Vertical farm project

Hi guys
I've read about this farming project and think there are some interesting aspects that would be cool to discuss with you guys...

You can read more about i at www.verticalfarm.com

To start out with though I'll post som pictures of a design by french firm atelier SoA architectes called "The Living Tower"

The Problem

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster?

A Potential Solution: farm vertically

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. Over 60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. The time has arrived for us to learn how to grow our food that way, too. If we do not, then in just another 50 years, 3 billion people will surely go hungry, and the world will be a very unpleasant place in which to live.

Advantages of Vertical Farming

Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres)

No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests

All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers

VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water

VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services

VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface

VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration

VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants and animals

VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.)

VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers

VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers

VF creates new employment opportunities We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on earth

VF may prove to be useful for integrating into refugee camps

VF offers the promise of measurable economic improvement for tropical and subtropical LDCs. If this should prove to be the case, then VF may be a catalyst in helping to reduce or even reverse the population growth of LDCs as they adopt urban agriculture as a strategy for sustainable food production.

VF could reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water and land for agriculture

2kemon · 15-08-2006

2kemon · 15-08-2006

site plan

2kemon · 15-08-2006

skin

2kemon · 15-08-2006

board

2kemon · 15-08-2006

diagram 1

2kemon · 15-08-2006

diagram 2

2kemon · 15-08-2006

diagram 3

2kemon · 15-08-2006

diagram 4

kwistenbiebel · 15-08-2006

Wow, one crazy concept.

In it's mission statements it is stated that the 'vertical farming' concept needs to be built 'cheap'.
Your example shows an office/dwelling builiding with the vertical garden 'woven in'.
Because of ground price in urban areas i can't imagine that developers would sacrifice precious 'square feet' to farming.
I would expect to see a vertical farm building outside the city and not combined with living/offices because that needs more expensive structures.

Besides that argument the example building has remarkable high architectural qualities.
It reminds me of a project of Dutch architecture firm Neutelings-Riedijk.
(competition winning museum for Antwerp)

15-08-2006	#2
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