Watch out — swarms of gigantic bugs are invading the city and may be coming soon to a rooftop near you! Designer Natalie Jeremijenk has conceived of a series of bug-like urban gardens that are reminiscent of cocoons or insect larvae. Her modular symbiotic greenhouses are designed to be easily installed on towering skyscrapers and are capable of filtering stale skyscraper air and recycling gray water.
The biggest drawback to most green roof gardens is the additional load requirements needed to support all the soil and water that agriculture needs to grow. This roof-top urban garden by Natalie Jeremijenk, an aerospace engineer and environmental health processor at New York University, takes the soil out of the picture by utilizing hydroponics, has steel legs designed specifically to transfer the weight of each structure to an individual building’s load bearing walls, and uses its curved shape and verticality to optimize sun exposure throughout the day. The streamlined forms also fare better in windy rooftop conditions commonly found on tall urban rooftops.
Even better, the greenhouses can be integrated into a building’s electrical and hvac systems, which means even homes and offices will get to enjoy the smell of fresh veggies throughout the day. Besides clearing the indoor air, the farms can also be designed to naturally help purify and recycle gray water. They may be a tall order for a small rooftop addition, but we’re willing to dream big when it comes to the prospects of urban farming.
Via Popular Mechanics
