The Plantagon  

Posted by Big Gav in , , ,

While I remain unconvinced any of the vertical farming schemes proposed within cities will ever be viable, this latest one from Inhabitat looks like something Bucky Fuller would approve of - Plantagon.

Lots of cities have farmers markets, but most — if not all — of the produce comes from rural farmers that use oil-intensive methods of transportation to cart around their food. With 80% of all people on the planet projected to live in cities by 2050, food production will have to move into cities if it is to remain cost-efficient. A Swedish-American company called Plantagon has conceived of an incredible solution: a massive urban greenhouse contained within a geodesic dome. The vertical farm, which consists of a spiral ramp inside a spherical dome, is currently in the development stages.

According to Plantagon, the farm “will dramatically change the way we produce organic and functional food. It allows us to produce ecological [resources] with clean air and water inside urban environments, even major cities, cutting costs and environmental damage by eliminating transportation and deliver directly to consumers. This is due to the efficiency and productivity of the Plantagon® greenhouse which makes it economically possible to finance each greenhouse from its own sales.”

1 comments

Fail.

Much of the growing area would be shaded much of the day.

The glass would be difficult to keep clean.

Working conditions would not be optimal, always standing on a sloping surface while tending the plants.

It would require a fair amount of energy to move air from top to bottom in order to keep temperatures from becoming extreme at each extreme.

The amount of glass (and steel) seems very high for the amount of growing surface.

Better, set up efficient greenhouses outside the city and use EVs to move the produce to where it will be consumed.

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