The Urban Farmer
Solving urban food shortage through design
Abstract
With the increasing population, land and water become stressed natural resources. Due to this there is a nutritional food shortage. The project inquires the ways in which farming can be brought back to dense urban areas. Re- looking the addition of green layer, not just at the roof and facade level of a building but as an integral part of the system. Thus improving the liveability of the inhabitants while also feeding the people through the food produced by these plants.
Food producing plants that mainly yield fruits, vegetables and greens through hydroponics are identified. The blue, green and grey water footprint for each of these plants is tabulated to arrive at the quantity of water needed to feed them through their growth cycle. The water requirement is met through rainwater harvesting and recycling of water. This water is then stored in tanks at various levels and is pumped to the hydroponics tank to feed the plants.
6-8 units (1,2,3 bhk houses) form a cluster. Each cluster has its own green area, where crops are grown vertically through hydroponics. These pockets provide food and induce interaction thus acting as a community builder. There are typically 10 such clusters on each floor, with 10 separate service cores (lift, drainage, power) that feed their respective cluster. Part of the floor facing the road is given for office space and public area, thus zoning out the private, semi private and public areas within the floors.
