Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.

it)

URBAN AGRICULTURE
Premesse e obiettivi per una nuova architettura green
d’avanguardia
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

–FAO Report (2011)

" By 2050 the world’s population will reach 9.1

billion, [..] Urbanization will continue at an
accelerated pace, and about 70 percent of the
world’s population will be urban. Income levels
will be many multiples of what they are now. In
order to feed this larger population, food
production must increase by 70 percent. Annual
cereal production will need to rise to about 3
billion tonnes from 2.1 billion today and annual
meat production will need to rise by over 200
million tonnes to reach 470 million tonnes.
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it) 2

Framework: an overview on the topic

Definition
“Economic activities which exactly refers to planting and breeding
industry within a big city or around a city circle, taking advantage
of the gaps (..) among cities, such as the activities of providing
fresh agricultural produce, ecology, tourism and leisure products
for cities”
U.N. FAO DEFINITION 1996

Global Crisis Factors

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Population Increasing Rural Industrialized Food Security &
growth Urbanization Abandonment Agriculture Safety

Shared Goals

1. 2. 3.
Bibliography
Enhance circularity Embed Reduce production/
James McEldowney, “Urban Agriculture in Europe - Patterns, Challenges and policies”
in Urban Areas neighborhoods and consumption food EPRS European Parliament Research Service, December 2017

promoting green promote social waste and S. Miccoli, F. Finucci, R. Munro, "Feeding the Cities Through Urban Agriculture. The
Community Esteem Value”, Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia 8 (20),
2016
architecture and inclusion transportation
R. Roggema, ‘Towards fundamental new urban planning for productive cities: the quest for
infrastructure footprint space’, proceedings at the Agriculture in an Urbanising Society Conference, Rome,
17-19 September, 2015\
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

URBAN
FARMING
“..may include all fruit and
vegetable food crops or
medicinal and ornamental
species. The adopted crop
production systems are
strongly related to the
local culture and
traditions. In general,
within cities it is preferred
to grow short cycle and
highly perishable crops”

Francesco Orsini, Remi Kahane, Remi Nono-Womdim,

Giorgio Gianquinto. Urban agriculture in the developing world:
a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Springer
Verlag/EDP Sci- ences/INRA, 2013, 33 (4), pp.695-720.
10.1007/s13593-013-0143-z . hal-01201393

Nadal, A., Cerón, I., Cuerva, E., Gabarrell, X., Josa, A., Pons, O., Rieradevall, J. (2015). “Urban
Agriculture in the Framework of Sustainable Urbanism.” Temesde Disseny, 0(31), 92–103.
h#ps://www.raco.cat/index.php/Temes/article/viewFile/299595/390474
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

ZERO- ACREAGE
FARMING
“ZFarming, is a new
branch of agriculture
involving production in or
on urban structures. It's a
small and new global
trend but a potentially
important one through
which innovators are
attempting to address
some of the many issues
we experience in
urbanization.”

Yale Environmentl Review ‘The promise and challenges of

'zero-acreage farming’ by ZACHARY TURK • JULY 5, 2016

Fig. 1: Broad applications of UF and PUF

Source: Own work based on the classification made by Speech et al. (2014) [7].
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

LA CITTÀ: DAL PROBLEMA ALLA SOLUZIONE?

✤ ALTA ✤ LIVABLE GREEN

URBANIZZAZIONE CITY

✤ IMPOVERIMENTO ✤ RIDUZIONE
DEI SUOLI DELLA FOODMILE

✤ MAGGIORE ✤ PRODUZIONE
RICHIESTA CIBO CONTROLLATA
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

LA CITTÀ: DAL PROBLEMA ALLA SOLUZIONE?

Source: Own Work

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Defining the purpose for UF project in relation to its

integration within buildings

Enhance
Physical circular flows of Food safety &
Environment resources between security
urban entities to
reduce wastes

Water mgmt & Use of renewable Material choice Transportation Data collection &
Waste recycling
conservation energy reuse & recycling mgmt Smart mgmt

Renewable energy Food can be

Waste-streams are Materials choice,
Reduce water usage sources can be produced, stored Automated systems
rich sources of both new and
by the application of linked to a smart and consumed in with data collection
nutrients, water and recycled, may
closed systems & grid, providing one place reducing help increasing
energy that can be implement energy
reuse of renewable energy for homes needs for efficiency of the
utilized in urban conservation of the
water sources and the production transportation and production systems
production system
systems refrigeration
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Potential impacts of UF projects

1.
5. 6.
Social 2. 3. 4.
Education - Economic
embedding & Improve Land Reduce the
Raising development &
Urban biodiversity saving food-mile
awareness Value creation
transformation

Integration of
Soil health is the Sell the produce Educating UA may offer
new groups of
foundation of a in proximity to its citizens to potential for
people in an Reduce the
healthy farm customers, sustainability and recreational,
already green/natural gap
ecosystem. Off- eliminating the healthy food with tourist and
consolidated in our cities
soil Urban need for long- on-site experience marketing
social bringing insects
Farming projects distance, is considered purposes. Mixing
environment, and plat species
may limit soil transportation. important activities may
creating new job to the centers of
degradation by Emissions and through the years result in new jobs
opportunities urban
producing more pollution is in order to build a creation and new
within the environments.
with less foot- dramatically more conscious business model
production
print. reduced. future society. opportunities.
process.
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

THE 4 DIMENSION OF UA
Factors which justify the recent
vivid interest on UA projects from
the scientific community

FOOD SECURITY & HEALTH

• Distacco sempre maggiore fra luogo
di produzione e luogo di consumo
(Keffe et al. 2016)

• Più estesa l’area urbana -> Maggiore

reddito -> Maggiore richiesta di cibo
(Miccoli et al. 2016)

• Garantire l’accesso a cibo fresco e

salutare a tutti all’interno della città
influenzando positivamente gli stili
di vita e la qualità della stessa

McEldowney J., “Urban agriculture in Europe - Patterns, challenges and

policies” EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service, December
2017
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

THE 4 DIMENSION OF UA
Factors which justify the recent
vivid interest on UA projects from
the scientific community

ECONOMIC DEVELOPEMENT
• Opportunità per lo sviluppo di piccole
imprese agricole in città e crescita di un
nuovo tipo di imprenditoria sostenibile
(Zeunert et al. 2016)

• Possibilità di differenziare le attività

produttive offrendo servizi nel campo
turistico, educativo, medico, ecc..

• Nuove business strategies come: riduzione

dei costi di vendita; differenziazione del
prodotto; economia condivisa;
sperimentazione e ricerca (Lorleberg, 2016)

McEldowney J., “Urban agriculture in Europe - Patterns, challenges and

policies” EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service, December
2017
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

THE 4 DIMENSION OF UA
Factors which justify the recent
vivid interest on UA projects from
the scientific community

SOCIAL INCLUSION
• Integrazione sociale in possibili gruppi a
rischio come migranti, tossicodipendenti
ed ex detenuti attraverso l’obiettivo
comune della coltivazione (Lorleberg, 2016)

• Incentivazione al mix sociale e interazione

fra i diversi proprietari dei lotti coltivati
(Corcoran et al. 2015)

• In uno studio pubblicato sul Journal of

Urban Studies è stato dimostrato come il
lavoro negli orti urbani abbia aiutato
migranti a ritrovare rispetto per se stessi in
un senso di appartenenza sociale

McEldowney J., “Urban agriculture in Europe - Patterns, challenges and

policies” EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service, December
2017
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

THE 4 DIMENSION OF UA
Factors which justify the recent
vivid interest on UA projects from
the scientific community

ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY
• Potenziale impatto delle piante sull’
Urban Heat Island e assorbimento di
CO2 (Pearson, 2016)

• Possibilità di implementare la
circolarità nel edifici di produzione
attraverso il riciclo di rifiuti organici e
il ricircolo delle acque per l’irrigazione

• Aumentare la biodiversità delle

comunità locali

McEldowney J., “Urban agriculture in Europe - Patterns, challenges and

policies” EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service, December
2017
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Technological context MACRO-CATEGORIES

& background

HYDROPONIC GREENHOUSES (HYGH)

HYDROPONICS • Semi-controlled environment
PRODUCTION • Influenced by exterior climates
• Uses solar energy for photosynthesis
• Energy can be discharged ventilating
• Transparent conductive design
Hydroponics is a method of
growing plants using mineral
nutrient solutions.
PLANT FACTORIES WITH ARTIFICIAL
Nutrients are delivered to the LIGHTING (PFAL)
plant in irrigation water
eliminating soil. • Closed system design
• Maximization of productivity
The plant is usually provided with • Not influenced by exterior climates
structural support - the media. • Adaptation of the interior climate to
The media are mostly made of
inert materials. uniform light & temperature
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Technologies for advanced UF projects

WHERE? WHERE?

HYDROPONIC PLANT FACTORIES WITH ARTIFICIAL

GREENHOUSES (HYGHs) LIGHTING (PFALs)
Transparent design that interacts with Highly insulating, airtight structure with
the exterior climate no relations with the exterior climate

• On horizontal surfaces: rooftops, • In private interior spaces: private

terraces, balconies, squares & orchards kitchens, living & dining rooms etc..

• On vertical surfaces: sun-exposed •In buildings: common hallways, offices,

facades, attached to blind walls shared floors etc..
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Technologies for advanced UF projects

WHERE? WHERE?

HYDROPONIC PLANT FACTORIES WITH ARTIFICIAL

GREENHOUSES (HYGHs) LIGHTING (PFALs)
Transparent design that interacts with Highly insulating, airtight structure with
the exterior climate no relations with the exterior climate

• On horizontal surfaces: rooftops, • In private interior spaces: private

terraces, balconies, squares & orchards kitchens, living & dining rooms etc..

• On vertical surfaces: sun-exposed •In buildings: common hallways, offices,

facades, attached to blind walls shared floors etc..
A) Private/Public B) Sun-exposed C) Private A) Common B) Shadowed C) Private
open spaces facades rooftops hallways facades inner spaces
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Food production & crops proprieties

WHAT? WHAT?
HYDROPONIC PLANT FACTORIES WITH ARTIFICIAL
GREENHOUSES (HYGHs) LIGHTING (PFALs)

• High-wire crops such as tomatoes, • Short-height crops (about 30 cm or

peppers, and cucumbers less) for multilayer cultivation racks

• Berries such as strawberries and • Fast growing (harvestable 10–30 days

blueberries after transplanting)

• non-woody or annual medicinal plants •Growing well under low light intensity
such as Angelica, saffron & ginseng and at high planting density
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

Food production & crops proprieties

List of crops that can be grown in HYGs & PFALs
*

Type of crops HYGHs PFALs

Tomatoes, Bell Pepper

Fruits-Vegetables X
and Cucumbers

Fruits - Exotic Papaya, Mango and Kiwi X

Fruits - Citrus Lemon and Orange trees X Dry mass production: a comparison between HYGs & a PFAL in lettuce production

Strawberries , Strawberries ,
Fruit - Berries Blackberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Raspberries,
Grapes Grapes

Vegetables - Brassicaceae Cauliflower Not advised

Spinach, Kale & Mustard

Vegetables - Dark Leafy Not advised
Greens

Chard, Cabbage, Romain, Chard, Cabbage, Romain,

Vegetables - Leafy greens
Bok Choi Bok Choi Electricity, CO2 and Water usage in HYGs & a PFAL in lettuce production

✴ Graamans, Luuk & Baeza, Esteban & Dobbelsteen, Andy & Tsafaras, Ilias & Stanghellini,
Vegetables - Root Cecilia. (2017). Plant factories versus greenhouses: Comparison of resource use efficiency.
Squash and Pumpkin X
Vegetables Agricultural Systems. 160. 10.1016/j.agsy.2017.11.003.
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

LA CITTÀ: DAL PROBLEMA ALLA SOLUZIONE?

Source: Own Work

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

HomeFarm - Singapore. SPARK 2014

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: URBAN

ReGen - Almere (NL). EFFEKT 2018

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: BUILDING

Farm House - Chris Precht 2018

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: ROOFTOP

Urban Farmers Greenhouse - Rotterdam (NL) 2016. Bankrupted 2018

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: ROOFTOP

Urban Farmers Greenhouse - Rotterdam (NL) 2016. Bankrupted 2018

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: ROOFTOP

Urban Farmers Greenhouse - Rotterdam (NL) 2016. Bankrupted 2018

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: FACADE

Green Belly Facade research project

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: INTERIORS

GrowX - Amsterdam (NL)

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

SCALE OF THE PROJECT: INTERIORS

Infarm - Berlino (DE)

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

THE ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH

The example of the Living Tower in Amsterdam Bijlmerbajes
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

INPUT DI PROGETTO

• Riqualificare la torre
riutilizzando il più possibile
materiali esistenti

• Prevedere una produzione di

cibo sufficiente per le 3000
persone previste del quartiere

• Prevedere attività educative

per implementare la coesione
sociale e l’inclusione degli
abitanti del quartiere

Bijlmmerbajes Prison - Amsterdam (NL)

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

CONCEPT DI PROGETTO

As ivy grows on old Beneath the conceptual The way Ivy growing
Inspirations: ivy
concrete building, green Ivy growing, the has been geometrized
“eating” old ruins
and plants are taking production spaces are and compose the new
their place back into the placed facade

cities
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

CONCEPT DI PROGETTO

Wind and solar path South east facade is cut …which is closed with The new facade gives
analysis to give space to a more a light ETFE facade new identity to the old
transparent facade… perfect for production building, favoring the
food-production
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

CONSIDERAZIONI DI SOSTENIBILITÀ

Old structure has been The north facade windows are

kept Aggiunta facciata in
substituted with thermal
policarbonato riciclato
insulation glasses
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

CONSIDERAZIONI DI SOSTENIBILITÀ

La facciata in policarbonato
L’edificio mantiene la vecchia struttura, ma
viene rotta dalla magli in
è avvolto da una nuova facciata green
ETFE
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

I VANTAGGI DELL’ETFE

• High Light Transmittion & UV-Transmission

• High Resistance

• Weight

• Isolation

• Low Maintenance

• Sustainability

• Customizable
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

LA FACCIATA PRODUTTIVA

I cuscini di ETFE vengono integrati con un sistema di

produzione di alghe
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

LA FACCIATA PRODUTTIVA

I cuscini di ETFE integrati con la produzione di alghe

sono comunicanti per non gravare troppo sul peso della
struttura
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

LA FACCIATA PRODUTTIVA
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

GLI INTERNI E L’INTEGRAZIONE DEGLI SPAZI PRODUTTIVI

BLOCK 4 - Production, Child care &

Restaruant

BLOCK 3 - Production & Research

BLOCK 2 - Production & Educational

BLOCK 1 - Production & Common spaces

Blocco 1: Mercato
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

GLI INTERNI E L’INTEGRAZIONE DEGLI SPAZI PRODUTTIVI
FOOD EXPERIENCE:

THE PANORAMIC RESTAURANT

ALGAE PRODUCTION

RESEARCH AREA

WORK AND EDUCATIONAL AREA

FOOD EXPERIENCE:

MARKET & CAFETERIA

Blocco 2: Hall degli uffici e degli spazi educativi

Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

GLI INTERNI E L’INTEGRAZIONE DEGLI SPAZI PRODUTTIVI

Blocco 3: Laboratori
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

GLI INTERNI E L’INTEGRAZIONE DEGLI SPAZI PRODUTTIVI

Blocco 4: Ristorante
Michele D’Ostuni (michele.dostuni@unifi.it)

L’APPROCCIO AL PROGETTO - AMSTERDAM VERTICAL FARM

LA SCELTA DELLA PRODUZIONE DI CIBO
What How Why What How Why

Prawns, Tilapia Aquaponic We decide to use the Aquaponic Berries (120 sm) Substratum on pots Small fruits are very profitable
Trout (Tot tanks: 70 sm) system in order to diversify the crops, moreover we considered
production in terms of nutrients. a high plus the possibilty of
The aquaponic system has been consuming these fruits near the
placed to the ground floor in order area where they are produced,
not to weigh on too much on the due to their short shelf life
whole structure

What How Why

Pharma plants (50 sm) Raised bed Pharma plants represent a small,
-Calendula officinalis (25 sm) but increasing niche in the market.
-Curcuma longa (25 sm) We decided to put together this
Cutting plants chamber system with the cutting plants
Cutting plants (20 sm) chamber so that we can diverify
and decrease production costs.
Mushrooms (50 sm) Substratum In the near Transformation Lab
What How Why
we can teach to everybody how
to extract oils from these plants,
Potatoes (30 sm) Aeroponic (30 sm) We decide to use an experimental improving the social appeal of our
technology that can be seen in project
the common areas as manifesto
of our building. Doing so, people
from the cafè at the first floor can What How Why
admire the beauty of the potatoes
roots “floating” in the air.... as if it
was magic! Pharma plants (90 sm) SOG (Sea Of Green) In order to diverisfy the production,
-Cannabis sativa L (CBD) we decided to cultivate this type
of cannabis that can be used for
medical purposes: it can reduce
pain caused by multiple scleroris
as well as synthoms of other illness
such anorexia and insomnia. We
placed this cultivation in the Labs
block so that the essential CBD oil
can be extctracted in the adiacent
What How Why Essential Oil Extraction Lab

Lattuce (70sm, 2nd Fl + 90 sm, 3rd Fl) NFT Hydroponic based on On the 2nd and 3rd floor we
Basil (20sm, 2nd Fl) Aquaponic nutrient solution decided to use wideley consumed
What How Why
plants that are based on aquaponic
nutrient solution. In this way we
optimize the energy consumption Microgreens (90 sm) Germination Chamber We noticed that marke demand
in pumping aquaponic water from for this product is increasing. This
the ground floor. Also, part of the products guarantee a helathy and
cultivation will be experimenting nutritionally rich food
biological aquaponic production