AgriTecture gilo.holtzman
Empowerment through food production gilo.holtzman
2009
“ in every civilization decline, there is
a clear point when their food source
occurs too far away from the city.”
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
Half of the world’s population currently lives
in cities. By 2025 urban population is
expected to increase by 65% of the global
population. One major issue related to rapid
urban growth is food production.
As for 2001 40% of the world land area was
used for agriculture (crops and grazing)
purposes.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
Our current methods of agriculture
results in a large environmental
impact, the inefficiency of the modern
agriculture practice when impact
mainly on our water resources system,
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
humans already use more
than half of the
accessible, renewable
fresh water and 70-80%
percent of that is used for
agriculture.
gilo.holtzman
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
• Climate change, extreme weather
As Research shows, an increasing temperatures and
declining precipitation over semiarid regions are likely
to reduce yields for corn, wheat, rice, and other primary
crops in the next two decades. These changes could
have a substantial impact on global food security, and to
some extant they already do.
Molly E. Brown and Christopher C. Funk www,” Food Security Under Climate Change”, sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 319 1 FEBRUARY 2008 Published by AAAS,
www.sciencemag.org on March 10, 2008
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
• Crops directed towards bio fuel
• Rising food prices
• Pesticides, herbaceous, fertilizers
• Water prices and demand
• Demand (emerging developing countries)
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
•Lack of research
•Decrease in land for urban sprawl
•Over 40 % of world food production
occurs on irrigated land
•Public Health concerns
•Deforestation
Agriculture in Australia, Few Facts:
• Agriculture occupies 62% of our land mass
• And Approx 62% is used for grazing.
• Australian 167.3 million tones of food is transported around Australia a year ,2.5 billion kilometers of travel
• Billions kilometres of food is being imported to Australia each year.
• Up to few years ago Australia was the larger soy bean producers/ exporter in the world, now it exports none.
• Australia exports food for 50 million people world wide.
www.acfonline.org.au/consumption
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
• 41,799 ha of farmland in Sydney
• 31,000 ha of parkland in Sydney
• $1 Billion / year direct contribution to NSW
• Its economic value to the industry as a whole is over $4.5 billion annually
• 90 per cent of Sydney’s perishable vegetables
• Almost 100 per cent of the state’s Asian vegetables
• 80 per cent of the fresh mushroom supply A viable local economy
• Most of Sydney’s cherry tomatoes, snow peas, snake beans, Lebanese cucumbers, fresh ,tomatoes, spring onions, shallots
• 33 % of NSW’s poultry production
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
90 % of Sydney’s
fresh produce is
supplied by market
gardens in the
Sydney basin, (Cohen 2007)
should make
Sydney’s food
market sustainable
But... gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
•Sydney’s basin air contains high pollutants due
to industrial emission which captures in the
basin.
•Urban sprawl
Food Concerns
• Approx 60% of our eco-footprint is embodied
is in food.
• Food eco footprint is 43%.
• Food is responsible for 26% of our GHG
pollution.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
Food Concerns
• Approx 60% of our eco-footprint is embodied
is in food.
• Food eco footprint is 43%.
• Food is responsible for 26% of our GHG
pollution.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
Food Concerns
• Approx 60% of our eco-footprint is embodied is in
food.
• Food eco footprint is 43%.
• Food is responsible for 26% of our GHG pollution.
• Food production consumes a lot of water. [44% of
available water ]
• Processed food contains large amount of
preservatives and additives.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
•Food diet in western world is responsible for the increase
in obesity, coronary, cancer, and other diseases.
•Result as huge public health and economic problems.
•Under nutrition in pregnancy and in early childhood can
lead to enhanced susceptibility to NCDs in later life (Hales et al., 1991;
M.Barker 1994).
http://www.acfonline.org.au/consumptionatlas/
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
So...
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
The ability to create a more sustainable city lays in our
capability to minimize transportation of food to almost
none, minimise water use, and shift to farming in the
city, with organic wastes as fertilizers, with out the
need of chemical products. the use of abandoned lots
and buildings in the city, for farming are an effective
land utilization thus closing the loop, which results in
lower food cost and small environmental impact.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
The goal of urban agriculture is not only more
efficient land use, self sustainability and
lowering our ecological footprint but also to
allow for a transparent organic food
production, were the city occupant are able
to see, control and participate with the
production of most of their valuable foods.
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
” The farm as an urban
imperative is not a novel
concept. Le Corbusier’s
dream of a “vertical garden
city,” imagined every worker
as, also, a farmer.
“Agricultural labor abandons
the countryside,” he wrote
in 1923. “With the eight-
hour shift, the worker here
becomes a farmer and
produces a significant
portion of the things he
consumes.”
M. Wang, "Gardens in the Sky”, Published: October 1, 2008 http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/28622/gardens-in-the-sky/
gilo.holtzman AgriTecture
The pressing issue of servicing
the city with fresh food is
identified in the City of
Sydney’s Sustainable Sydney
2030 vision document.
However objectives and
actions to achieve delivery of
fresh food to city dwellers and
workers are not clear. Do we
relay on weekly city farmers
markets or urban farming ideas
such as communal gardens to
feed all who need to be
sustained in a city?
AgriTecture
a synergy between
agriculture and
domestic living –
a design concept
that speculates
on a new urban
order by creating
a place for socio-enviro
ecological
belonging between
the building
occupants and
the locals through
the cultivation of
food for sustaining
city living.
the ‘Bays Agri-Precinct’ proposal looks at rejuvenating the area of White Bay, Glebe Island and Rozelle brown field into a lively agricultural hub, which aims to provide for much of the city’s food outlets and neighbouring communities with fresh food.
gilo.holtzman
The use of a Hydroponic and Aquaponics method for cultivation will ensure year round crops, water use and transportation savings, on site waste management and energy harvesting Significantly educing the carbon footprint of city inhabitation.
Sky farms, production line
Glebe Island Water front housing for the urban farmer
Kitchen Garden Facade
Rozelle Parkland Communal Gardens
White Bay | Glebe Island Food / Fish Markets
A synergy between agriculture and
domestic living the ‘Agri-Housing’
/Student Co-Op’ project which is
based on Cooperative and
cohousing principles, creates an
affordable and sustainable living
system approach so that each 8
living units will share a kitchen,
living room and green house. the
Agri-Housing concept also allows
for a family or an individual to
grow their own food, according to
their own needs, taste and cultural
background, and may also
generate additional income by
selling their surplus to the co-op
shop.
‘Agri - Housing’
Shared Living Space
Above: Common kitchen dining & living room Pod Left: Green house Pod
Interior Courtyard
Local Market
Agri-Housing
•Self-production of food for tenants & community.
•Production of organic & healthy food, free from diseases, fertilizers &
pesticides.
•Flexibility in working hours.
•Independence
•Create an additional income [if selling products, and also saving on
travelling and food costs, also an indirect long term health related
expenditure].
•Create new jobs for occupants and the community.
•Creating a sense of community, a comprehensive communal garden
concept.
•Bridges community cultural differences.
•Creation of sustainable housing conditions.
•Reduction of air and soil pollution levels, locally & globally.
•Improvement in the site’s microclimate and reduction in energy use.
•Collection and use of rain/ storm water.
•Grey and black water recycle, for toilets and irrigation where needed.
•As a results a decrease of inhabitants ecological footprint.
•Allow affordable living conditions by reducing food, water, energy &
transport expenditures.
Food is the common thread
that connects members of
the community
gilo.holtzman | [email protected] | 0424 490 554 | www.synthesisstudio.org