Examining the Research Design

behind the question,

Will the conceptual ideas of vertical farms become

infrastructure in our future?

Presented by:

Lauren Williamson

ENGL 302

Vertical farming is the Vertical farming is the concept of developing concept of developing “farmscrapers,” which will “farmscrapers,” which will serve to produce crops and serve to produce crops and agricultural goods in cities. agricultural goods in cities.

These structures, in their These structures, in their architectural stage, are architectural stage, are proposed to reduce proposed to reduce environmental impacts by environmental impacts by reducing transportation of reducing transportation of goods to cities, conserving goods to cities, conserving water and energy resources, water and energy resources, and being more cost-effective and being more cost-effective in a long-term analysis.in a long-term analysis.

Figure 1: Architectural design by Gordon Graff

Figure 2: Dr. Despommier (2004). Flow diagram of NYC before and after instituting vertical farms.

Claims vertical farms address the following:

-Less land use

-Reduction in global warming through less deforestation

-Chemicals from fertilizers will be unnecessary

-Topsoil nutrients and erosion will not be impacted

-The vertical farm infrastructure will allow for recycling of water and more efficient energy use

Research:

“The Vertical Farm.” EcoEng Newsletter. June 2004. No. 9.

< http://www.iees.ch/EcoEng041/EcoEng041_verticalFarm.html >.

Research:

The Vertical Farm Project. 2009. < http://www.verticalfarm.com/designs.html>.

Analysis of the company’s support of the research’s question, with focus on the impacts of environment, society, and cost:

Energy: While conserving energy through infrastructure design and decreasing energy costs, the vertical farm will also implement renewable sources of energy, decreasing reliance on coal-burning plants.

Water: Collection and recycling of of water will be done in a sustainable and mindful practice.

Aesthetics: As a societal impact, Weber Thompson supports the infrastructure design as jointly visually pleasing and functional in energy conservation.

This designer focuses on the issues facing society and the environment in his vision.

-“Global Crisis”- the VF Type-O vertical farm design is proposed to address the following issues:

-As population increases, the need to counteract its associated increases can be done with vertical farming:

-Less deforestation

-Decrease in CO2 emissions

-In turn, less global climate change related issues (flooding, sea level rise, land loss, diseases)

This company sees the advantages behind their design as being:

-healthier produce (no insects or need for pesticides)

-regulation of climate (more reliable production of produce)

-use of renewable energies as power

-no reliance on coal

…with respect to waste management practices, the ecology of a city, and other societal impacts (a summary of ideas for research)

Advantages Disadvantages

Water can be used more efficiently in a vertical farm

“Blackwater,” or the wastewater and sludge from soils, from the vertical farms needs an additional costly filtration system in order to

be recycled and conservative of the water resources.

Less CO2 emissions and pollution by decreasing reliance on coal-burning power

plants and transportation, and implementing renewable-sources of energy.

Initial costs of designs and renewable energy is often unattractive to developers.

Less deforestation and land use, which means less erosion and less flooding

N/a

Healthier produce and “urban” farming jobs Displacement of agricultural societies, potential loss or displacement of traditional

farming jobs.