2009 agritecture gilo.holtzman - synthesis...

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.


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,


humans already use more

than half of the

accessible, renewable

fresh water and 70-80%

percent of that is used for

agriculture.

gilo.holtzman

• 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


• Crops directed towards bio fuel

• Rising food prices

• Pesticides, herbaceous, fertilizers

• Water prices and demand

• Demand (emerging developing countries)



•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


• 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



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


•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.


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.


•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/


So...


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.

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.



” 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/

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/28622/gardens-in-the-sky/








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

mailto:[email protected]

2009 agritecture gilo.holtzman - synthesis...

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