Reconnecting the cities with natural environment
People have increasingly become disconnected with the food production process and as a result we are less aware about where are food comes from and the affect it has on our body. This concept design seeks to connect architecture and agriculture, specifically introducing food production into cities. Over the next 50 years more food will be consumed than in the last 10,000 years, of which 80% will be eaten in cities. Therefore, we need to be producing more food and this needs to be achieved in a more ecological and sustainable way. Vertical farms can be a solution to this issue as they can provide a higher ratio of crop per planted area. Additionally, the indoor climate of greenhouses protects the food against weather conditions and can provide the perfect ecological conditions for each plant to maximise growth.
The farm runs on by-products of the buildings life cycle, through using the buildings greywater systems and water-treatment systems to filter rainwater, which can be used to increase the nutrients of the plants. Local food waste can be collected from the surrounding areas to be made into compost for the building to grow more food. The building itself creates enough heat to grow plants and vegetables.
The building is to be constructed to be from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). CLT allows the building to have a modular structure, which is fabricated off site, which can dramatically shorten the build time. The benefits of this material has been explored in previous blogs to learn more please click below.
The current aesthetic architecture of our cities creates a dichotomy between nature and the built environment, that disconnects the city and the individual from the natural environment. Furthermore, concrete towers consumer resources without giving anything back to the eco system. The introduction of more green buildings and vertical farms can start to reconnect cities and people back to the natural environment which will intern increase people knowledge and awareness of issues facing our eco system and allow us to address issues facing the natural world more effectively.
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