Urban rooftop farming: retrofitting a supermarket's rooftop with focus on food production
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability, MSc
Publicerad
2022
Författare
Nanaa, Najoud
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Climate change, urbanization, and a scarcity of resources are just a few factors that
indicate a major structural change in our urban design. This has raised the question
about the future of food production, where we rely on global imports and rural
resources.
Sweden’s overall supply of imported fresh fruit and vegetables is significantly high,
accounting for more than 70%. Most imported products consist of products not
produced in Sweden, products only produced during seasonal or not available in
adequate quantities in Sweden (FAO, n.d.). Imported greens are accompanied by
several undesirable side effects, like excess packaging, transportation, cooling, and
warehousing.
Urban rooftop farming could become a viable alternative to imported vegetables
and fruits in Sweden in order to deliver more resilient, sustainable, and safe food
production.
The vegetables and fruits can be grown directly where they are sold, at the
supermarket! That said, supermarkets can become some sort of flag for the
democratization of urban rooftop farming, in a sense that we are not talking about
hyper-stores or an exclusive place for rich people; it is for everyone!
These roof typologies can become a catalyst for urban farming that improves local
food production and makes it more efficient to afford healthy and sustainable food
for all people. This is accompanied as well as by several social and environmental
benefits.
The thesis focuses on the spatial qualities and programming of a specific
supermarket´s roof in the most beneficial ways. The project investigates how to
optimize the added roof topology by focusing on technical solutions and design
principles. The roof farming focuses on aeroponic system, a farming type of vertical
farming, to make the food production more sustainable, with a high yield per sq m,
and diverse. This project showcase what great potential a retrofitted green rooftop
can have and how we need to plan and build with sustainability as a driving force.
The thesis is carried out as research by design project. Investigating the opportunities
of adding a rooftop farm on a supermarket. The research consists of literature studies,
references, site visits, and digital model analysis in order to create a relationship
between the analysis and proposal.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
urban farming, food production, vertical farming, aeroponic system , indoor farming, unused rooftop, and greenhouse