Vertical farming takes the old idea of a greenhouse and stretches it upwards so that the available growing area is a multiple of the building footprint, as opposed to the 1:1 ratio from a typical greenhouse. A vertical farm building would be a supremely green building because its inhabitants would be (literally) green.

Vertical farming could allow extended growing seasons. The food could be grown organically, and herbicides and pesticides could be eliminated. There would be an enormous reduction in crop loss due to weather and pest damage.

Vertical farming would allow food production to be closer to urban centers, meaning food could be provided with lower transportation and distribution costs.

There are many problems that would need to be addressed to make something like this a practical and wide ranging solution. Housing is already a problem. Extending the construction industry to provide the resources (both material and labor) to build towers for farming would likely push up the cost of all building. The costs and tradeoffs may not yet make this a practical idea, but its day may be coming.

via: Archinect

Comments (7)

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written by Xris (Flatbush Gardener) , February 22, 2007

Vertical gardens were part of the design for the original Freedom Tower planned for Ground Zero in NYC. The upper floors were to contain an "international" garden, with plants from all over thr world. The structure was elegant and inspiring, echoing the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. But the plants would have been baked.

You could not grow food crops in the example building in the photo. Each floor shades the one below it. Other than mushrooms, you can't grow food crops in the shade. In addition, phototropism would cause the growing plants to lean toward what light is available, weakening their growth and shading their neighbors. It would need high-intensity artificial lighting to supplement the little natural light leaking through. Not a "green" solution.

Fantastic
written by Shawn , February 22, 2007

These look like they would have a lot of potential. Efficient water usage and recovery and also they could be built closer to major cities so our food would get less mileage. I wish I was a millionaire so I could have one built now

Xris, I believe the light would be refracted throughout the tower. Not just entering the exterior windows.

The Dish on Top
written by Hank , February 22, 2007

@Xris: The dish on top of the tower collects light and ships it to all the different levels of the tower through fiber optic cables.

The biggest problem with the design is simply how much it'll cost to build. Farm land, on the whole, is very cheap, and until that changes, there will be no impetus to build these towers.

econ feasible, when and where
written by James S. , February 22, 2007

could something like this save Africa? Hear me out and I am not saying it is feasible now or ever, but there are unique problem in Africa that these would help alleviate. drought is a major factor. These could more efficiently use water by not letting it evaporate, collecting rain water and possibly helping to filtrate well water to make cleaner drinking water. Also with GW rain is gonna start coming down in major storms all at once instead of over time, these might help with holding some of that water for later use. Just some thoughts off the top of my head.

It's green and it's beautiful!
written by Janis Mara , February 23, 2007

Wow, just from an aesthetic point of view, I have to say this puppy is a winner. Let's face it, though I wouldn't kick a solar panel off my roof, in main they are not exactly enhancements to the beauty of a residence. I guess because the building itself is round, or because of the industrial resonance, the dish on top actually looks good!

necessity
written by celia , February 23, 2007

With the non-stop growing population, cost be damned, these things will be made. Inflation will incur, there will be more mouths to feed and less land to use. This is going to hapen, whether it looks like or not.

Vector control not truly fixed, is it?
written by Steve Nordquist , March 11, 2007

Surround these by heliostat-shielded apartments and these would make okay neighbors! Overall losses in normal architectural glass would need lowering. Plenty of details (other than that the east side seems to be immediately rotten with algae) remain that don't show in the photo to manage heat, water and safety; fix the capital's looks; and not least manage incipient mold and insects.

Of course the best part are the shade columns full of bees and trained birds (.....) providing the closest layer of shade to the neighbors. Takeout containers would need to be reused and more airtight...careful about hors d'oevures on the patio, you'll crash the columns!

Wrong shape for wind loads too: Unless they're rotary vanes also (and then; float seals, bearing, power and feedthrough novelty), sorry; too much wind wash for anything to live in. As for the plate on top...Starlight Express (and JSR:Final Stage) was awful.

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