Building-integrated agriculture

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Building-integrated agriculture (BIA) is the practice of locating high-performance hydroponic greenhouse farming systems on and in mixed-use buildings to exploit synergies between the built environment and agriculture. [1]

Contents

Typical characteristics of BIA installations include recirculating hydroponics, waste heat captured from a building's heating-ventilation-air condition system (HVAC), solar photovoltaics or other forms of renewable energy, rainwater catchment systems, and evaporative cooling. [2]

The earliest example of BIA may have been the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 600 BC. Modern examples include Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory Greenhouse, Gotham Greens, Dongtan, Masdar City, and Lufa Farms.

The term building-integrated agriculture was coined by Ted Caplow in a paper delivered at the 2007 Passive and Low Energy Cooling Conference in Crete, Greece. [3]

Background

Applications of BIA are motivated by trends in patterns of energy use, global population, and global climate change. Specific observations include:

Environmental advantages

Proponents maintain that BIA is an environmentally sustainable strategy for urban food production that reduces our environmental footprint, cuts transportation costs, enhances food security/safety, conserves water, protects rivers, improves health, reduces waste, cools buildings, and combats global warming. [9] For example, hydroponics uses ten to twenty times less land and ten times less water than conventional agriculture, while eliminating chemical pesticides, fertilizer runoff, and carbon emissions from farm machinery and long-distance transport. [10] Using a building's waste heat and solar photovoltaic panels reduce fossil fuel emissions that typically result from production and distribution. Rainwater catchment systems help to manage stormwater, much like a green roof. [11]

Economics

Integrating a farm into a building offers all of the building performance benefits of a more conventional green roof, and results in a lower combined energy bill than if the components were separate. These systems are achievable with extant technology. Projects such as Gotham Greens 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) greenhouse will cost approximately $1.4 million to build. Shulman, Robin. "Raising the Root: Some City Dwellers Are Hoping Rooftop Farming Will Bear Fruit.". [12] The economics of BIA were the subject of a 2011 article in the New York Times business section. [13]

Applications

Mohamed Hage, founder of Lufa Farms talks to Silver Donald Cameron.

BIA systems may be integrated into commercial, educational, and residential buildings of varying sizes. Feasibility varies based on building size, climate, availability of light, and new build vs. retrofit. BIA farms are located on the building's envelope to make maximum use of normal light. Both horizontal (rooftop) and vertical (façade) surfaces may be used. [14]

A sprinkling of rooftop hydroponic greenhouses can be found around the world, including at academic centers in the United States (Washington University and Barnard College, among others); on a hospital (Changi) in Singapore; in the Netherlands, in India, and in parts of the developing world. [15] The Science Barge, while not on a building, is widely credited with an invigorating interest in BIA in New York City, following its 2007 public debut.

Retrofit

Example retrofit projects include: Eli Zabar's Vinegar Factory Greenhouse, which has been growing vegetables since 1995 heats his rooftop greenhouse with waste heat from the store's bakery, [16] and Gotham Greens, a company building New York City's first commercial-scale, hydroponic rooftop farm. [17]

New build

Example new build projects include the Forest Houses greenhouse, a fully integrated rooftop farm integrated onto the rooftop of an affordable housing complex, [18] [19] and Solar Two, an environmental learning center that will feature a Vertically Integrated Greenhouse. [20]

Proposed

Proposed projects include Masdar City, a carbon-neutral city being built in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and India.

Vertical farming is a proposed agricultural concept in which entire urban high-rise buildings, not just the building envelope, are dedicated to large-scale farming. [21] According to various researchers, to be realized vertical farms would require significant technological breakthroughs with regards to energy consumption and lighting. [22] It has been estimated that a prototype five-story farm would cost between $20 million to $30 million. [23]

In compost-heated greenhouses, heat and carbon dioxide are generated from a manure-based compost contained in a special chamber attached to one side of the greenhouse. [24] The New Alchemy Institute designed and built an experimental composting greenhouse in 1983 to research opportunities for the production of biothermal energy. [25] Growing Power utilizes heat produced through vermicomposting to provide heat for their greenhouse. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

Hydroponics Growing plants without soil using nutrients in water

Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops, without soil, by using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent. Terrestrial or aquatic plants may grow with their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid, or, in addition, the roots may be physically supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates. Despite inert media, roots can cause changes of the rhizosphere pH and root exudates can affect rhizosphere biology and physiological balance of the nutrient solution by secondary metabolites.

Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources, and one's personal resources. It is often called "earth harmony living" or "net zero living". Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint by altering their home designs and methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Its proponents aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability, naturally balanced, and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology. The practice and general philosophy of ecological living closely follows the overall principles of sustainable development.

Roof garden Planted area on the top covering of a building

A roof garden is a garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, recreational opportunities, and in large scale it may even have ecological benefits. The practice of cultivating food on the rooftop of buildings is sometimes referred to as rooftop farming. Rooftop farming is usually done using green roof, hydroponics, aeroponics or air-dynaponics systems or container gardens.

Urban agriculture Practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around urban areas

Urban agriculture,urban farming, or urban gardening is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around urban areas. It encompasses a complex and diverse mix of food production activities, including fisheries and forestry, in many cities in both developed and developing countries. Urban agriculture is also the term used for animal husbandry, aquaculture, urban beekeeping, and horticulture. These activities occur in peri-urban areas as well. Peri-urban agriculture may have different characteristics.

Aquaponics System combining aquaculture with hydroponics in A symbiotic environment

Aquaponics is a food production system that couples aquaculture with the hydroponics whereby the nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponically-grown plants, where nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia into nitrates.

Organopónicos

Organopónicos or organoponics is a system of urban agriculture using organic gardens. It originated in Cuba and is still mostly focused there. It often consists of low-level concrete walls filled with organic matter and soil, with lines of drip irrigation laid on the surface of the growing media. Organopónicos is a labour-intensive form of local agriculture.

Vertical farming Practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, and abandoned mine shafts. As of 2020, there is the equivalent of about 30 ha of operational vertical farmland in the world.

Controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) -- which includes indoor agriculture (IA) and vertical farming -- is a technology-based approach toward food production. The aim of CEA is to provide protection from the outdoor elements and maintain optimal growing conditions throughout the development of the crop. Production takes place within an enclosed growing structure such as a greenhouse or plant factory.

Science Barge

The Science Barge is a floating urban farm and environmental education center that has been docked in Yonkers, New York, USA since late 2008. The Barge grows crops using a hydroponic greenhouse powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels. The crops in the greenhouse are irrigated by captured rainwater and desalinated river water. Food is grown without carbon emissions, no agricultural waste is discharged into the watershed and no pesticides are used. The Science Barge is also a public education tool and hosts school groups from Westchester, New York City and the greater New York area visiting during the week, and the general public on weekends. From 2006–2008, the Science Barge docked for periods of two months at each of six stops along the Manhattan waterfront with the goal of educating the public on urban sustainable agriculture.

Index of environmental articles Wikipedia index

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, includes all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth.

The Rooftop Garden Project is an experimental urban gardening project in Montreal, Canada.

Underground farming is the practice of cultivating food underground. Underground farming is usually done using hydroponics, aeroponics or air-dynaponics systems or container gardens. Light is generally provided by means of grow lamps or daylighting systems.

Organic hydroponics is a hydroponics culture system based on organic agriculture concepts that does not use synthetic inputs such as fertilizers or pesticides. In organic hydroponics, nutrient solutions are derived from organic plant and animal material or naturally mined substances. Most studies on the topic have focused on the use of organic fertilizer.

New York Sun Works, founded in 2004 by Ted Caplow, is a non-profit organization that uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. To further this goal, NY Sun Works created the Greenhouse Project, an initiative dedicated to improving K through 12 grade environmental science education through the lens of urban agriculture, empowering children to make educated choices about their impact on the environment. The Greenhouse Project was inspired by NY Sun Works’ first project, the renowned Science Barge; a prototype, sustainable urban farm and environmental education center previously housed on the Hudson River and now located in Yonkers under different ownership.

Lufa Farms

Lufa Farms is an urban agricultural company located in the Ville Saint-Laurent neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec. The company states its mission on its website is to grow food where people live and grow it more sustainably. The company, founded in 2009, has installed commercial greenhouses on the rooftops of several large industrial buildings in the greater Montreal area.

Theodore Caplow

Theodore "Ted" Caplow is an American social entrepreneur, environmental engineer, and inventor. He is co-founder of AgTech disruptor BrightFarms and a pioneer in the field of sustainable agriculture, having designed and developed both the Science Barge in Yonkers, NY and the Miami Science Barge, urban farming prototypes that address vegetable and fish production, respectively. Caplow has also patented a Vertically Integrated Greenhouse. He has founded or co-founded five companies in the area of applied science and sustainable technology: NY Sun Works (2004), BrightFarms (2008), Fish Navy Films (2010), CappSci (2014), and Caplow|Manzano (2017), which Caplow created with frequent collaborator Nathalie Manzano to pursue design consulting and development opportunities in sustainable real estate, ecological technology, and long-term risk management. As an academic, Caplow has published a series of peer-reviewed articles on water contaminant dynamics in the Hudson River Estuary.

AeroFarms is a sustainable indoor agriculture company based in Newark, New Jersey and uses a patented aeroponic growing system to grow produce. The company currently owns and operates four farming facilities in and around Newark.

BrightFarms is an American indoor farming company headquartered in Irvington, New York. It grows and supplies local, non-GMO, pesticide-free, and fresh salad greens to supermarkets. The produce is grown in computer-controlled hydroponic greenhouses.

Gotham Greens is an American fresh food and urban agricultural company founded and headquartered in the Brooklyn borough of New York City that grows local produce year-round in greenhouses, with its lettuces, herbs, salad dressings and sauces sold under its brand name. The company owns and operates nine hydroponic greenhouse facilities in the United States.

Eden Green Technology is an agricultural technology company headquartered in the city of Cleburne, TX. The company develops and manufactures hydroponic vertical growing systems for commercial food crops and research and development greenhouses. In 2021, the company recently received a $12 million investment which will help open up a new facility.

References

  1. ↑ Caplow, Ted. "Building Integrated Agriculture: Philosophy and Practice." Heinrich Böll Foundation: Urban Development and Urban Lifestyles of the Future 2009: 48–51.http://www.boell.org/downloads/Urban_Futures_2030.pdf Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Caroline McCarthy, for News.com. "New York barges into sustainable urban farming." New York Times 4 May 2007.
  3. ↑ http://www.inive.org/members_area/medias/pdf/Inive/PalencAIVC2007/Volume1/PalencAIVC2007_035.pdf>
  4. ↑ Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. "Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions." 2003.
  5. ↑ Lobell, David B. et al., 2008, Prioritizing Climate Change Adaptation Needs for Food Security in 2030, Science, 319, p. 607.
  6. ↑ "The Global Environmental Outlook 4: Environment for Development." United Nations Environment Programme, 2007. pp. 104, 116, 420.
  7. ↑ U.S. EPA, 2004, Buildings and the Environment: A Statistical Summary.
  8. ↑ Caplow, Ted and Viraj Puri. "How to Grow Food in the 100% Renewable City: Building Integrated Agriculture." Droege, Peter. 100% RENEWABLE: ENERGY AUTONOMY IN ACTION. London: Earthscan, 2009. 229–242.
  9. ↑ Nelkin, Jenn. "Building-integrated greenhouse systems for low energy cooling." 2nd PALENC Conference and 28th AIVC Conference on Building Low Energy Cooling and. n.d.
  10. ↑ Wilson, Alex. "Growing Food Locally: Integrating Agriculture Into the Built Environment." Environmental Building News. 1 February 2009.
  11. ↑ "Home". Inside Housing.
  12. ↑ "Raising the Root: Some City Dwellers Are Hoping Rooftop Farming Will Bear Fruit." Washington Post, 12 September 2009
  13. ↑ "Cash Crops Under Glass and Up on the Roof" New York Times, 18 May 2011
  14. ↑ "Vertically Integrated Greenhouse." The Buckminster Fuller Challenge. 5 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Wilson, Geoff. "Food from the Roof". 5 May 2010".
  16. ↑ "Eli Zabar's Customers Squeamish Over Roof Garden Veggies". The New York Observer . June 29, 1998.
  17. ↑ Schwartz, Ariel."Gotham Greens Building First Hydroponic Rooftop Farm in NYC." 15 June 2009
  18. ↑ http://brightfarmsystems.com/scheduled-for-construction/blue-sea-developments-new-york
  19. ↑ Grover, Sammi. "First Ever Rooftop Farm on Affordable Housing Project." Treehugger. 10 February 2010 .
  20. ↑ "Green Career Profile: Greg Kiss. 6 May 2010". Archived from the original on June 8, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Can we live with skyscraper farms?". Grist. April 24, 2007.
  22. ↑ Vogel, Gretchen. "Upending the Traditional Farm." Science (February 2008): 752–753.
  23. ↑ Despommier, Dickson D. (August 23, 2009). "Opinion | A Farm on Every Floor". The New York Times.
  24. ↑ ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. 17 May 2010 Archived 2010-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ Fulford, Bruce. "Composting Greenhouse at New Alchemy Institute: A Report on Two Years of Operation and Monitoring. Research Report No. 3." 1986.
  26. ↑ "Composting And Local Food Merge at Urban Garden". Archived from the original on 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2010-06-18.
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