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7 Awesome 'Vertical Farm' Projects [PICS]

treehugger.com — We love vertical farms, the idea of food being grown right in the city, it doesn't get any more local than this. New York magazine asked four architects to dream up proposals for a lot on Canal Street and Work AC came up with this.

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  • schoeny2, on 04/18/2008, -8/+10very interesting/cool stuff.
    • weeeezzll, on 04/18/2008, -1/+8I'm sure city folks are gonna love this until the wind carries the wonderful chicken farm aromas their way.
      • MtheoryX, on 04/18/2008, -0/+4It would mingle nicely with the smell of urine from the streets of downtown [most cities].
  • HolyMan28, on 04/18/2008, -7/+6Could work!
    • Duositex, on 04/18/2008, -2/+8Thanks for those insightful comments. Always good to get sound information from expe...wait.. who are you?
      • edwartica, on 04/18/2008, -1/+3Likewise, thanks for your snide remarks. I bet you feel superior now.
        • ArandiaT, on 04/19/2008, -0/+2This could go on for a while. Well done.
  • Carthagefield, on 04/18/2008, -2/+37I can't imagine what they will grow on that golf course.
    • xdeliriumx, on 04/18/2008, -0/+23birdies
    • LongShlong, on 04/18/2008, -2/+10Old fat men in tight checkered pants.
    • edwartica, on 04/18/2008, -3/+1republicans
      ....shiver....
      • BOFH2, on 04/19/2008, -2/+1why? I realize you were being sarcastic but don't we have enough of that on other topics?
        • edwartica, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1As long as the republicans are a threat, we must take a stance against them.
  • bgrah449, on 04/18/2008, -22/+6"Can feed 35,000 people per year."
    Now build 50 of them to feed a quarter of the city's population.
    These are cool concepts, but they are science fiction.
    • MrNexus, on 04/18/2008, -2/+14So was flight and space travel at one point.
    • shinythingy, on 04/18/2008, -1/+11facepalm.jpg
    • halobender, on 04/18/2008, -1/+14Sucks to be you Mr Pessimistic.
    • azurechaos, on 04/18/2008, -1/+1550 to feed a quarter of the city's population doesn't seem that bad to me. Hell I'd pitch in if I had one in my neighborhood. I think this is the sort of stuff we should be striving for, we've been getting so distanced from the idea of providing for ourselves. Things like this are a step (back) in the right direction, to where we used to be many years ago.
    • specialK16, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1They laughed at Julio Vernes too.

      *takes off mask, runs and screams "TECH SUPPORT!!! I WANNA WAKE UP!!!"
  • bwjacket, on 04/18/2008, -2/+26my slice isn't going to fare well on a golf course with a 200 ft dropoff.
    • subliminalurge, on 04/18/2008, -0/+5I'm sure the pedestrians below would definitely prefer that I not play on that course.
      • expert01, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1But think of how high that golfball would bounce!
  • Bukowsky, on 04/18/2008, -1/+18That's definitely a cool idea.... but how would the pollution from the city affect the crops being grown?
    • lebruf, on 04/18/2008, -1/+16If anything, it'll probably help to reduce the CO2 footprint the city leaves. I would only be worried if the combined weather and pollution made it with insufficient sunlight. Even with all the smog of LA, things grow very well with all the sunlight in Southern CA.
    • UtahApocalyse, on 04/18/2008, -1/+8Actually the crops could help improve the air.
      • Duositex, on 04/18/2008, -2/+10They improve the air by filtering out the pollution and then we eat it... great.
      • basevillin, on 04/18/2008, -0/+6Plants breathe in CO2 (which, believe it or not, is not a pollutant.) They don't care for acid rain.
        • bowe, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1And all of the acid rain actually usually falls outside of the city.
    • fejomite, on 04/19/2008, -0/+0adding more green to the granite would do a WORLD of good don't you think....partitioning new developments would definitely aid CO2 emissions.
  • borez, on 04/18/2008, -1/+3I could be up for a bit of greenery in the city.
  • mytibt, on 04/18/2008, -0/+5Just as long as they don't irrigate with water from Lake Michigan
  • tikistyle, on 04/18/2008, -1/+3Lance Winslow would start a competing company and call it "Upwards Farming Guys"
  • Indierocka, on 04/18/2008, -3/+3Its cool and everything, its just that this was frontpage like two weeks ago.
  • DeFex, on 04/18/2008, -2/+4They could breed pigs up there, one of them might fly off.
    • forcedfx, on 04/18/2008, -5/+2Or patrol the city's streets protecting us from crime. Har har.
  • Jovensdesciple, on 04/18/2008, -10/+11Quit screwing around and grow food normally.
    • KingGorilla, on 04/18/2008, -1/+4What's so bad about being horizontal???
  • TBADrift, on 04/18/2008, -3/+8I can see this in Dubai. They seem to always be ahead of the curve.
    • RomeyRome, on 04/18/2008, -1/+2Yep. That's my escape point if US hits the bricks.
    • Duositex, on 04/18/2008, -1/+5It seems as though all you've seen are architectural renders of the city of Dubai. It isn't that beautiful at the moment. They only reason they're "ahead of the curve" is because they're starting a 21st century city from scratch. In the rest of the world the cities have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
  • knoxchris, on 04/18/2008, -2/+4Wonder how many ears of corn they would have to sell to offset the cost of building something like this. An impractical pipe dream, imo.
    • skidooer, on 04/18/2008, -2/+2If you could buy the land and build the building for $5000, it would be a good deal.
    • SQUIDwarrior, on 04/18/2008, -0/+3Ah but being profitable is not the point. But I think it could turn a pretty penny after awhile. First, there would probably be substantial tax breaks for such a project. Second, all the food would most likely be grown organically, which means that it would command a higher premium. Second, they would use greenhouses and hydroponics to maximize output and grow in-demand foods year-round. Also they could allow universities to use parts of the facility for research purposes (for a fee). And coupled with alternative power (i.e. wind and solar), they could substantially cut their power usage.
    • expert01, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1OP has an excellent point. When I first thought of vertical farming, I never envisioned fancy buildings with curvy designs and lots of windows. I envisioned multi-story buildings that were square, concrete, and ugly. Think a completely sealed parking garage. It would be much easier, faster, and less expensive to build. Grow everything with hydroponics and artificial light, no problem being 100% organic (especially since there are no insects to deal with - don't remember where I found this out, but a company built a farm in a mine and found that no insects bothered the crops).

      http://web-japan.org/trends/lifestyle/lif050317.ht ...
      http://www.ssqq.com/archive/vinlin19.htm
  • lebruf, on 04/18/2008, -3/+3In other news: vertical farmland projects leave hydroponic experts in high demand (no pun intended)
  • mictron3030, on 04/18/2008, -0/+8Cost effectiveness?
  • nixfu, on 04/18/2008, -0/+20Why not grow food on top of all the buildings?
    • diggrim, on 04/18/2008, -2/+1skyscrapers already "grow" food on the tops...it's called pigeon ;)
  • cbittle, on 04/18/2008, -3/+3Imagine the quality and quantity of medical marijuana that could be grown! Dugg for the possibilities!
  • MaceSoul, on 04/18/2008, -2/+35JERRY: Levels?
    KRAMER: Yeah, I'm getting rid of all my furniture. All of it. And I'm going to build these different levels, with steps, and it'll all be carpeted with a lot of pillows. You know, like ancient Egypt.
    JERRY: You drew up plans for this?
    KRAMER: No, no. It's all in my head.
    MORTY: I don't know how you're going to be comfortable like that.
    KRAMER: Oh, I'll be comfortable.
    JERRY: When do you intend to do this?
    KRAMER: Ohh.. should be done by the end of the month.
    JERRY: You're doing this yourself?
    KRAMER: It's a simple job. Why, you don't think I can?
    JERRY: Oh, no. It's not that I don't think you can. I know that you can't, and I'm positive that you won't.
    KRAMER: Well, I got the tools. I got the pillows. All I need is the lumber.
    MORTY: Hey, that's some big job.
    JERRY: I don't see it happening.
    • com2, on 04/18/2008, -0/+2Did you write for the show or do you just have scripts lying around.
    • ep53, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1Thats some dedication you have there....
    • MaceSoul, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1Reminded me of it when I saw the title which made it appear these were in progress and it resolved to mock up pictures of a farm built on levels in the city. It's not that I don't think they can build it. I know they can't, and I'm positive they won't. I also have a photographic memory which alowed me to type the entire seinfeldscripts.com URL into a browser.
  • RomeyRome, on 04/18/2008, -5/+3Coo, until cow ***** starts flying down.
    • KingGorilla, on 04/18/2008, -0/+3cows can't fly...yet
      • RomeyRome, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1What if they ***** over the fence on level 12?
  • Seventus, on 04/18/2008, -3/+2Ah, I love the smell of metropolitan and farm in the morning. It's so... not a good idea.
  • C0MF0RTABLYnumb, on 04/18/2008, -1/+2Very cool. I hope that I'll be alive to live in a world like this. If the future were to be like this.
  • thaddeusmaximus, on 04/18/2008, -0/+7I want an apartment on the blueberry floor.
  • 64705, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1I could imagine myself falling off one of those things. At least it would be a comical demise!
  • scottsharperz, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1I love it! I hope they do something like that eventually - would be cool to see.
  • dpazar2, on 04/18/2008, -0/+2The air quality in some of these cities are absolute garbage...A) will all of this vegetation grow at the elevations shown, is the air quality worse higher up??? B) If indeed vegies do grow, they will be absorbing crap air full of toxins, will this affect the effects of the vegies on the body?? Someone advise.
    • nixfu, on 04/18/2008, -3/+3Umm...bad air quality for humans === very good air quality for plants.


      You do know that humans breath oxygen, and excrete co2 as waste, while plans breath co2 and excrete oxygen as waste right? So....what is bad air for us = good air for them.
      • dpazar2, on 04/18/2008, -0/+3I wasn't referring to O2 and CO2 as much as all the other pollutants, but i do appreciate the insight.
        • ksmcafee, on 04/19/2008, -1/+0particulates, NO2, SO2, O3, etc. are at OUTRAGEOUS concentration levels in almost all metro areas. chicago, for example, hasn't met the abatement standards set by the CAA a few decades back as of date (and shows no plans of improving)

          so ya smart ass (nixfu), i think any second grader understands the process of CO2 and O2 and the effect on plant-life and vegetation, but unfortunately our air is saturated with a list of toxins that the CAA, NSR, etc have been attempting to fix for years.

          Maybe if the EPA took economist's advice and set up a cap and trade program back in the 70s then we would all be happy city-veggie-eaters but unfortunately that just ain't life
    • dognose, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1Absolutely correct. I would not want city grown veggies. I remember when I lived in NYC, everything, including my plants, would get a nice coat of grime after a while.

      It IS a good idea to grow plants in the city, as this will help reduce pollution, but, it's not the best thing for the plants.
  • CannibalTom, on 04/18/2008, -0/+15You're amazed by this? You should see some of the modern Cannabis grow-ops being done today.
    • desqjockey, on 04/18/2008, -0/+3Yeah, now they are the ones with transportation issues!
    • dazparkour, on 04/18/2008, -0/+2This is Digg. COURSE they have seen it.
  • GirlsCallMeMatt, on 04/18/2008, -1/+1awesome, but can it run crysis?

    but in all actuality there are many plans like this...i have heard of a plan that is a skyscraper dedicated to growing food, covered in solar panels, can collect rainwater and is self sustainable for like years!
    • diggrim, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1self sustainable? Any idea what the maintenance cost on a skyscraper is? heck, the solar panels would need to be replaced every 25-50 years ignoring that they'll probably need cleaning from all the smog that'll collect.
  • lordmetroid, on 04/18/2008, -1/+2Eating vegetables exposed to great amounts of exhaust... No thanks!
  • ace429k, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1i like all these buildings but whats cool is that you dont have to go ALL OUT. the WMEAC building in Grand Rapids Michigan is an amazing building and it has grass on top, a garden in the parking lot for rain water run off, and walls/floors/ and ceilings made from recycled material. its a really cool building and it sports most of the stuff in these pictures, if not in such a pretty way!

    http://www.wmeac.org/
  • serif69, on 04/18/2008, -2/+1Another set of concepts, another bunch of structures that fail at harvesting.
  • Yatata, on 04/18/2008, -0/+3"welcome digg and reddit users!" cute
  • potsy, on 04/18/2008, -3/+1More work for illegals.
  • SSCrow, on 04/18/2008, -0/+2I do like the Idea of living in a modern atrium someday.
  • Topher06, on 04/18/2008, -2/+3Biggest oversight here is just how much resources and waste a farm generates, and you can't slap it in the middle of a city an expect the city's infrastructure to handle it. If you have a home with a yard, think of how much water it takes just to keep the grass green. Many communities have to have water bans to prevent people from overwatering their lawns. Now you want to put 8 million square feet of growing space in the middle of a city?
    Also, how the hell is covering a skyscrapper with grass an effective method of farming?
    • edwartica, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1Its called putting the ideas out there. No, it hasn't been thought out all the way yet, its just ideas on the drawing board. Maybe since you seem to see the problems, you should start thinking of solutions for these problems.
    • DGHtruenorth, on 04/18/2008, -0/+0Biggest oversight is holding the plants down! Winds are pretty awesome on the thirtieth floor!
      • fodbirdy, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1What, walls don't work?
        • DGHtruenorth, on 04/19/2008, -0/+0I assume you mean windows not "walls". The gardens are external.
  • SteeleJK, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1YUM, acid rain tomatoes for 35,000 people!
  • depro9, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1I would like to see this happen in Chicago. :D
  • walkerboah, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1mmm smog food,,, its got what a body craves
  • nastronomical, on 04/18/2008, -2/+1Pure science fiction, enough with the dreaming crap and lets be logical and rational.
  • edwartica, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1I could totally see this happen in Portland (where I live). We like our city to be green as possible, we have several places we could put these, the air quality is decent. Sure it might not work for a bigger city, but for a mid sized city, why not?
  • brothervm, on 04/18/2008, -1/+0This would be legal way to get high by growing your own grass.
  • zeebo, on 04/18/2008, -0/+1They'd do better to build more housing in the city, encourage commuters living in the suburbs to move back in where there is better mass-transit and knock down the sprawl and convert that land back into farms.
  • mrguevara, on 04/18/2008, -0/+0I don't know where they get the idea that a 1000 acre farm can feed 35,000 people...that's just not true, no matter what you grow.
  • lotec, on 04/19/2008, -1/+0this artcle is just a dodgy copy of what weburbanist.com did a month ago.

    Bury.
  • Betrayer, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1This has got to be the dumbest (most inefficient) idea ever, you people in the city's really need to get out more.
  • jvredpath, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1What a load of you know what. Structurally unsound. And besides, most cities have very little sunlight in between large building.
  • Gemfinder, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1I had to stop and look elsewhere for a moment. That 183-acre skyscraper in Toronto was giving me an eco-stiffy.
  • sanatarium, on 04/19/2008, -0/+1Hey, some of those look like early forms of arcologies!
  • Stebalien, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0Key word: Dream
  • luispunchy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1comments are more informed, and a better read, than the article itself. The overall opinion: impractical, inefficient, non-sustainable, and just plain silly.
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