A LEARNING CENTER TOWARD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

URBAN AGRICULTURE

AN URBAN AGRICULTURAL SOLUTION FOR URBAN NEW YORK

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE 2011 THESIS GEORGE KONEL

2011 THESIS

1. Abstract 2. Thesis Statement 3. Research and Documentation for Area of Focus 3.1. Area of Focus Summary 3.2. Discussion of Findings from Literature Review 3.3. Questions/Theoretical Issues Raised 3.4. Architectural Issues 3.5. Architectural Precedents 4. Site and Context Information 4.1. Aerial photos and/or maps of site 4.2. Site Documentation 4.3. Site Analysis 4.4. Site Parameters 5. Program 5.1. Program Type and Description 5.2. Programmatic Elements 5.3. Graphic Representation of Program 6. Conceptual / Preliminary Design Studies 6.1. Studies or Devices Revealing Architectonic Ideas 7. Final Design 7.1. Graphic Represention of Architectonic Ideas 8. Bibliography and important other resources 8.1. Written Sources 8.2. Project References

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TABLE OF CONTENTS i

GEORGE KONEL

ABSTRACT
Farming has not changed significantly in thousands of years. We still go about blanketing the ground with acres and acres of crops far away from the people who eat it. We now have to talk and bring the green movement into our food supply. The concept is to design an agricultural center which will feed thousands of local residents, and teach them about healthy living styles. This center will allow them cheaper, organic, disease-free crops. The supply structure of the agricultural industry needs a big change. It is no longer becoming economical due to population increases, crop failures, fuel prices, and dealing with the changing outer environment. Erecting a farm that is close in proximity to the people which it serves is the way to bring a quick and lasting transformation to the industry of food production.

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ABSTRACT

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GEORGE KONEL

STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Urban Agricultural and Community Center will set an example for alternative farming methods in and around the New York area. Instead of using large expanses of horizontal space, that same area can be stacked on top of each other into a sustainable and practical way in any urban environment, resulting in the same farming over a much smaller footprint. The incorporation of the most state of the art technologies as well as new sustainable practices will need to be researched and utilized. Part of the proposal will include the use of hydroponics, which is the growing of plants in nutrient mineral water rather than soil. First, there are an extraordinary number of benefits for using technologies such as hydroponics. Secondly, combining this technology with the notion of a vertical farming structure brings to light even more benefits. Farming will not be the only aspect of the project. It will include an on-site farmers market, which will provide the people of the neighborhood fresh, local grown produce. This notion of local farming and farmers markets will serve as a model for the huge transportation problem associated with the delivery of produces. The community center will serve as a place where the people can see and learn about sustainable farming methods that will enhance their general lifestyle through a healthier diet. If implemented on a large nation-wide scale, we could drastically have a positive effect on our carbon footprint and the general well being of the population. It is a challenge to change peoples habits of shopping at the grocery store, and instead shopping at a farmers market to purchase fresh and organic produce, but by supporting local production, it will help to change the current food supply structure. The agricultural center will respond to the site context as most beneficial as possible to change the lifestyle of people and the industry of agriculture.

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THESIS STATEMENT

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GEORGE KONEL

URBAN AGRICULTURE

AREA OF FOCUS

GEORGE KONEL

2011 THESIS

My area of focus for this project is in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn, NY. I am focusing on the obesity prevalance, low fruit, and vegetable consumption in the area to improve healthy living styles. The area is mainly a residential district with a large instituion in the vicinity, which has a need for fresh local produce and food service. The particular site is owned by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and this urban agricultural center can be a boost to the green infrastructure movement the NYC DEP has been pushing for.

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ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

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Gasoline prices have tripled since the year 2000 and have affected every market due to transportation costs. The population increase has sprawled out west over a great amount of what was previously farmland. Because of this, total cost of food importation from neighboring countries has gone from 40 billion back in 2002 to over 80 billion in 2007, increasing prices in the local grocery store even more. The middle class is struggling to purchase the basic necessities of life.

It is not just the increase in population and transportation costs that are having an eff ect on our food. Deforestation keeps on; clearing more land for more farms. Because of this clearing, global warming has increased, giving rise to higher temperatures in certain climate zones. These areas now experience more droughts or in some cases more fl ooding than usual. Pesticides that are being used are continuously geting stronger because insects develop better resistance. Also, it is estimated that only 5% of all pesticide sprayed actually hits its intended weed and pest targets. The rest is either absorbed into the ground, into the water supply, or into the food which we eat.

GEORGE KONEL

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OBESITY PREVALANCE

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Obesity is the number one risk factor for poor health in the United States. Nationally, the proportion of obese children has tripled since the 1970s with approximately fifteen percent of all children falling into this category. The situation among adults is also distressing. As many as thirty percent of US adults are considered obese and an additional thirty-five percent are overweight. Obesity in adults is associated with a long list of chronic diseases that include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, stroke, depression, and some cancers. Compounding the resultant pain, suffering and death are the greatly increasing costs to society in terms of human loss and medical expenses. Recent estimates place the annual direct medical costs of the epidemic at $92.6 billion, and preventable deaths related to physical inactivity and poor diet are increasing. The issue of obesity takes our attention to food. Food and food security is one of the social determinants of health as mentioned above what we eat and how we eat contributes significantly to mortality, morbidity, and steeply rising health care costs. Poor nutrition is a risk factor for four of the six leading causes of death in the United States heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. In conjunction with these data, it is also interesting to note that fifty percent of United States premature mortality is caused by behavior factors and twenty percent environmental factors. In sum, a majority of individual health problems are caused by behavioral and environmental factors, which is then molded and constrained by food deficiency of the community. There is a well-established link between poverty (economic and social) and poor health those who are socially excluded and thus lack social capital experience worse health outcomes than the general population, thereby polarizing the health distribution in the population.

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PUBLIC MARKETS
The goal of new urbanists is to reform real estate development and urban planning to improve peoples quality of life in a sustainable way, often through the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use communities. Project for Public Spaces (PPS), known for its work on the design, management and revitalization of public spaces, was founded as a non-profit organization in 1975 to build upon the pioneering Street Life Project of writer and sociologist William H. Whyte. A movement has been initiated by him, on promoting small urban spaces as important venues for defining city centers. Since then PPS has developed a unique process for transforming public spaces, termed Placemaking, through which community members interact with, assess, and improve their public spaces, thereby elevating their significance in building strong communities. As part of PPS work in influencing the way cities and towns approach public spaces from parks, plazas, and squares to roads, transit stations, or civic buildings public markets have emerged as a major initiative. Public markets create vibrant public spaces while also having broader social impacts: as microcosms of their communities, markets contribute to job creation, the improvement of health issues, and the creation of safe public spaces. At the same time, mature market operators and analysts have cited the lack of a coherent set of strategies to position public markets as catalysts to effectively build both individual assets for vendors while also serving as a broader community asset whether to cultivate an active public space for a diverse set of stakeholders or improving the physical and mental well-being of community members.

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GEORGE KONEL

2011 THESIS
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PUBLIC MARKET INFLUECES & IMPACTS

GEORGE KONEL

Public Market Influences & Impacts

1. Increases Access to Healthy & Nutritious Foods - Need to assure that some percentage of the offerings are health options - Increases and improves access to fresh / nutritious food for all people - Diversify diets - Organic health benefits - Increase access, both in terms of getting to the market (public transportation, walking, etc.) as well as being able to purchase goods at the market (in terms of pricing, cultural appropriateness) 2. Provides Health Information & Education - Everything from pamphlets to interactive classes - Provides a venue for health information / messages / promotion / services - Reinforce notion of food - Provide education and information in various formats (not just reading materials - also videos for social service agency offices, etc.) 3. Supports Opportunities for Healthy Behavior & Health Promotion - Offers a range of exercise possibilities, including classes - Venue for various physical activities; Supports healthy behaviors - Encourage breastfeeding, mother-child exercise routines, healthy child development activities - Constructive family activities 4. Provides Venue for Health Services - Screenings - Health monitoring - Social service and entitlement program linkage 5. Increases Social Inclusion & Social Interaction - Increased socialization, community member interaction and possible social supports

2011 THESIS

6. Increases Community Pride & Loyalty (Social Capital) - improved sense of community, a place worth investing in - tends toward more group participation and less isolation 7. Increases Civic Capacity - Increases communitys collective capacity to solve problems (collective efficacy) - Creates a community infrastructure that can address broader health issues can build organizational relationships 8. Increase the Economic Opportunities - Individual economic opportunity - Positive community economic impact - Raise income level - Lower food costs - Strengthening local neighborhoods leads to local economic development (improve health outcomes) - Secondary economic impacts to community 9. Green Space Conservation & Placemaking Promotion - Preserves green space outside town/city - Green space benefits - Contributes to environmental health preserve open space, farmland - Creates a neighborhood destination to walk to, and for public gatherings - Preserves green space in cities, as well as outside of them, through work with gardens and urban agriculture projects.

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PUBLIC MARKET INFLUENCES & IMPACTS 7

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2011 THESIS
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Hydroponics originating from the Greek words hydro - water and ponos labor, is a way of growing plants utilizing nutrient solutions rather than soil. Plants can be grown with their roots in either a mineral nutrient solution only or have an additional component such as gravel or mineral wool. In the late 19th century, plant physiology researchers discovered that plants absorb their essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. Naturally, soil acts as a nutrient reservoir and is not itself in any way essential to plant growth. When these nutrients absorb into the soil, plants are able to extract them. When nutrients are artificially introduced into the plants water supply, soil is no longer needed for the plant to develop. Today, hydroponics is an established branch of science. There has been rapid progress and results from many countries proving it very practical over traditional methods of horticulture. These particular examples come from the Emirates Hydroponic Farms in Abu Dhabi. Possibly the greatest advantage to hydroponics is the increased yield of crops. These large increases due to hydroponics versus that of soil are because of a combination of several factors outlined in the following pages. Shown in the table below are the vast diff erences in yielding per acre of many diff erent vegetables. Tomatoes benefi t the most with a whopping 30 times more production occurring.

URBAN AGRICULTURE

HYDROPONICS

GEORGE KONEL

2011 THESIS
HYDROPONIC YIELDS

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GEORGE KONEL

The Living Tower by SOA Architects

PRECEDENTS

The Eco- Laboratory by Weber Thompson

2011 THESIS

The Vertical Farm by Chris Jacobs

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Serpentine Gallery Pavillion, Walled Garden by Peter Zumthor

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URBAN AGRICULTURE

Greensgrow A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program

PRECEDENTS

GEORGE KONEL

Edible Schoolyard NYC

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SITE

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SITE

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GEORGE KONEL

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PROGRAM
Market
First Floor

6,500 sf.
3.300 sf. 1,200 sf.

Restaurant

URBAN AGRICULTURE

First Floor Second Floor

4,500 sf.
1,200 sf. 1,200 sf. 1,350 sf.

Classrooms
Lower Level First Floor Fourth Floor

PROGRAM

3,750 sf.
2,380 sf. 2,380 sf.

Office

Third Floor Fourth Floor

4,760 sf. 2,560 sf. 4,000 sf.

Laboratory
Third - Fourth Floor

Restrooms

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First - Fifth Floor

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PROGRAM
Hydroponic Rooms
Second Floor Third floor Fourth Floor Fifth Floor

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4,000 sf. 6,800 sf. 4,500 sf. 4,500 sf.

19,800 sf. 8,200 sf. 6,000 sf.

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Water Equipment
First - Fifth floor

Mechanical Space
First - Fifth Floor

PROGRAM

93,400 sf.

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GEORGE KONEL

GEORGE KONEL 2011 THESIS

16 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

URBAN AGRICULTURE

The main goal is to get in as much sunlight as possible, the building needs to be thin and tall. Knowing that there is also several program requirements, all of the program doesnt necessarily need to be stacked on top of each other in a vertical form. The fish do not need maximum sunlight, nor do the market or service areas. I began exploring different ideas of having the building terrace as it is arranged on the site, while organized around a main central core. At certain levels within the core, specialized program of main public functions could be located such as the marketplace, cooking classes, and restaurants . The roof garden of the building could contain the classrooms of hydroponics and fish raising to show students natures life cycle. The following pages contain some initial sketches of ideas and the Conceptual Design process.

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CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE

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GEORGE KONEL

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CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE

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CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE

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FINAL DESIGN

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20 Southwest Perspective Market Fourth Floor Mezzanine

Life Cycle Learning Room

Site Plan

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2011 THESIS
FINAL DESIGN

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GEORGE KONEL

GEORGE KONEL

UP

UP

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1. ANAEROBIC TANK 2. ANOXIC TANK 3. CLOSED AEROBIC TANK 4. OPEN AEROBIC TANK 5. CLARIFIER 6. NATURAL WETLAND 7. ULTRAVIOLET FILTER 8. AQUACULTURE TANK 9. COMPOST COLLECTOR

Second Floor

8 3 2

5 4 7

FINAL DESIGN

UP

DN

UP DN

9 1

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

Third Floor
B

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UP

UP

UP

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First Floor

Fourth Floor

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DN

DN

DN

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Fifth Floor Third Floor Stairwell Perspective

FINAL DESIGN

GEORGE KONEL

Longitudal Section

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GEORGE KONEL

TOMATOES STRAWBERRIES LETTUCE/ CUCUMBERS/ SPINACH/ CELERY PEPPERS EGGPLANT/ SQUASH/ BEANS/ PEAS ONIONS POTATOES/ CARROTS EDUCATIONAL RECREATIONAL COMMERCIAL

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URBAN AGRICULTURE

FINAL DESIGN

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FINAL DESIGN

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Perspective Section

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Third Floor Grow Room Perspective

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URBAN AGRICULTURE

FINAL DESIGN

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South Facade Wall Section

North Facade Wall Section

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26 Latitudal Section

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FINAL DESIGN

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Northwest Perspective

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Fourth Floor Hallway Perspective

Restaurant Perspective

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URBAN AGRICULTURE

FINAL DESIGN

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Second Floor Grow Room Perspective

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Fifth Floor Educational Grow Room Perspective

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FINAL DESIGN

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Southeast Perspective

First Floor Classroom Perspective

Third Floor Laboratory Perspective

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GEORGE KONEL

GEORGE KONEL 2011 THESIS

30 REFLECTIONS

REFLECTIONS

The urban agricultural learning center embodies the thesis intent because it allows individuals to engage the food they eat in a visual sense. In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for an ability to have a long shelf life in the store. Only a handful of hybrid varieties of each fruit and vegetable meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity in the plants grown. This local farm, in contrast, will grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors. Many varieties are heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, because they taste good. These old varieties contain genetic material from hundreds or even thousands of years of human selection; they may someday provide the genes needed to create varieties that will thrive in a changing climate. Not only is there this visual tastefulness, but this design project is making an initiative to help the obesity prevalent, low fruit and vegetable consumption community that surrounds it. Through workshops, cooking classes, and school integration, the goal is to raise awareness about the emerging industries, green businesses, job training opportunities and job placement opportunities by directly connecting people to employers and training programs. Educational content is integrated into the hydroponic and aquaponic systems, where the design highlights how the symbiotic cycle, and each of its components work. This is to encourage people to grow their own food, cut down on their monthly bills and learn about healthy eating, healthy living and healthy thinking. It will help people transition out of their current circumstances of need and to empower them so that they may become productive, innovative citizens.

URBAN AGRICULTURE

2011 THESIS

Ackerman, Kubi. The Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City. Growing Capacity, Food Security, & Green Infrastructure. Print Brooks, Nora, Anita Regmi and Alberto Jerardo. U.S. Food Import Patterns. August 2009. United States Department of Agriculture. 14 January 2010 <http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FAU/2009/08Aug/FAU125/FAU125.pdf>. Dimond, Kirk. The Urban Edible Schoolyard. Case Study Evaluations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August 2011. Despommier, Dr. Dickson. The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. Resh, Howard. Hydroponic Food Production: A Defintive Guidebook for the Advanced Home Gardener and the Commercial Hydroponic Grower. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. Council on the Environment of New York City. 14 January 2010 <http://www.cenyc.org/fi les/gmkt/map.pdf>. Sustainable Table. GRACE. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Sep 2011. <http://www.sustainabletable. org>.

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WRITTEN RESOURCES

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