A Swedish architecture company plans to construct a 60-meter high office tower that also functions as a vertical farm, calling the project 'Plantagon's World Food Building.' The vertical farm is currently in the works within the Swedish town of Linköping, and is set to be completed in the year 2020. The upcoming tower is planned to be filled with several offices in one half and become a urban greenhouse in the remaining half.
Within the World Food Building, there will be food grown using a method called hydroponic farming. This is a concept that utilizes water full of nutrients to maximize crop growth and has vastly grown in popularity with urban-farmers due to its low requirement of large land. One side of the building will be facing south to maximize the amount of sun exposure into the farming space, with the north side featuring 17 floors of office space.
Plantagon states, "our goal is to produce the most food on the smallest footprint using the least amount of water and other resources and yet still maintain premium quality. We minimize the use of transportation, land, energy and water – using waste products in the process but leaving no waste behind."
Farm-Integrated Buildings
Plantagon's World Food Building Has a 60-Meter Vertical Urban Farm
Trend Themes
1. Vertical Farming - The integration of vertical farms into buildings presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for maximizing crop growth in urban settings.
2. Hydroponic Farming - The use of hydroponics in building-integrated farms offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for urban farmers to efficiently grow food with minimal resource requirements.
3. Sustainable Agriculture - The construction of farm-integrated buildings promotes sustainable agriculture practices and presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for reducing transportation, land, energy, and water usage.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - The integration of vertical farms into buildings requires architectural expertise to design and construct functional and efficient farm-integrated structures.
2. Urban Farming - The concept of building-integrated farms creates opportunities for urban farmers to overcome limited land availability and grow food in a sustainable and resource-efficient manner.
3. Green Technology - The implementation of hydroponic and sustainable farming methods in farm-integrated buildings aligns with the green technology industry's focus on environmental conservation and efficient resource utilization.