First Vertical Farms Become Reality
Source: http://www.spiegel.de
#verticalfarms #plantscraper #technology #architecture #construction
Architectures have spoken about "Vertical farms" for many years. Today, despite the skepticism, such projects transformed from "green dreams" into reality. Several years ago a Swedish-American company called Plantagon International unveiled plans for a series of massive skyscraper greenhouses that stood to transform urban farming in large cities.
As reported The Inhabitat, while the spiraling vertical farms seemed too good to be true at the time, Plantagon International just broke ground on its very first vertical farm in February, 2012 in Linkoping, Sweden. The "Plantscraper" will grow and supply fresh vegetables while creating solutions to some of the most vexing city pollution issues. Inside the 17 storey globe with massive glass walls, vegetables will be grown in pots and then transitioned to trays positioned around a giant central helix. The plants grow as the trays slowly migrate down the central core and are ready to be harvested once they reach the bottom. Plant residue and manure will be collected along the way and transformed into biogas to run the heating and cooling systems of the greenhouse. Scientists want the vertical farm to not only grow food but also help in developing sustainable solutions for energy, heat, waste, and water issues of daily city life. Construction on the company's first enormous vertical greenhouse is expected to take 12 to 16 months.
Before this project there were 3 attempts to build "Vertical farms" in Japan, South Korea and Netherlands. As reported the Speigel, a small prototype of the "Vertical farm" was launched in one of Tokyo's skyscrapers in 2005. Then, in 2011 a 3-storey greenhouse built in Suwon, South Korea. From the outside, the so-called vertical farm has nothing in common with the luxury high-rises surrounding it. Inside the building, heads of lettuce covering 450 square meters are being painstakingly cultivated. Light and temperature levels are precisely regulated. And about at the same time first products form "Vertical farm" appeared in Netherlands supermarkets. These vegetables were grown in underground "vertical farm", which constructed "PlantLab" company.
According to studies of Columbia University, New York, who invented the project "Vertical Farm", by the year 2050, nearly 80 percent of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming. "Vertical Farm" can be put in a big city. It should be very effective. Manufacture of food products it will not depend on the vagaries of the weather. This farm will produce several harvests per year. Another benefit - Isolated plants can be protected from infections that affect the field. The same is true of the pests.
As reported The Inhabitat, while the spiraling vertical farms seemed too good to be true at the time, Plantagon International just broke ground on its very first vertical farm in February, 2012 in Linkoping, Sweden. The "Plantscraper" will grow and supply fresh vegetables while creating solutions to some of the most vexing city pollution issues. Inside the 17 storey globe with massive glass walls, vegetables will be grown in pots and then transitioned to trays positioned around a giant central helix. The plants grow as the trays slowly migrate down the central core and are ready to be harvested once they reach the bottom. Plant residue and manure will be collected along the way and transformed into biogas to run the heating and cooling systems of the greenhouse. Scientists want the vertical farm to not only grow food but also help in developing sustainable solutions for energy, heat, waste, and water issues of daily city life. Construction on the company's first enormous vertical greenhouse is expected to take 12 to 16 months.
Before this project there were 3 attempts to build "Vertical farms" in Japan, South Korea and Netherlands. As reported the Speigel, a small prototype of the "Vertical farm" was launched in one of Tokyo's skyscrapers in 2005. Then, in 2011 a 3-storey greenhouse built in Suwon, South Korea. From the outside, the so-called vertical farm has nothing in common with the luxury high-rises surrounding it. Inside the building, heads of lettuce covering 450 square meters are being painstakingly cultivated. Light and temperature levels are precisely regulated. And about at the same time first products form "Vertical farm" appeared in Netherlands supermarkets. These vegetables were grown in underground "vertical farm", which constructed "PlantLab" company.
According to studies of Columbia University, New York, who invented the project "Vertical Farm", by the year 2050, nearly 80 percent of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming. "Vertical Farm" can be put in a big city. It should be very effective. Manufacture of food products it will not depend on the vagaries of the weather. This farm will produce several harvests per year. Another benefit - Isolated plants can be protected from infections that affect the field. The same is true of the pests.
