Plantagon Agritechture is the global innovation leader in the sector of urban agriculture. According to growth projections, it is estimated that by 2050 the global population will have risen to 9.5 billion people, with 80% living in cities. The availability of arable land will not be sufficient to grow food for everybody, not to mention the threat heavy pollution poses to production. Safety (quality level) and security (quantity and accessibility) of food and water are the most important challenges for future generations.

Plantagon’s business concept is to develop innovative solutions to meet the rising demand for locally grown food in cities all around the world, to minimize the use of transportation, land, energy and water, and to eliminate residual waste by using waste products in the production process itself. The goal is simple and appealing: fresh organic crops delivered daily directly to consumers. No middlemen, not yesterday’s food.

WORLD FOOD BUILDING IN SWEDEN

The project aims to develop systems and technologies for scalable Urban Agriculture: facilities that grow food in controlled environments which minimize the use of ground area by multiplying the building footprint vertically and adapting to site-specific conditions.

The design has a contemporary form-follows-function approach in which the architecture is inspired by the high-technological components to create symbolic buildings with a clear social commitment. The cultivation system is based on the patented technology of Plantagon, and the formal expression of the building is a tailor-made solution around this technology.

The cultivation system was developed to optimize the process in order to reduce the use of natural resources: water, energy and land. The geometry of the cultivation helix was developed using advanced solar studies, evaluating the Daily Light Integral for the Photovoltaic Active Radiation on different positions of the process. The selected shapes were then developed into feasible solutions and the shell of the building was adapted accordingly. At the same time a variety of passive technologies (e.g. Double Skin Façade, light-diffusing sandwich panels) were implemented to reduce the complexity and necessary maintenance.

The ground floor of the building is the architectural expression of the genius loci and it changes from case to case. It hosts the core of the industrial process. A service tower closes the loop of the helix and assures the vertical communications needed for service and maintenance. The original concept has been developed into various site-specific solutions.

The result is a new idea in which the greenhouse is a part of a larger facility that also accommodates other functions, a sort of parasitic architecture living in symbiosis with its host. In this way the greenhouse works together with the hosting facility, both taking advantage of each other.

The synergy between the greenhouse and these other functions (for example offices in World Food Building tower) have being particularly developed in order to maximize the exchange of resources and minimize waste. The greenhouse works not only as a thermal buffer and solar shading system for the office but also as a green filter absorbing carbon dioxide and supplying oxygen in return.

The development of the design has required a multidisciplinary approach focusing both on the technical requirements of the industrial process and on the social needs of the future cities. The result is an iconic architecture that combines functionality (food production) and education (awareness of food safety and security) for the citizens of tomorrow.