We’ve seen urban farms before, but here’s one that takes city gardening to a whole ‘nother level. One UK architecture student created plans for a center that’s part vertical farm, part TV station. The Urban Farming and Media Interactive Networks (Urban F.@.m.i.n.), is a plan for an indoor farm that promotes its sustainability efforts through an on-site television program. Though the design is just a concept for now, actually implementing a similar center into existing cities could revolutionize food production and education.
Designed by Jack O’Reilly, Urban F.@.m.i.n. design features a series of narrow towers leading to futuristic, pod-like structures that would house hydroponic vegetables and fruits. Produce would be grown using water from a canal that would also serve as a transport route. All crops grown would be sold back to the city of Manchester or used in an on-site restaurant. All this sounds like urban farm concepts we’ve heard before, but here’s the twist: A TV studio would be integrated into the structure and would produce programs focused on sustainably produced food. Plus, the building itself would rely on renewable energy provided by technology like wind turbines.
At first thought, TV programming mixed with agricultural production seems a bit far-fetched, but think about it: Cooking and foodie shows on stations like The Food Network are hugely popular. If folks could create a successful show focused solely on sustainable food prep and production, what better location for it than on an actual, eco-friendly farm? Increased drought and arable land scarcity mean that food producers will certainly have to shift from the current method of farming, and urban farms are definitely a viable option. Pairing that farming with media outlets and sustainability education could represent a winning combination.
+ Urban F.@.m.i.n.
