_The Architecture of Urban Farming:Plug-and-Play Urban Greenhouses by SOA Architectes
VegetationTopsoilBall clay
40/40 grating
Pallet racking
Culture tank
Sprinkler system
SOA has proposed a set of rooftop greenhouses as part of the reno-vation of a public-housing complex in the Paris suburb of Romain-ville. The structures are easily plugged in on top of the existing struc-ture. This allows the buildings to continue to mesh with the surround-ing buildings while adding a new green interest to the skyline. The greenhouses’ only source of heat will be the sun, requiring a shift to cold-resistant crops during the winter. The project is awaiting funding from the French state.
Alluvial Soil of the Red River Basin
_PlantaSymbioSystem
BioGas Power Facility
Bio gas
Peak Heat
District Heat
Plant Nutrients
CO2
Heat
Plant WasteOrganic Waste
The farm produces vegetation and left over resources mainly composed of organic plant material, as well as consumes carbon dioxide and is partially heated with excess heat from surrounding context. The organic waste from the farms is used in the production of biogas and fertilizers. This system works to facilitate a “cradle-to-cradle” symbiosis between the farm and the urban grid.
-Plantagon
This region of Louisiana is particularly ideal for the growing of these specific crops as well as other non-indigenous plants due to the climate and soil composition of the area.
Brooklyn Grange
Brooklyn Navy Yard Farm. Largest rooftop farm, covering 65,000 SQ FT. Rooftop farm accounts for 1 million gallons of storm-water filtration per year. Utilized 10-12” of RoofLite Ag Blend soil to contain vegetation and manage stormwater.
43,000 SQ FT rooftop farm on 38-17 Northern Blvd. 10” of light soil. Building below houses businesses that utilize the produce of the farm above.
New York City Apiary, located on 300 acres houses 20 independant hives, yielding honey and the honeycomb as well as increasing bee popula-tions in the area.
Stormwater and Grey-water Collection
Simple irrigation methods that have potential for the Allendale and Ledbetter Heights areas
Allendale-Scale Farm-ing Operations
Greywater is any water has previously been utilized for washing or cleaning. It can be used for a number of purposes rather than being sent to a sewage plant, including, irrigation, indoor reuse, water usage in extreme environ-ments, and heat reclamation. It can be recycled with or without purification depending on the particular need.
_Irrigation
_Other Farming Initiatives
The Greenhouse Project
Kiss+Cathcart project that partners with New York Sun Works and The Manhattan School for Children to integrate a greenhouse into the school. School greenhouse and separate barge greenhouse help facilitate cultivation learning in the children and allow an interface between the school and its students, the produce industry, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Science Barge, by New York Sun Works. The only total net zero carbon emissions, zero pesticides, and zero runoff facility in New York.
MiniFerme by SOA Architectes is an Allendale-scale proposal for implementation into the city core.
Recently completed project by SOA Architectes. A small urban farm and education center in Plateau d’Avron. Was designed to offer a connection between the people and surrounding farmland and agriculture.
_Other Farming Initiatives
The Science Barge by New York Sun Works
The Science Barge is a sustainable farm situated on a barge vessel that is powered by solar and wind power, biofuels, and irrigated by rain and river water. It provides a source of food for the city with zero total carbon emissions, no net water consumption, and no waste runoff. The produce on the barge requires 7x less land and 4x less water than standard field crops. Vegetation is grown using a system of hydroponics. The whole system is carbon neutral so there is no adverse affect to the environment.
Hydroponics is a subset of aquatic horticulture, where plants are grown in a mineral rich solution in the absence of soil. Almost all plants are capable of growing in this way. This method produces higher yield with no pesticides and reduced risk of plant disease.
_Anaerobic Digestion
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
Sugars
Fatty Acids
Amino Acids
Carbonic Acids and Alcohols
Hydrogen Carbon DioxideAmmonia
HydrogenAcetic AcidCarbon Dioxide
MethaneCarbon Dioxide
Hydrolysis Acidogenesis Acetogenesis Methanogenesis
Anaerobic digestion is a serious of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegrade-able material in the absence of oxygen, hence an-aerobic. It consists of four different processes: Hy-drolysis, Acidogenesis, Acetogenesis, and Metha-nogenesis, which work to break down waste prod-ucts into useable methane and carbon dioxide. Chiefly used in renewable energy processes, an-aerobic digestion can produce renewable biogas for use as fuel or digestate for fertilizer.
Breakdown of complex waste products into use-able fuel components by various bacterial pro-cesses
LEED Platinum Biogas facility in Delhi, LA.