MicroArcologies: A Design Framework for Building-Integrated Greenhouses

Abstract

Building-integrated greenhouses are an emergent form of urban agriculture offeringfurther decarbonization within the built environment via the creation of synergistic resource loops between controlled environment agriculture and a host building. This thesis proposes a research-based design framework for systematically assessing the design feasibility and performance strategies available to a building-integrated greenhouse project, deepening layers of value beyond basic energy and resource reduction and into a new paradigm for urban agriculture in which buildings exist as ecological adaptions of the surrounding environment. The design framework defines the key elements of greenhouse design within the built environment, including typology, structure, envelope, lighting, mechanical and control systems, growing environment, and operations. The design matrix is then applied to a selection of sites in three unique climate types, demonstrating the assessment process for determining a greenhouse integration. One of these sites is selected for a final design project, creating an opportunity to test the various design strategies in detail with a fully integrated design.