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The Urban Farmhouse Project : architecture for civic agriculture

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An Institute for Urban Agriculture: Architecture, Ecology and Urban Habitat

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Humankind has lived on earth for a geologically brief time. Our species has proven a remarkable ability to adapt to our environment through the development and use of tools and technology. Little evidence suggests when our need to tame nature took hold in our collective cultural consciousness, yet throughout western history, human needs and activities have been perceived as separate from the natural world. We stand at the beginning of a new millennium, aware of the cycles which govern the flows of life on our planet, yet far from understanding the specifics of how they work.

This building, an Institute for Urban Agriculture, seeks to challenge that notion of separation. The design expresses architecturally the ways in which the technological systems and organic systems work together to sustain the mission of the Institute. Through every aspect of the building design, the perceived separation of those systems is woven together to express an holistic view of the building as a fully integrated system. Human intervention is a necessary part of a healthy urban ecosystem, and positive relationships with the natural world contribute to the qualities of human health. Inspired by careful observation and experience of the surrounding urban landscape, this design recognizes those interactions and builds upon their social, ecological and economic values. Architecture becomes the medium for communicating transformed ideas about our relationships with the natural world to the building inhabitants and to the public at large.

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A School of Agritecture

by Yijia Tracy Tang (MArch I ’22)

Deploying the typology of a greenhouse with operations of scaling and aggregation, this school complex manifests itself as a mediation between two distinct forms of knowledges: architecture and agriculture.

The project leverages opportunities created by an economic juxtaposition of two construction systems: lightweight steel trusses that prop up a huge continuously glazed roof with wooden volumes supported by post-and-lintel CLT structures underneath.

As the inner architectural artifacts rid themselves of burdens of waterproofing or thermal control under the protection of the big roof, a marvelous interplay between the two disciplines emerges through mischievous forms, materials, and interstitial spaces.

Genna Domingo

Call for ideas 2019

Agriculture Hubs

• Systemic changes

The need for rural revitalization, economic inclusiveness and eradication of stigma attached to the Philippine agriculture sector gave the impetus for the design proponent to propose an innovative architecture solution. Architecture is influential in establishing a development that will lead a great impact on social and economic equity.

Given the centrality of the study to a large-scale analysis of existing issues and integration of architecture solution, a strong framework on the transformation of the agriculture development lies at the heart of research.

Agriculture Hub is an architecture innovation that will serve as the central facility that is dedicated to rural revitalization and economic inclusiveness within the locality. This project is a fundamental architectural initiative which is specifically dedicated to the uplifting of farmers’ way of living and proving to the nation and to the world that architecture can create an immense impact in the agriculture development.

Bayan (community) + Anihan (farm), in Filipino context, introduces an innovative way of recreating a sense of community for the Philippine agriculture sector.

This project is a fundamental architectural initiative which is specifically dedicated to the uplifting of farmers’ way of living and proving to the nation and to the world that architecture can create an immense impact in the agriculture development.

Agriculture Hub Theory of Change: “Pulling the Threads of Agriculture Development through Responsible Architecture”

Agriculture Hub Community Involvement: A place created by the people This will start as a pilot project to be replicated on different places to create a systematized agriculture network.

Creating a series of loops of activities involving the major stakeholders, government, the business-minded farmers, and the business investors.

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From Farm to Fork: How Architecture Can Contribute to Fresher Food Supply

• Written by Camilla Ghisleni | Translated by Tarsila Duduch
• Published on April 01, 2023

When you come to think of it, most of the food on your plate has a history behind it - a long journey that we are unable to describe. In her book Food Routes: Growing Bananas in Iceland and Other Tales from the Logistics of Eating (2019), Robyn Shotwell Metcalfe refers to the paradox of fish being caught in New England, exported to Japan, and then shipped back as sushi, revealing a large and complex network that nobody can see when they buy takeout Japanese food at the local grocery store.

Just to give an idea of the magnitude of these routes, in his text Da Fazenda para a Cidade ( From the farm to the city), Rafael Tonon comments that 95% of the food in the USA travels more than 1.6 thousand kilometers to reach the retail outlets. This means that all the vegetables available in US markets take a week to arrive from the East Coast and be distributed throughout the country. This is no different in Brazil. According to the National Logistics Plan, 2.4 trillion tkm (ton-kilometer) of food freight were transported throughout the year in 2015, 65% of which was by land and 26% by waterway. This is a very long journey to get to the supermarket shelves.

• Related article Vertical Greenery: Impacts on the Urban Landscape

Hence the term food miles is often used today to refer to the distance traveled by food during its production process and the respective environmental impacts of this practice. In short, this term advocates for a model seeking to ensure food quality and reduce waste through more efficient distribution and marketing logistics based on shortening the distances between production and consumption.

This complex and extensive food supply chain has also resulted in the spatial accessibility of healthy food becoming a key factor in determining a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, this standard is not very realistic for the majority of the population in large urban centers, who live far from agricultural areas and lack green spaces and contact with nature.

However, in search of truly fresh food – and not just the image on the package – many new initiatives have been trying to reconnect city dwellers with their food in a sort of throwback to the days when we used to be aware of everything we consumed – which not surprisingly culminated in the end of human nomadism. These strategies seek to highlight the food production and consumption routes but also demonstrate the growing concern with the environment. For instance, road food transportation in Brazil alone releases more than 100 million tons of CO2 per year. This situation has encouraged practices such as locavorism, which is the habit of buying food only from local producers or small businesses. By doing this, the aim is to avoid the loss of nutrients, freshness, and potential environmental impacts generated by the long journeys to reach the supermarkets.

These new outlooks on consuming and eating habits have, obviously, reflected on city planning and architecture. As opposed to a chaotic and unfeasible urban reality, some projects strive to bring green into the cities, combining architecture, technology, and environmental education.

This does not include only small individual vegetable gardens – even though they are becoming more common in both houses and apartments – but mainly large vertical farms and urban gardens capable of producing tons of food per year. These projects emerge as strategies to bring food closer to consumers but they can also serve as smart tactics to make better use of land given that the population is expected to reach at least 9 billion people in the next 50 years. In other words, there won't be enough room for food production if we continue to rely solely on traditional methods and horizontal farms.

In the face of this gloomy prognosis, the good news is that this green urban future has already arrived in some places around the world, and it is nothing like the futuristic picture usually associated with vertical farms, namely huge high-tech skyscrapers. For example, Paris opened a huge 14,000 square meter urban farm on the rooftop of a building. The plantation does not yet cover the entire area, but when it does, it could be considered the largest in Europe and perhaps in the world. The project known as Nature Urbaine is being implemented at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles - the largest exhibition center in France. Over a thousand fruits and vegetables of about 20 different species will be grown at the top of the building each day. There will always be seasonal food fresh from the garden. Twenty gardeners will be responsible for taking care of the crops and, the best part, without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

In addition to taking over the rooftops of existing buildings, there are also independent, avant-garde structures such as Glasir , a modular aeroponic system for growing vegetables in the middle of New York City. The project was designed by Framlab to offer local and affordable goods, improving the resilience of dense urban districts. So is Superfarm , a utopian project by Studio NAB , which is a six-story vertical structure dedicated to urban agriculture that "focuses its production on the culture of foods with a high nutritional value." The project is founded on the principles of high-yielding food as a means of reviving local economies.

Speaking of urban farms, one couldn't fail to mention Shanghai 's Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District as well. With nearly 24 million inhabitants to feed and a decline in the availability and quality of agricultural land, the Chinese megacity is set to realize a 100-hectare masterplan by global design firm Sasaki Associates . Situated between Shanghai’s main international airport and the city center, Sunqiao will introduce large-scale vertical farming to the city of soaring skyscrapers. While primarily responding to the growing agricultural demand in the region, Sasaki’s vision goes further, using urban farming as a dynamic living laboratory for innovation, interaction, and education.

When it comes to medium-scale initiatives, it is also worth mentioning the Pasona office in Tokyo, which has dedicated 20% of its area to vegetable cultivation, making it the largest urban farm in the country. However, it is important to remember that because the gardens contain both hydroponic and soil-planted vegetables, they require very specific climate control. This often means keeping these spaces warmer than what is considered comfortable for offices, and this is arguably the building’s greatest downfall. This challenge is intrinsically related to the pioneering nature of the initiative.

However, in addition to the large projects like the ones mentioned earlier, there are small initiatives and public policies that also stand out, fostering small-scale urban agriculture in the cities. These include the project Quintais Sustentáveis (sustainable backyards) in Roraima, northern Brazil, that encourages planting in private backyards and gardens, seeking not only sustainable agroecological production, but also food and nutritional security, creating a source of income, and social and productive inclusion of people in vulnerable situations, ranging from producing seedlings to selling organic composts.

Another interesting example is a law implemented in San Francisco a few years ago that intends to make the city's vacant lots more sustainable. The law proposes that landowners can pay less in taxes if they allow these spaces to be used to create urban farms open to the community for at least five years.

From megaprojects to isolated strategies, one thing is certain: we are becoming increasingly concerned about the quality of our food and trying to live a healthier and more sustainable life. This desire is starting a new era in the cities with the rise of vertical urban farms. It is still an emerging effort that requires architects, computer scientists, and agronomists to work together towards the creation of truly intelligent cities, not just a fantasy but a necessity.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Green . Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics . As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us .

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on March 02, 2021.

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What is Agritecture?

Agritecture is the century’s evolving art and culture of unanimously blending architecture and agriculture. It is defined by an absolute integration and a fresh lens to view agriculture and urban farming from an architectural perspective. Agritecture is a relatively new term but its roots travel all along with green-conscious cities and communities . It can be interlaced within the building through vertical farming that amplifies the green density and plant growth. 

Agritecture can also be found on the outside, in living walls, rooftop gardens , green staggered terraces, and more. Breath is the driving force of life. And this grey-green decoupage of agriculture melting into architecture will go a long way in turning our structures into breathing spaces. 

Planting the seed of thought | Agritecture

What looks like a revolutionary idea today was coined by Henry Gordon Smith who is the managing director of a company called Agritecture. This rich idea was first formulated through a blog. It was created as a platform to share and discuss the integration of agriculture to make cities a better place. 

Over time, many consultancy firms reached out and the idea touched larger cities and firms. Currently, “Agritecture “ is a company with an interdisciplinary team that has consulted over a hundred projects spread across 20 countries.

“Agritecture originally started out as a blog that aimed to discover and share new forms of urban agriculture with the world. The hope was to inspire a new generation of “agritects” that could follow and expand on these concepts. After some time of continuous research and posting, a significant group of agriculture entrepreneurs and enthusiasts emerged. Following consistent inquiries and curiosities from different parties, the idea for Agritecture the company was formed.’’ Smith answered in an interview. (Smith, H.G., 2019)

The Big Question, Why: Green Necessities

Architecture is a wide-reaching tangible challenge that has the power to empower and embellish change. The journey of blending architecture and agriculture is an effective paradigm to offer solutions to the urban and rural farming issues. 

Ranging from the proximity of organic food production to space crunches and the state of being trapped in concrete; agritecture can be an extremely liberating experience for those looking for a life that is inclusive of greens, farming, and the opportunity to witness organic growth.

Agritecture is a revolution that stems out of a contemporary school of thought; a stimulating procedure to enhance production by instigating agriculture into urban and local architectural contexts. A multidisciplinary prototype that aims at addressing social, environmental, and climatic crises.

Agritecture Explorations | Agritecture

Reading through proposed inventions and explorations is a journey that will put you in reverence of any great idea; agritecture, in this context. The firm “agritecture” led by Henry Gordon Smith offers workshops to a versatile group of professionals such as farmers, architects, business analysts , urban planners , entrepreneurs, etc. 

This workshop is held in multiple cities across the united states of America and organizes a competition as a concluding chapter to the workshop; an attempt to gauge agritecture proposals. This movement is a stirring initiative that gives birth to stunning ideas to incorporate urban farming and agriculture.

Apart from these efforts, multiple architectural firms have been indulging in research to provide path-breaking controlled built environments that are feasible to nurture agriculture.

Let us look at a few examples to attain a depth of understanding.

1. The Cell by Ar. Mahmoud Abdelwahab and Ar. Marko Blazic

The Cell is a potential structure that strives to achieve a significant shift from being consumers to becoming producers. It is a concept that defines architecture as a dual definition, as a home and a space engulfed in food production . It has been designed with the sole purpose to cover 50-80% of the space with the user’s vegetation requirement.  

It is composed of a building envelope curating a living facade membrane whilst offering an energy-efficient way to practice urban farming. The project proposal was named “The Cell” referring to the building envelope as a living overlay.

2. Vertical Harvest

Vertical Harvest is a dedicated company that is on a journey to create a solution dipped ground that combines affordable housing and vertical farms . Within each building, the first level will offer a space for the community to congregate, the second allotted for the greenhouse, third, and fourth floors that sum up to 70,000 square feet enabling the production of around a million pounds of produce a year. 

It aims at several challenges such as providing secure job opportunities, access to healthy food, building resilient communities, and providing safe housing that blurs all lines of inequity.

The Power of Unifying Disciplines | Agritecture

There is a massive competence in a space where two disciplines marry. The union of two distinct ideologies with an unwavering dream of drawing change is a potential beauty that is unmatched. Agritecture, the amalgamation of agriculture and architecture is a viable urban farming solution to solve the world’s most pressing issues such as food security challenges, climate crisis , and lack of energy efficiency. 

Agritecture is a sacred practice of creating better- built environments whilst deciphering the context of the world’s conundrums and arriving at solutions that are beyond the defined boundaries of a site.

References:

1.Smith, H.G. (2019). AGRITECTURE HAS BECOME A GLOBAL PHENOMENON: AN INTERVIEW WITH HENRY GORDON-SMITH . [online] . 28 Oct. Available at: https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2019/10/31/agritecture-has-become-a-global-phenomenon-an-interview-with-henry-gordon-smith [Accessed 6 May 2021].

2.https://www.agritecture.com/ (2018). DESIGNING AGRITECTURE INTO CITIES: RESULTS FROM THE VANCOUVER AGRITECTURE WORKSHOP . Available at: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59765fd317bffcafaf5ff75c/1525804596803-AIQCH7N30FH9QC0V5C9S/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFWxnDtCdRm2WA9rXcwtIYR7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UcTSrQkGwCGRqSxozz07hWZrYGYYH8sg4qn8Lpf9k1pYMHPsat2_S1jaQY3SwdyaXg/green+roof+agritecture.jpg?format=1500w [Accessed 6 May 2021].

3.https://agritecture.tumblr.com/ (2016). NEWFARM/NEWYORK: MIXED-USE MANHATTAN VERTICAL FARM . Available at: https://agritecture.tumblr.com/post/123125623452/newfarmnewyork-mixed-use-manhattan-vertical-farm [Accessed 6 May 2021].

4.https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/ (2017). Agritecture Re-framing the concept of urban living : from consumer to producer . Available at: https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/media/cache/cc/d2/ccd23c63fbacd96f3bbc979e38e7d2c5.jpg [Accessed 6 May 2021].

5.https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/ (2017). An architecture that gives back more than it takes, that defines home as both shelter AND food . Available at: https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/media/cache/0e/7c/0e7cfc1be7bccbb0917a49b0a585bbdf.jpg [Accessed 6 May 2021].

6.https://verticalharvestfarms.com/ (2021). THESE BUILDINGS COMBINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND VERTICAL FARMING . Available at: https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/2/18/these-buildings-combine-affordable-housing-and-vertical-farming [Accessed 6 May 2021].

7.https://www.eater.com/ (2018). Indoor, LED-lit growing operations produce food without soil or sunlight — but scaling up could prove difficult . Available at: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/q7rta9Xq01v8GotdtNuSpe1tRHY=/1400×1400/filters:format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/11636815/verticalfarmingplenty.jpg [Accessed 6 May 2021].

Vajjrashri Anand is an architecture student who reads places and people like a story worth being told. She believes architecture is a lot like life; made of wonder, beauty and hurt. She strives to constantly evolve. A nuisance, a delight. A sting, a smile. She's a soul hugging one word at a time.

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• May 13, 2024

UG Thesis 2024 Explores Architectural Frontiers with Bold Review Weekend

SCI-Arc’s 2024 Undergraduate Thesis has once again concluded with a remarkable exhibition of creative brilliance and architectural exploration. This year's showcase unveiled a dazzling array of projects that pushed the boundaries of design thinking and cultural discourse.

Spanning diverse themes and methodologies, the thesis projects on display offered a glimpse into the future of architecture and its intersection with society, technology, and the environment, as interpreted through the lens of this year’s graduating B.Arch class. From innovative housing solutions to speculative urban interventions, each thesis project reflected unique vision and ingenuity.

One project, titled "Urban Reclamation: Rethinking Public Spaces," reimagined abandoned industrial sites as vibrant community hubs, blending principles of sustainable design and social equity. Through thoughtful programming and adaptive reuse strategies, the project proposed a revitalization model that fosters inclusivity and community engagement.

Another compelling exploration, "Architecture of Memory: Mapping Collective Identity," delved into the role of architecture in preserving and commemorating cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from local narratives and historical contexts, the project proposed a series of memorial structures that serve as anchors of remembrance and identity in rapidly evolving urban landscapes.

Innovative use of digital fabrication techniques was showcased in projects such as "Materiality in Flux: Exploring 3D Printed Structures," which experimented with novel materials and construction methods to create dynamic architectural forms. By harnessing the power of advanced technologies, the project pushed the boundaries of material expression and structural efficiency.

Environmental sustainability emerged as a recurring theme throughout the exhibition, with projects like "Resilient Habitats: Designing for Climate Change," offering visionary solutions to the pressing challenges of climate adaptation and mitigation. Through integrated design strategies and biomimetic principles, the project proposed resilient habitats that harmonize with nature and minimize ecological impact.

“The forty-seven thesis projects presented by this year’s undergraduate thesis class at SCI-Arc reveal architecture’s profound capacity to affect how we experience and think about the environments that surround us. The projects situate us provocatively at the intersection of multiple histories, presents, and futures with myriad modalities for researching, projective thinking, and designing,” shares Undergraduate Programs Co-Chair Marcelyn Gow.

Undergraduate Co-Chair Kristy Balliet had this to say of the weekend, “Undergraduate Thesis Spring 2024 was a vibrate display of a diverse range of ideas, inquiries, and close observations into issues that matter to communities large and small. The students hosted guests in conversation using immersive visual representation exhibited from small scale sketches, expansive animations, and models that invite you to enter. This class should be proud as it moves beyond these walls to make an impact in the world.”

SCI-Arc UG Thesis 2024 not only showcased the talent and creativity of its graduating students but also underscored the school's commitment to fostering innovative thinking and critical inquiry in the field of architecture. As these emerging architects embark on their professional journeys, their visionary projects serve as a testament to the transformative power of architecture in shaping the world we inhabit.

Comparison of Soil Carbon Dynamics Between Restored Prairie and Agricultural Soils in the U.S. Midwest

Globally, soils hold more carbon than both the atmosphere and aboveground terrestrial biosphere combined. Changes in land use and land cover have the potential to alter soil carbon cycling throughout the soil profile, from the surface to meters deep, yet most studies focus only on the near surface impact ( 3 and C 4 photosynthetic pathway plant community composition. Comparative analysis of edaphic properties and soil carbon suggests that deep loess deposits in Nebraska permit enhanced water infiltration and SOC deposition to depths of ~100 cm in 60 years of prairie restoration. In Illinois, poorly drained, clay/lime rich soils on glacial till and a younger restored prairie age (15 years) restricted the influence of prairie restoration to the upper 30 cm. Comparing the δ 13 C values of SOC and SIC in each system demonstrated that SIC at each site is likely of lithogenic origin. This work indicates that the magnitude of influence of restoration management is dependent on edaphic properties inherited from geological and geomorphological controls. Future work should quantify root structures and redox properties to better understand the influence of rooting depth on soil carbon concentrations. Fast-cycling C dynamics can be assessed using continuous, in-situ CO 2 and O 2 soil gas concentration changes. The secondary objective of my thesis was to determine if manual, low temporal resolution gas sampling and analysis are a low cost and effective means of measuring soil O 2 and CO 2 , by comparing it with data from in-situ continuous (hourly) sensors. Manual analysis of soil CO 2 and O 2 from field replicates of buried gas collection cups resulted in measurement differences from the continuous sensors. Measuring CO2 concentration with manual methods often resulted in higher concentrations than hourly, continuous measurements across all sites. Additionally, O 2 concentrations measured by manual methods were higher than hourly values in the restored prairie and less in agricultural sites. A variety of spatial variability, pressure perturbations, calibration offsets, and system leakage influences on both analysis methods could cause the discrepancy.

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Brenna Cromwell

My name is Brenna Cromwell, and I am from Middletown, OH just north of Cincinnati. As a kid, I loved rearranging furniture around my room and creating hand-drawn floor plans using Crayola markers. The advice to find a job that doesn't feel like work resonated with me, leading me to discover the interior design field in high school. Ohio University impressed me with its comprehensive program during a tour and presentation, ultimately influencing my decision to pursue this exciting major. In addition to my major in Interior Architecture, I've chosen to minor in Studio Art, Spanish, and Sociology. Each of these minors plays a unique role in enhancing different aspects of my education. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to broaden my knowledge across these diverse departments. After graduation, I plan to return to Cincinnati and pursue design within the sectors of higher education and healthcare. My goal is to become a certified designer and eventually return to the higher ed or high school setting to teach about design and the ways that design can influence people and our well-being.  My thesis project is titled, "BALANCE: Lupus Healthcare Facility". This project aims to investigate and identify design solutions to address gaps in healthcare and enhance patient well-being, specifically for individuals with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The objective was to integrate the research findings into an existing building located in an area with a high population of people affected by Lupus. Individuals with Lupus experience diverse and challenging symptoms that can differ from one patient to another. Conducting this research is crucial to discovering evidence-based design methods that can support the treatment process and increase the well-being for those living with this autoimmune disease.

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