaurants

225m²

Market

200m²

Pop-up shops

1000m²

Offices

25m²/unit

Startups Commercial

Business

Meeting Rooms Visitor Center Auditorium

Entertainment

Outdoor Spaces

1230m²

Seated Dining

5910m²

Communal Dining

5560m²

Food Trucks Social

Eating

Drive Through Demonstration Farms Test Fields Labs

Educational

Research

Library Services

Operational Total

840m²

Parking

—

Circulation (25%)

— 8560m²

157

Figure 42

Figure 43

5.4 SUNQIAO URBAN AGRICULTURE DISTRICT

Background • Architect: Sasaki • Location: Shanghai, China • Project Size: 1000000m2 (100 hectares) • Status: Under construction • Function: Urban Masterplan • Program: Self sustaining city

Concept As one of Asia’s most dynamic megacities, Shanghai is actively encouraging innovative solutions to provide food for the growing region. Unlike Western examples of large-scale corporate farms which are typically located great distances from cities, smaller scale agriculture dominates Shanghai’s peri-urban landscape. This progressive approach has historically allowed the growing metropolis to carefully manage agricultural resources, while also ensuring greater agricultural biodiversity.

163

Figure 44

Figure 45

Sunqiao Agriculture District

Context China is the world’s biggest consumer and exporter of agricultural products. But over the last twenty years, China lost 47,000 square miles of farmland to urban areas, and one-sixth of the remaining farmland is polluted. In Shanghai, land prices are high, so being able to grow plants vertically, rather than horizontally, is a huge advantage. The growing population in China is making it harder to keep farmland close to the city. In order to account for the growing population and shrinking farmland, the country is searching for innovative solutions. The district has been producing food with conventional methods since the 1990s, but now, it’s being expanded to integrate vertical farming systems, research and public outreach.

165

Figure 46

Figure 47

Sunqiao Agriculture District

Program The expansion of Sunqiao includes much more than just adding vertical farming systems. The plans include 717,000 square feet of housing, 138,000 square feet of commercial space, 753,000 square feet of vertical farms and 856,000 square feet of public space. The public spaces will include interactive, playful and engaging experiences to teach the general public about the innovation of urban agriculture. For example, an interactive greenhouse, science museum, aquaponics showcase, and festival market. As a result, Sunqiao will effectively feed residents while teaching them where their food comes from, hopefully inspiring children to take an interest in the industry. Meanwhile, the inclusion of housing and commercial space helps bridge the gap between producer and consumer.

167

Figure 48

Figure 49

Sunqiao Agriculture District

Area Breakdown Project

Sunqiao Agricultural District

Zone

Function

Size

Urban Farm Garden Production

Recycling

70000m²

Kitchen Incubators Single Kitchens Industrial

Processing

Test Kitchens Restaurants Market

Retail

12820m²

Pop-up shops Offices Startups

Commercial

Business

Meeting Rooms

1250m²/unit

Visitor Center Auditorium Entertainment

Outdoor Spaces

79500m²

Seated Dining Communal Dining Food Trucks Social

Eating

Drive Through Demonstration Farms Test Fields

included in the 70000m²

Labs Educational

Operational Total

Research

Library Services

—

Parking

—

Circulation (25%)

— 1000000m²

169

Figure 50

Figure 51

Figure 52 Social + educational facilities in the project

Figure 53

171

Figure 54 Research unit facilities

Figure 55

ILLUSTRATION

6 Program 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4

Area Breakdown Table Spatial Relationship Analysis Function Analysis Design Considerations (spatial considerations + observations)

Program

6.1 AREA BREAKDOWN TABLE

Based on the studied area breakdowns of the case studies, a hybrid project can be created. The orange case studies are the ones that mainly revolve around eating & interactive activities, while the green case studies mainly focus on agricultural production. The huge scale difference between the projects makes it more difficult to pin point the exact required areas, so the proposed project’s areas are suitable, small scale, proportion-based areas.

Project Zone

Function

West Louisville Food Port

Agro Food Park

Size

Urban Farm Garden Production

Recycling

17200m²

Kitchen Incubators Single Kitchens Industrial

Processing

Retail

31214m²

Test Kitchens Restaurants

185m²

Market

929m²

200-400m²/unit "showrooms"

350m²/unit

Pop-up shops Offices

1207m²

Startups Commercial

Business

Meeting Rooms

400m²/unit

Visitor Center

878m²

Auditorium Entertainment

740m²

Outdoor Spaces

92500m²

Seated Dining

Social

Eating

4235m²

Communal Dining

1400m²

Food Trucks

7500m²

Drive Through

900m²

—

Demonstration Farms

8300m²

each row is 1015m wide

Test Fields Labs Educational

Research

925m²

Library Parking

430m² —

Services Operational Total

Circulation (25%)

150m²/unit 1200 parking spaces

43207m² —

— —

95625m²

124500m²+

177

Sawmill Market

Sunqiao Agricultural District

Size

Proposed Project Quantity

Size (per unit)

70000m²

Size

6,000m²

50m²/unit

50m²

200m²

20-110m²

30m²

120m²

30m²/unit

30m²

120m²

250m²

1,000m²

600m²

20m²

160m²

225m² 200m²

12820m²

1000m² 25m²/unit 1250m²/unit

1230m²

100m²

50m²

25m²

100m²

200m²

400m²

negative space

79500m²

5910m²

3,000m²

5560m²

2,400m² 600m² 600m² 200m² included in the 70000m²

— 840m² —

200m²

25m²

100m²

400m²

—

4 spaces per 100m²

—

2,800m²

— 8560m²

rows of 10-15m width

2,500m² 1000000m²

15,850m² *some areas may overlap

Program

6.2 SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS

parapgraph

179

Program

6.3 FUNCTION ANALYSIS

Since the proposed project has multiple different categories in its program, and many flexible spaces (the outdoor spaces, fields, eating spaces), percentage charts will help with the decision making process in the design stage. The first chart indicates the preferred proportion for the spaces of the different eating activities. The charts on the other page show the percentages of the categories in the case studies, and the proposed project spaces in comparison.

9.1% 9.1%

Sea 45.5%

Dri 36.4%

9.1% 9.1%

Seated Dining 45.5%

Communal Dining Food Trucks Drive Through

36.4%

181

West Louisville Foodport 20%

8.6%

48%

3% 10% 9.4%

8.4%

4.4%

Sawmill Market

8.4%

14.2%

12.3%

60%

Proposed Project 23.8% 26.9%

6% 8%

29.6%

4.4%

ILLUSTRATION

7 Site & Context 7.1 7.2 7.3

Site Selection Comparative Analysis Site Analysis

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Home of the ever-changing cityscape, Dubai is a rapidly growing metropolis in the United Arab Emirates. Its vision of becoming the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub are steadily coming to fruition as the city grows and expands at its fast pace. The services industry is the most prominent one in the country, with the tourism, retail, transportation, and the construction sectors leading the flow of the economy. The f&b sector (food services and accomodation) makes up a big portion of the retail industry in the UAE’s economy.

185

Site & Context

7.1 SITE SELECTION

The five chosen neighborhoods all play a part in the city’s liveliness and exist in the center of the sprawl. The neighborhoods are parts of the most densely populated areas in the city, or are in recently developed areas which have yet to flourish. The criteria used to justify the site selection includes presence of nearby amenities (location in the city), proximity to public transportation, pedestrian friendliness/walkability, vehicle friendliness (availability of parking and accessible roads), and presence of nearby water bodies/ pleasant views. Amenities: things that are considered to benefit a location, contribute to its enjoyment, and thereby increase its value. (population density data provided taken from 2018)

Sufou 703.2

Jumeirah 3,792/km²

uh 2/km²

187

Jaddaf 579.6/km² Dubai Creek Harbor 0.2745/km² Dubai Water Canal 2,293/km²

Site & Context

7.2 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Site Site criteria

Sufouh

Pedestrian Friendly

•

Car Friendly/Parking Availability

○

Proximity to Public Transport

○

Location within the City

The Jaddaf area ranks highest in comparison to the other sites as it satisfies all of the criteria. Dubai Creek Harbor and Jumeirah come close, but do not entirely satisfy the criteria. The Creek Harbor is yet to become a hotspot, and Jumeirah is already very crowded with f&b outlets, which ultimately also plays a role in the final selection.

Water + Views

•

189

Site

Jaddaf

Dubai Creek Harbor

Pedestrian Friendly

•

Car Friendly/Parking Availability

•

Proximity to Public Transport

•

○

Location within the City

•

○

Water + Views

•

Jumeirah

Water Canal

Pedestrian Friendly

•

Car Friendly/Parking Availability

•

○

Location within the City

•

Water + Views

•

Site criteria

Site Site criteria

Proximity to Public Transport

Site & Context

7.3 SITE ANALYSIS

The chosen site, Jaddaf Waterfront, is located in the center of the city as part of Al Jaddaf District, surrounded by many landmarks including the Dubai International Airport. Al Jaddaf is a historically rich area overlooking the creek, situated between two main highways, the E11 Sheikh Rashid Road and Al Khail Road.

191

LOCATION

The Jaddaf Waterfront area itself is a new development introduced by Dubai Properties as a luxurious mixed-use community situated along the Dubai Creek. It features a harbour, several luxurious hotels, residential towers, and exhibition centers in an area of around 3.7 million square meters.

Site & Context

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Al Jaddaf was originally a shipyard where dhows were constructed. Even though it is one of the rapidly developing areas in the city, the rich heritage is still being preserved and is only place where dhows are built and maintained. The Creek is one of the most significant aspects of the area, as it lead to the trade and population boom in the 1960’s when it was expanded. After that, the Maktoum Bridge, one of the first major infrastructure in Dubai, was built.

Figure 56

193

LANDMARKS

Notable landmarks around the area, for both tourists and residents.

Site & Context

CHOSEN PLOT

Zoning ordinances: • Maximum height: G+5 • Maximum GFA: 32,516.06 m2 (main plot)

Plot Size: 15,340m2

Plot Size: 7,130m2

Plot Size: 4,720m2

195

SURROUNDING BUILDING STYLES

The buildings in Jaddaf Waterfront widely vary in envelope styles. Many have a modern and contemporary style but there are some with more luxurious/neo classical and traditional styles.

2 5

Site & Context

FIGURE/GROUND DIAGRAM

There is a major contrast between the dense urban fabric on one side and the yet unoccupied areas of the city on the other side. The recent development of Dubai Creek Harbor alters the map a bit by adding newly built figures.

197

LAND USE DIAGRAM

Nearby amenities include many supermarkets, mosques, churches, schools, clinics and hospitals, salons, gyms, and outdoor recreational activities & public spaces.

Site & Context

VEHICLE ROUTES & PARKING

There are few public parking spaces in the area as most parking is located underground for residents. The docks provide 62 berthing spaces that accomodate boats/ships.

199

PEDESTRIAN FLOW & TRANSIT

Nearby bus stops, only a 6-8 minute drive away, include Al Jaddaf Metro Station, Garhoud Dubai Municipality Nursery, Jaddaf, DM Officers Recreation Club, and Jaddaf bus stop. The Jaddaf Metro Station is closest at an 11 minute walk from the site.

Site & Context

CLIMATE ANALYSIS: SUN PATH

The most important climatic factor to take into consideration in this site is the sun, as it will determine the heat, temperature, shading, and cooling, all of which are key factors to designing a project in this region. The sun path highlights the ideal orientations that can be used for the project.

201

CLIMATE ANALYSIS: WIND ROSE

The wind rose chart indicates that the prevailing winds come from the west, followed by frequent winds from the north eastern direction. Wind is one of the most relevant climate factors in the region because it can be used as a cooling method against the high temperatures and humidity.

Figures

CLIMATE ANALYSIS

Other factors to take into consideration are precipitation, average temperatures, and maximum temperatures.

The figure above shows the minimum and maximum temperatures of an average day in each month in Dubai, as well as the highest temperatures in the hottest days, and coldest temperatures in the coldest nights. It also shows the average monthly precipitation (rain) amounts.

203

This figure displays the maximum temperatures, and how many days per month reach them. Dubai is one of the hottest cities on earth so it has intense hot summers.

Site & Context

BUILDING HEIGHTS

The surrounding buildings are mostly 10-30m high, but one building, the D1 Tower, towers over the other buildings with its 280m height.

205

SHADOW STUDIES

The shadows displayed are the most contrasting shadows throughout the year, the summer solstice, 21st of June, and winter solstice, 21st of December.

There are no shadows overlapping the site. The buildings do not cast much of a shadow as they are short. The shadows shown in the figure are noon shadows from the 21st of March & September.

Site & Context

VIEWS TO & FROM THE SITE

Astronomical height difference

Landscaping + promenade Surrounding the site

gothic revival/ neo-classicst style

modern style

Neighboring Building views

207

Pleasant landscaping full of trees

boat accomodation

promenade

Wide promenade Pedestrian friendly

Docks interlaced with the site

ILLUSTRATION

8 Concept 8.1 8.2 8.3

Irregular Forms Defined Blocks Amorphous Blob

Irregular Forms (Fries)

The program consists of equal parts of indoor activities and outdoor ones. Typically, in projects with large outdoor spaces and fields, the buildings sit on one side of the plot with the fields on the other. The goal of the concept is to integrate the indoor and outdoor functions with one another by strategically distributing chopped forms across the site. The irregularity of the forms account for the topography of the site and the flow of the user. The ends of the forms are placed towards the creek to provide interesting views. The shape of the forms and their placement provide a continuous flow for both the user and for the functions related to the food cycle. This placement also allows the users inside to see all outdoor activities and easily engage in them as needed. The forms also allow for flexibility in any future expansions to the project.

Keywords • • • • • •

Functional Linear Flow Transparent Integrated Flexible User-Experience Oriented

211

Concept

PLAN SKETCH

213

ELEVATIONS

Concept

Some other iterations of the concept showing the orientation towards the views, and the integrations of outdoor space with indoor space to take into account user experience.

215

Defined Blocks

Since the functions of the project are categorized into four different categoris, each one could have its own space by a defined block. The blocks would be laid out in the order of user experience as well, so the visitor center first, then educational facilities, and finally the majority of the food-related functions towards the end of the site with the Creek views. The grid system creates a simple mass/void relationship of buildings within the site, or indoor/outdoor activities within the project. The grid itself can act as a shading device in some areas where sunlight is not necessary.

Keywords • • • • • •

Functional Defined Straight-forward Integrated Shaded Grid-based

217

Concept

PLAN SKETCH

219

ELEVATIONS

221

Amorphous Blob

The concept behind this unusual form is to connect different aspects of the program, while focusing centrally on the social aspect of the project. The irregularilty in the form allows easy expansion and provides flexibility in design. On the inside, different types of program will have their own defined spaces, connected by the organically shaped roof to form wide walkways for visitors to socialize. Outdoors, there are several spots designated for urban farming and gardens in the negative space of the building. There are also some indoor gardens/light wells formed by the downward undulations of the roof, which is also an interesting feature.

Keywords • • • • • •

Amorphous Organic Integrated Shaded Flexible Possibly parametric

223

Site & Context

PLAN SKETCH

225

ELEVATIONS

Site & Context Figures

Variations depend on function, activities, level of social interaction, topography, views, pedestrian flow, climate, and expansion.

227

ILLUSTRATION

9 Conclusion

Creating a new type of system is rather complicated but after breaking down the industry into smaller, more defined concepts, a new and inventive product can be proposed. The envisioned output of this research is an urban food park that will hold all different types of activities to make it self-sustaining. It will be a place that studies new production and farming methods, produces its own food, creates spaces for people to interact and flourish, refreshes the local economy and allows it to prosper, and ensures a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for the people.

231

Figure 57 Market Line food hall, part of the Essex Street Market, NYC, New York.

Figure 58 Essex Street Market, NYC, New York.

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“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… The people who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez

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