Urban Skyfarm: Balance in City Environment

Inspired by Dr. Dickson Despommier’s original concept of “The Vertical Farm”, the Urban Skyfarm is a vertical farm design proposal for a site located in Downtown Seoul, which mainly hosts local food production and distribution while at the same time contributes to the improvement of local environmental quality through water, air filtration and renewable energy production.

By the year 2050, studies show that close to 80% of world’s population will live in urban areas and the total population of the world will increase by 3 billion people. Urban Skyfarm proposes a way to resolve future problems such as land shortage, deforestation and environmental pollution followed by over population. By utilizing hydroponic systems as substitution of soil based agricultural extensions, vertical farms can produce food more efficiently and healthily with supplementary heating, lighting and moisturizing within a controlled environment. As a net zero energy facility, the Urban Skyfarm uses renewable energy produced by solar and wind energy only and saves the overall amount of embodied energy used during the process of production, transportation and distribution of food products.

The Urban Skyfarm is a vertical farm design proposal for a site located in downtown Seoul, right adjacent to the Cheonggyecheon stream which is a heavily populated dense urban area within the central business district. Inspired by the ecological system of giant trees, the Urban Skyfarm is a prototype vertical farm project which would mainly support local food production and distribution while at the same time contribute to improving the environmental quality through water, air filtration and renewable energy production.

The feasibility and profitability is the challenge for vertical farms located within dense urban areas where the land values are high and most lots are preoccupied. The Urban Skyfarm proposes to create an agricultural hub for the local community which hosts social, environmental and economical activities to enhance trade, improve the environment and benefit the local market and community.

ECO SYSTEM
Environmentally, the Urban Skyfarm acts as a living machine which helps improving the environmental quality. The dense urban development will benefit from the additional green space by having reduced heat accumulation, storm water runoff and carbon dioxide. The Urban Skyfarm is a net zero facility which operates only with the renewable energy produced by solar and wind energy. The vegetations and plantations will consistently convert carbon dioxide into oxygen which will help the city become low carbon. The water processing system includes water collection, water filtering and final processing facilities which filter the grey water or storm water, process it and either distribute it for irrigation or give it back to the Cheonggyecheon stream.

Full content of this issue you can read here

The full version of the article can be read in our printed issue, also you can subscribe to the web-version of the magazine

Materials provided by Aprilli Design studio