Growing a Community: Urban Agriculture
by MandyA. Wong
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture
at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
July 2008
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The undersigned hereby certify that they have read a thesis entitled "Growing a Community: Urban Agriculture" By Mandy A. Wong, and recommend it for acceptance to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture.
Date:
Brian Lilley, supervisor
Steven Mannell, advisor
Peter Lynch, external examiner DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
Author: Mandy A. Wong
Title: Growing a Community: Urban Agriculture
Department: School of Architecture
Degree: Master of Architecture
Convocation: October 2008
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Date: CONTENTS
ABSTRACT vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
THESIS QUESTION 1 INTRODUCTION 2 ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT 7 World 7 Hong Kong 14 URBAN AGRICULTURE 17 PROGRAM 27 WET MARKETS 31 URBAN INVESTIGATION 34 Central 34 NorthPoint 35 Fan Ling 35 KamTin 36 TinShuiWai 37 SITE- TIN SHUIWAI,YEUN LONG 38 Wet Market - Chung Fu and Tin Chun 43 THE STRATEGY 44 DESIGN 49 Building Strategy: Production 49 Tower 49 Urban Strategy: Production and Distribution 53 Ground Path 53 Elevated Bridge Path 55 Canopies 56 PRODUCTIVITY 70
IV VISION 73 Now: Individual Action 76 In 5 Years: Infrastructure Development 77 APPENDIX 1 - Building System Strategies 87 APPENDIX 2 - Materials: Concrete and Bamboo 91 APPENDIX 3 - Productivity 93
REFERENCES 95
v ABSTRACT
As cities expand in population, green spaces are eliminated leaving behind densely inhabited "concrete jungles". A growing population also increases the strains on the already limited food resources. Due to the shortage of land in cities, city planners and architects design vertically - that is: taller buildings. Since the sky is the limit, many cities are forced to turn their remain ing valuable green spaces into smaller urban public parks. How best should people begin to think about urban agriculture within our cities? More importantly, how might these spaces cre ated benefit the social lifestyles for the people?
My thesis proposes Hong Kong's Special Ad ministrative Region (SAR) as an experimental site for maximizing urban agriculture potential within a highly-dense community. The goal is to successfully apply urban agriculture to the current high-rise architecture by exploring build ing strategies for vertical gardens and urban "green"-scape markets lessening the reliance on food imports from other parts of the world.
VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you Father that every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from You, Father. (James 1:17).
My Dad and Mom, Joyce, and Maxwell.
My Supervisor Brian Lilley, my Advisor Steven Mannell, and Professor Essy Banaissad.
My Classmates, Jenny, Liane, and Alicia.
My Friends, Chris, Taky, Jeremy, and the C and C.
My utmost thank you for all the inspiration, advice and support over the last 4 years.
VII 1
Thesis Question
What is the best strategy for a self-sustaining agri cultural system under a dense urban condition? 2
Introduction
i'
St •fi-f
Katie Gamble. High Rise. Lady of the Art Gallery (2006). 3
Is there a need to have agriculture in an urban environment?
The motivation for my thesis began with the on going discussion of food availability on earth and the conclusion that resources, both renewable and non-renewable, on earth are depleting rapidly. In fact, every individual on earth has somehow af fected the earth and created, directly or indirectly, the problem of food shortage; thus, how should people on earth begin solving this problem?
The beginning of urban organic farming in small plots of farmland has been introduced. Yet, how might one introduce a much more drastic move to produce more agricultural food? Architecture is a good medium to make some significant changes, specifically in the design of habitability of build ings, cities, and ultimately, the planet earth. As we know both humans and green spaces can be influenced simultaneously. The exploration of the possibilities of urban agriculture within a very dense urban community is the basis for my thesis.
Specifically, the site considered, located in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China, is an extreme case, where available vacant land is limited and density is already an issue. I believe that there is a new kind of vertical urban agriculture waiting to be found in my chosen site. In today's world, there is a growing trend of people 4 migrating from the rural areas and smaller cities into larger cities. As a result, there is a need to begin looking at not only on how to minimize a building's footprint but also on how to maximize the use of space for growing agricultural prod ucts.
A new type of urban agriculture and architecture will be introduced in this thesis. The proposal will make Hong Kong relying less on food import from other countries. Self providing most of the required food products for the city will definitely help develop positive growth for the city of Hong Kong. My design will alter the 'concrete jungles' of high-rise buildings and replace them with the spectacles of nature growing on them, which will also serve the dual role of being productive build ings within the city of Hong Kong. A horizontal bed of canopied growing with services below will connect the production towers to a local market for distribution. As a result, it would reduce the ecological foot-print of the city, and ultimately lead to a state of food self-sustainability.
"Urban Agriculture" is a term that has long been used and thus, has many definitions. To some people, it may simply mean growing lettuce in their own backyard kitchen gardens within the urban districts of the city; or it may mean using one's rooftop for cultivation. To others, it is the small allotments of land that the city may provide for a group of farmers. Providing enough food for most 5 residents of a major city is an important and dif ficult problem to be solved. The proposed design in my thesis will provide an early framework of a solution to a difficult and complicated problem - an attempt to produce sufficient food for all the residents in a dense urban environment such as Hong Kong.
There are further possibilities for urban agriculture to be even more integrated into an urban city and into the lives of its residents. My thesis proposes "wet markets" as nodes within a community, which serve to allow the fresh produce to reach the rest of the community. The idea of using spaces of a vertical building in a city to cultivate and to con nect fresh produce grown in other parts of the city through the production and distribution "centres" in the "wet markets" is the main objective of this thesis. The thesis will try to answer the question of how would such a program influence the form of high-rise buildings and the spaces in between them? Furthermore, how would this design idea enhance a building and help to serve the rest of the city?
Food is a common topic, which is regularly dis cussed in the daily lives of every individual. The design that the thesis proposes will enhance a building because it will allow room for nature to be brought back into the jungle of urban concrete towers. Architects create spaces for living, both humans and plants. By allowing plants to grow 6
in buildings, it will alleviate some of the brutish nature of concrete towers, which is quite typical of a Hong Kong community. A vision that allows an enjoyable walk through a dense urban fabric will enhance any community. 7
Ecological Footprint
World
Since our main sources of food come from all parts of the world, the measuring of an human's food consumption is a very difficult task; not only do we consume food, we also waste food, or reuse food as fertilizer for future agricultural productions. Thus, how much do we understand the big picture of food production would have a huge influence on us with respect to consumption of food? I have chosen the work of Matthis Wackernagel and Dr. William Rees from the University of British Co lumbia, to help explore the topic of the "Ecological Footprint" and its relationship to food consump tion. Wackernagel and Dr. Rees were one of the first groups of experts to provide the public with a guide that would explain human being's impact on earth through a sustainable view.
Footprints. Ecological Footprint (2007). 8
The principles that support the "Ecological Foot print" (Footprints to Sustainability. www.publicaf- fairs.ubc.ca. April 2006) are as follows:
- People remain integral components of the eco system that sustain them;
- Most human beings who have significant impact on ecosystems are associated with energy and material extraction and consumption (all economic activities have material consequences);
- Many energy and material flows are readily mea surable and can be converted to corresponding productive or assimilative ecosystem areas;
- There are finite quantities of area of productive land and water ecosystems on Earth.
Since the first publication of the work of Wackerngel and Dr. William Rees in 1996, the idea of "Ecological Footprint" has been widely used by many research groups, municipal gov ernments, NGOs, university researchers and the European Union use these principles to assess the current state of the world's ecosystem and on how human beings affecting the earth. It mea sures and analyzes "human natural resource con sumption and waste output within the context of nature's renewable and regenerative capacity or (biocapacity)."1 Afootprint that exceeds the earth's
1. WWF and Redefining Progress, The Ecological 9 carrying capacity indicates an un-sustainable rate of consumption. The "Ecological Footprint" is bro ken down into five different categories: food land, energy land, water land, urban land and material land. In the European 2005 "Ecological Footprint" analysis, it was stated that:
By 2001, humanity required 2.2 global hectares of productive area per person to sustain current life styles, 1.3 times more than in 1961. But the earth currently has just 1.8 global hectares available per person. This overshoot of some 21 per cent depletes the Earth's natural capital, and is thus only feasible for a limited period.2
A global hectare is equivalent to 2.47 acres of land. With only 11.9 billion hectares of total con sumable area (roughly 24%) of the earth, we are unable to sustain our current lifestyle. In fact, to sustain our current lifestyle, humans will require one earth in addition to 22 percent of a second earth to be self-sustaining!3
Footprint of Nations 2005. 2. Ibid. 3. Matthis Wakernagel, National Footprint and BiocapacityAccounts 2005: The underlying calculation methond. 29% FOOD LAND J1% ENERGY LAND _7% WATER AREA _2% URBAN LAND .50% MATERIAL LAND Ecological footprint for the world. (data from: Global Footprint Network. Ecological Footprint) 11 Demand vs. Biocapacity 1,5 1.0 TP zz y S ^ 0.5 -K 0.0 # # # # # # .# # ,# %# N# ,# # a# ^ Demand —World Biocapacity Global Ecological Footprint. Demand vs. Biocapacity (June 2005) Humanity's Accumulating Ecological Debt October 6, 2007; Ecological Debt Day Global Ecological Debt *- X^^^Hi We go into overshoot for a _^-—^fparticular year on jr**" We have been In y"^ global overshoot Ecological Debt Day, and ^^^r since 1987 for the rest of that year our consumption adds to our 0.5 global Ecological Debt, Our overshoot is currently 30%, or 1.3 planets worth of biological capacity. 0.0 1961 1987 2007 Global Ecological Footprint. Ecological Debt of Humans. (June 2005) 12 The day that we begin living beyond our ecological means is creeping ever earlier in the year as human consumption grows. spot ISM raw j 2M« 1987 Oct ober 6, 2007 Global Ecological Footprint. Ecological debt day. (June 2005) 13 Currently, the "Ecological Footprint" of humans exceeds earth's bio-capacity, meaning that we are at a state of overshoot. The problem will only continue to worsen and the world will enter into an "Ecological Debt". The consequences of over- exploiting the natural resources of our earth's pro ductive and assimilative capacities are extreme in many ways in many parts of the world, leading to problems such as global climate change, spe cies extinction, insecure energy supplies, water shortages, and more importantly, crop failure. The natural resources for food production will eventu ally deplete. 14 Hong Kong Imagine a situation where land is scarce and the population continues to grow, for example, as in the case of Hong Kong's SAR. The population density in Hong Kong is currently ranked one of the highest in the world. With limited land and a growing population of approximately 7 million, Hong Kong's consumable land area is very little relative to its population. With an "Ecological Footprint" of 6.08 ha per person, compared that to the world's average of 2.2 ha, "if Hong Kong people continue to consume natural resources and emit carbon dioxide at the current rates, we would need at least 444 times the existing land area to sustain ourselves."4 Hong Kong is in dire need of possible solutions to lessen the stress of food production on the city. 4. WWF and Redefining Progress, The Ecological Footprint of Nations 2005. 26% FOOD LAND 36% ENERGY LAND .29% WATER AREA _D.1% URBAN LAND _9% MATERIAL LAND HONG KONG Ecological footprint for Hong Kong (data from: Global Footprint Network. Ecological Footprint) Ol 16 In addition to the fact that Hong Kong is in a situation of extreme ecological overshoot and ecological debt, the city is also facing with the reality of the year 2050 in which the population will grow to 10 million, all of whom will live within the boundaries of the Hong Kong SAR. The focus of this thesis is an inquiry into how we can improve the ecosystem's function of food production and decrease food wastage, making Hong Kong a self-sustaining food producer. The application of the natural process of growing onto buildings is a major step human beings must take to prevent overusing the resources earth has offered us. 17 Urban Agriculture Food production in an urban setting or growing agricultural products in the city is not a new idea and urban agriculture is nothing new. Cubans have been practicing this kind of farming setting for many years due to the almost 50-year old American led embargo of goods and services into the country. Thus, their solution to the embargo is the implementing of urban farming, which means growing in all available spaces within cities - among buildings, on parklands, in all available plots of land, etc. Dr. Dickson Desponmmierfrom the Environmental Health Science of Columbia University and his students has done several research regarding intensive agricultural towers in urban environments. To many world's major cities, food production is essential for the survival of their residents. In comparison to those cities, Hong Kong will soon be in a similar situation. Many major cities around the world have already had portions of their land available for raising ani mals and growing agricultural food products. For example, cities like New York and Dubai, urban gardens exist on lots where once were vacant. This is clear evidence indicating that the public has been already noticing the need for green spaces within a city, but are not yet realizing the possibilities of using these green spaces for urban agriculture. Many people grow food in planters at home just outside their windows. The types of 18 food, techniques employed, amount produced and locations are all resulted from urban agriculture. In many cities, food production and food transport are often to exceed 500 miles and thus, increases our food "Ecological Footprint" on our plant earth. This situation is clearly evident in the city of Hong Kong where most foods are imported from all parts of the world. For this reason, urban agriculture is urgently needed to be developed in Hong Kong to decrease the amount of energy that is used to transport foods. In Hong Kong, the idea of urban agriculture is gradually gaining popularity but only in newer parts of the city. In many cities, in order to access agricultural plots of land within a city, there is still a need to com mute. Historically, many university campuses in mainland China, unlike those in other countries, often have several irrigated rice fields and farmers could have been harvesting rice in those fields for generations. One such example is in the campus of Beijing University. The idea of mixing farm ing and urban activity is actually typical in many Chinese cities, each of which was once in history completely self-sufficient in food stuffs production. Enough fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, livestock, poultry, and trees were cultivated within each city boundaries to provide millions of Chinese with an adequate, affordable and accessible supply of foods. However, during the 1970's, with the new idea of open economic policies, lands were con verted for residential and industrial development. 19 As a result, lands for urban agriculture decreased greatly. The end results were cities like Hong Kong, which was once an agriculture based city, has become a massive concrete jungle. This thesis proposes many new urban farming ideas and techniques within the building types and urban fabrics to satisfy the growing food de mands in Hong Kong. The proposal is not about taking back land from the city of Hong Kong or to re-introducing horizontal agriculture back into the original city plan; nor does it require the people of Hong Kong to gather belongings and move back to the countryside. It proposes some new ideas and means in which agriculture can be brought back into existing communities. The current conditions in many those Hong Kong communi ties are mainly dominated by high-rise buildings. This, I believe, is a workable, practical and most economical solution that will make many existing Hong Kong communities to become important centers of activities and serve to show other mega cities the possibilities of urban agriculture. farms ef urban atriculture "Be Ihtai ttosowntlMBiBi OH mini sfeAn*lm thki kanut uituurlcsUttriluetttsiJcite IbilMiiMmi-litSU •OK taiortantty social feeiefltsfirifeepeoile - Ytor-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equtvatent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon - no diversity, crops are grown intensively the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre * 30 outdoor acres) - places more emphasis on cash crops - No wcather-relatad crop failures due to droughts, floods,pest s - new structures, material cost vs. economic gains from produce -Al food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers - intensive growing, lacks diversity - Virtually eMnates agricultural runoff by recycitg black water - ktustrial, avoids human interactions, and social growth - Returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services • insensitive to its surroundings growing eoisifliiiity - Greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases tW are acquired at the agricultural interface - increases dependence on interior environment Based on - Converts black and gray water into potable water by cotecfng the water of evapotranspiraion • does not use the natural landscapes to it's advantage - Adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edMe parts of plants and • dramatic changes to the environment (people) urban agriculture animals • lacks interactions between building and tie people - Dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping. - Converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers • Creates sustainable environments for urban centers •Creates new employment opportunities O'rt UniMpit dnltmn •jNfturiitiM it wtai uricjlluri mt WMMiltouracuei Forms of urban agriculture (data and images from: Dr. Dickson Despommier. A Potential Solution. The Vertical Farm Project (2008) oto 21 Where does the food come from? The price of food is disguising externalized cost - damage to the environment, damage to climate, damage to infrastructure, and the cost of transport. The environmental cost of food transport is claimed that it increased by 12% in the period between 1992 and 2002. Among the factors that drove the increase was the rise in global trade, concentration of power in the hands of the supermarkets with centralized systems of distribution, greater car use for shopping, and a rise in packaging and processing.5 Traditionally, the size of a city is closely related to the foods it is able to procure in its surround ing outskirts. The restrictions of agricultural land around a city have since ceased. With increasing efficiency in transportation modes, cities have been able to gradually obtaining foods from further distant outlying areas and the ability to pay has be come the major determining factor. The situation in Hong Kong is a case in point. Large cities will feel the pressure to feed their own residents first, eventually one day begin to reduce the supply of foods to other large cities. Hong Kong, where the population is predicted to grow substantially in the next few decades, would certainly face the problem of food shortage and availability; at that time, access to other food could become 5. Vladimir Tomak, Environmental Concerns: Pollution cause by land travel, air travel and food transportation. "Food miles" is a term that refers to the distance food travels from the time of its production until it reaches the consumers or end-users. It is one of the dimensions used in the assessment of the environmental impact of food. In terms of the City of Hong Kong, food miles are greatly exceeding the world's desired limit. Hong Kong is very often termed proudly as having the "freest market" in the world, meaning almost anyone can buy and sell products in Hong Kong with almost no government interference. In Hong Kong, only 7 percent of the food supply is grown locally, which includes mainly rice, chicken, and pork; all other foods are imported from other countries and ar eas. The main food importer in Hong Kong is Mainland China, which provides Hong Kong with 47 percent of all the food imports and the United States, the second ranked importer, provides 34 percent of all food imports. Other main importers include Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom. Evidently, Hong Kong depends greatly on the imported foods from all parts of the world. The reliance Hong Kong has on food from Main land China has always been extreme. With not 23 much arable land, most Hong Kong's fresh pro duce is transported directly across the border from Mainland China. However, because of the recent health problems such as the SARS and the bird flu outbreaks, food imports from Mainland China into Hong Kong have been greatly restricted. As a result, Hong Kong is turning to countries that are further away, thereby increasing the transporta tion cost as well as the number of food miles it has on our earth. The introduction of urban agriculture should be enormously beneficial to Hong Kong. Growing produce within Hong Kong will greatly reduce its carbon footprint and helps positively on its bal ance of payment account because of less food importing from foreign countries. In addition, by designing a building that allows room for growth, the people of Hong Kong will have the ability and satisfaction to watch their food grow, ensuring the healthiness and freshness of produce that they purchase. t&eprmressloialdevelwnrat = a decrease in farailands toerease IB nrtai areas Agriculture and Aquaculture in Hong Kong are considered sunset industries. Most agricultural produce is directly imported trom the neighbouring mainland China. In 2006 the industry accounts lor less than 0.3% oi the labor sector. Geographically Hong Kong consists largely ol steep, unproductive hillside. prior to 1990s CBrrently fWMtfMMN MM* 28.0% 5.05% Land Utilization in Hong Kong (data from: Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection. Land Utilization. University of Texas Libraries. fillsMe.sloiMS+cwnDtly 84.0+5.05=89.5% new territories Land Utilization in Hong Kong (data from: Perry-Castafieda Library Map Collection. Land Utilization. University of Texas Libraries. N> Hongkong united kingdom 7% 11 %i 0.5% 331% other important countries: Taiwan Singapore Korea R %&*> Germany Malaysia si Thailand Philippines rice paddy shellfish, mollusk, India cephalopod Italy 9.9% pigs (pork) France Netherlands Australia Switzerland Canada Belgium U.A.E FOOD IMPORT Food import in Hong Kong (data from: Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong (2007). ro 27 Program The limited in space Hong Kong has forced the type of architecture that many similar dense urban centers have resorted to: the concrete towers. This particular type of design was one of many solutions that architects have resorted to in order to create more space for humans in a dense urban environment. It is important to keep in mind that not only humans need space to grow but also agriculture and food production require space to grow. The limitations in open land space for agriculture in urban areas must be attacked and solved if we hope to have any chance to be self-reliance on food supply in urban areas. The possibilities of implementing urban agriculture to high-rise communities and maximizing growing spaces through new architectural designs may provide an opportunity for a dense urban area like Hong Kong to rely less on the imports of food elsewhere. soil/compost growing site crop distribution f # • * • i*i' '» '* i i'f w$ m* 1 2 3 « 5 t 7 1 a A - i natural wsflcides t# growing season V / mi rani llMT J • «« Production cycle of a typical produce. oo 29 Although providing sufficient land for food produc tion or growing is very important, we must also consider the importance of the process itself. For instance, growing vegetables such as bronze arrow cabbages involve several steps and tools. Firstly, one must purchase seeds from a seed bank. Secondly, we have to prepare the soil and fertilize the land. Other complementary facilities are also required. For instance, horticulture cen ter is needed to provide technical information for gardeners and tool rental shops are there for new comers. After planting the seeds, easy access to natural pesticides, water, sunlight and regular maintenance is also important. Lastly, the crops are needed to be collected, processed and dis tributed. Markets are often used as the centers for food distribution. Benefits to urban food growing are not just lim ited to the physical and economic gains of food production. Urban agriculture does not only focus on providing food for the urban residents but it also provides or enhances an urban community; arguably the greater benefits. For instance, creat ing a garden for schools nearby and constructing health and nutrition herb gardens in the area, a horticulture center can offer vegetables and fruits growing sessions, which will ultimately lead to an increase in human gains such as health, educa tion and the development of agricultural skills. Furthermore, it also encourages both the young 30 and the old to work together and this will encour age a bond that can exist and flourish between the two generations. The buildings of social groups and networks, or a common vision for the com munity are aspects of social capitals. The values of traditional techniques in growing and the heri tage of the wet markets in Hong Kong are rich cultural capitals. At the end, the built and natural capitals are linked and interacted. Through grow ing, the enhancement in local air, land, water, biodiversity and scenery will eventually lead to a healthier physical setting for the people living in the community. These factors ultimately leads to a growing community. 31 Wet Markets A main component of traditional Hong Kong cul ture is the "Gaai Si" - it means the street market in Cantonese or simply known by westerners as the "wet markets". One of the first market gatherings in Hong Kong was in Canton Bazaar that began in the 1840s. Originally, these local markets were places of gathering for community members to both sell and purchase their agricultural products. Dry goods, Wet Market, H.K 2007. It was a culturally rich place where people were looking for a place to bargain for their daily grocer ies. The term "wet markets" originates from the method of cleaning market stalls. The markets are cleared out daily and the stalls are washed out with water. In addition, the constant wetness of the market in keeping the produce fresh also contributed to the title of the wet market. The idea of a single facility or supermarket providing all food ingredients did not take place until the early 1970s Meat stall, Wet Market, H.K 2007. when Wellcome, a local grocery chain, changed its format into a western style supermarket. Due to sanitary and health issues, many of the Gaai Si or wet markets in Hong Kong have been forced to shut down and supermarkets are pros pering in numbers. The medical definition of the wet market is as follows: Fish stall, Wet Market, H.K 2007. 32 Wet market: Live animal market, a common sight in many areas of the world and a source of influenza viruses and other infectious disease agents for human beings. SARS outbreaks have been traced to wet markets in southern China. Wet markets sell live poultry, fish, reptiles, and mammals of every kind. Animals may stay from days to weeks. Daily introduction of new animals provides optimum conditions for the development of disease agents such as influenza. Add the daily human contacts (including children) with the live animals, and conditions are optimal for the transfer and evolution of infectious disease agents.6 However, the people of Hong Kong favour fresh produce from the wet markets. People prefer to see their produce prepared in front of them, which guarantees a sense of freshness. Supermarkets have become heavily industrialized, often us ing chemicals and other preservatives to mask produce and package for longer shelf life. Wet market products are generally stored for short periods of time and are always expected to be fresh. For some customers, it is important to see the animal alive before buying. Specifically, they may want to check for health condition and qual ity of the animal. This is generally not an option in supermarkets, except in seafood booths such as lobster or fish. 6. MedicineNet.com. Definition of Wet Market. The loss of many wet markets has resulted in the lost of this traditional culture of Hong Kong. The wet markets were once a place for community members to gather, a place for residents to bar gain and become friends with the local fishermen, a place to share fresh produce and new recipes. ' -^;S?*"A Although many people in Hong Kong still prefer the wet markets, the idea of getting sick or even deaths due to the harmful spread of diseases has resulted in the closing of many old wet markets. The thesis proposes to bring back the wet markets (but not the possibility of spreading infectious Vegetable stall, Wet Market, H.K 2007. diseases) as nodes of food distribution within a community. The verticality of buildings limits the connection the buildings and its people have with the rest of the urban fabric. The application of urban agricultural methods and techniques to the towers will provide us with a good source of agricultural production, and the markets at ground level can serve to provide nodes for distribution and social activities within the community. The proposal for wet markets will encourage the rest of the community to enjoy the benefits of urban agriculture, in addition to bringing back the tradi tional culture of the wet market to the daily life of the people of Hong Kong. 34 Urban Investigation The appropriate urban site investigation involves an examination of five possible sites for oppor tunities in the advancement of urban agriculture. There are many appropriate sites available in Hong Kong, which are in dire need for a program that could not only maximize the potential of urban agriculture but also explore the possibilities of self- sustainability. Each site has its own advantages and disadvantages, and its unique urban connec tion to the rest of Hong Kong. I have examined five sites in great details: Central, North Point, Fan Ling, Kam Tin and Tin Shui Wai. Central The Central district is commonly known as the Central Business District (CBD) of Hong Kong, located on the Island side of Hong Kong. The site mainly consists of several old government buildings, the Botanical Gardens and the Hong Kong Park. Many of the surrounding historical residential areas have been re-developed into of fice towers and pushed to the outer fringes of the district. The early wet markets in this district have been closed and relocated. The district also has many business towers, commercial businesses, and some temporary housing such as hotels. The possibility of utilizing the park area and the conversion of the old government buildings could be an ideal site for urban agriculture. 35 North Point Historically, the North Point district of Hong Kong was once the densest area in the world. It is also located on Hong Kong Island side and the area lies on the north point of the Hong Kong Island facing Kowloon, the peninsular side of Hong Kong. Currently, there is mixture of com mercial and residential use in the district. Similar to the development of the Central district, the NorthPoint, H.K2007. area is currently under substantial changes; many housing has since been demolished and redeveloped into high office towers. Unique to this area, amongst the new developments, is the hidden streets in which the locals have created into activity-enriched areas. Are there possibilities of utilizing these active streets as possible areas of growing, and take the advantage of the dense urban population in this area as participants of urban agriculture? Fan Ling As part of the New Territories of Hong Kong, Fan Ling was once a small farming settlement. It is cur rently a large satellite suburb with more than 350 000 residents with a mixture of private residential and public housing estates. The government continues to allow development of new housing projects in this area. The population of Hong Kong favours those kinds of new housing estates since Fan Ling, H.K 2007. they are in close proximity to Kowloon and they 36 are relatively new. With such a large residential population concentrated in one area, is there a need for the community to introduce urban farm ing in the community? Kam Tin Characteristically, this area is made up of several small villages that were not part of Hong Kong until recently. Several of these villages are walled in. Historically, it was to protect the villagers from gangs and bandits. Village housing continues to dominate the area and the density is low in comparison to the rest of Hong Kong. Large de velopment has not reached this area yet and thus, it has a good portion of Hong Kong agricultural lands here. Villagers from this area continue to farm both watercress and rice patties. The first few organic farms in Hong Kong are also located in this area and many have traveled into this area in searching of organic produce. Although farming has already been introduced in this area, produce is only sold to the people of this area and those who are interested in organic produce. The scale of this agriculture has not been maximized to produce enough food for the entire community. Are their possibilities of maximizing the current agricultural spaces to produce enough for Kam Tin to be completely self-sufficient? 37 Tin Shui Wai The Tin Shui Wai area is also called the "City of Sorrow". The community of Tin Shui Wai is lo cated in the Northwestern corner of Yuen Long district of the New Territories of Hong Kong, not far away from the border of Mainland China and Hong Kong. To the north of the site is Deep Bay. Tin Shui Wai was chosen for the study since it combines all the characteristics of the other four sites. It is a site relatively far away from the urban core of Hong Kong and disconnected with other communities. 38 Site - Tin Shui Wai, Yeun Long The community of Tin Shui Wai did not exist until the 1990s when the Hong Kong Government designated several public housing estate sites to be developed and it is one of them. At the begin ning of the 1990s, Ping Shan, located just south of Tin Shui, was the largest town in the Yeun Long district. At the time, the area of Tin Shui Wai was mainly made up of marshes and villages that eventually converted into pools and rice paddies leading into Ping Shan. The pools were known as 'gei wai' fishponds and most of the villagers were fishermen. However, due to the decline of aquaculture in Hong Kong due to low cost im ports from Mainland China, most fishponds have been abandoned. Now Hong Kong almost totally relies on China for the imports of aquatic foods. Hong Kong Government developed the area in the 1990s mainly by land reclamation. Today, Tin Shui Wai is also housing the Hong Kong Wetland Park because of its marsh and wet environments, the only one in Hong Kong. The area of Tin Shui Wai is approximately 2 200 square kilometers with a population of 270 000 people, representing roughly 4% of the total Hong Kong population. The government's intent was to develop enough housing for a population of 320 000. Although the population has not reached its peak, problems have already surfaced. population hongkong 100% newteirltorles 51% yeun long district 8% tin shui wai 4% 1980 history The community of Tin Shui Wai did not exist until the 1990s when the government designated several public housing estates to be developed. At the beginning of 1900s Ping Shan (just to the south of Tin Shui Wat) water from the sea north of Ping Shan gradually became marshes and villages and eventually converted into pools and rice paddies. The pools became 'gei wai' fishponds; most of the residents were fishermenbefor e the new town of Tin Shui Wai development. Because of the decline in aquaculture, most of the fishponds were abandoned. The Hong Kong Government developed the area into a new town by land reclamation in addition to the "Wetland Park". 1992 lf'#- Nt* "^BfeiTiiiTWi tin shui wai ^zk History of Tin Shui Wai (Photographs from: Wikimedia Commons (July 2008), Data from: Jin Shui Wai, Nation Master.com - Encyclopdedia. (2005) 40 scale 1:18 000 Tin Shui Wai, Yeun Long, H.K 2007. 41 Very similar to the planning of Le Corbusier's Radiant City, Tin Shui Wai is dominated by a skyline of concrete towers averaging forty floors. The population mainly consists of new immigrants from China, single parents, the elderly and low income individuals, all of whom are not able to afford to live in the urban core of Hong Kong. Tin Shui Wai provides a lower rate for public housing and private housing in comparison to the rest of Hong Kong. With close to eighty percent of the residents earning minimum income and living in small flats of concrete towers, problems are bound to arise. The feeling of isolation from the rest of Hong Kong by many residents in Tin Shui Wai is a major problem for the community. Physically, the area is located in the Northwest corner of Hong Kong, requiring a metro train ride of an hour and half daily to reach the urban business core where many of the jobs are located. Transportation costs could be up to the 80% level of a minimum pay job if one has to travel five days a week into the urban core to work. Many residents have difficulty finding a job within the area since the area lacks any job opportunities. The original plan by the Government of Hong Kong was to provide living accommodation for the low income people who would travel across the border to Shenzhen to search for jobs. However, job opportunities are lacking in Shenzhen in recent years because the City of Guangzhou, the largest in southern China, 42 is just located a short distance north of Shenzhen and has a huge cheaper pool of labours to supply Shenzhen. Furthermore, labours from neighbour ing provinces in southern China is considerably cheaper those from Hong Kong. High rise, Tin Shui Wai, H.K 2007. With physical isolation comes social isolation. Residents often are jobless and single parents living in concrete towers that lack any chances of interaction between neighbors. Community spaces such as a public library or a sports com plex, markets are few and they tend to be closer to the private housing estates. Physical and social isolations have causing Tin Shui Wai to be called the "City of Sorrow" by many Hong Kong people. Estate plazas, Tin Shui Wai, H.K 2007. Tin Shui Wai currently has the highest rate of sui cide in Hong Kong. Unemployment and domestic violence are the two major problematic issues, amongst its many other social illness issues, in the area waiting to be solved. 43 Wet Market - Chung Fu and Tin Chun Currently, there are only two medium scaled markets (one level) in the entire community of Tin Shui Wai. The markets are located in the intersection of Tin Wah Road and Tin Shui Road. Residents must travel at least fifteen minutes to purchase their groceries. In addition to the exhausting walk back home with groceries, the selection and price of the produce is limited and the price is expensive. Living in an isolated community far away from any major shopping centers of Hong Kong has its effect on the people. In dealing with this problem, many residents have traveled weekly either southeast to the community of Yuen Long for larger wet markets with more selection or northeast to Shenzhen, China to purchase cheaper groceries. Several studies have shown that the "price of food at the private wet markets in Tin Shui Wai can cost twice as much as those sold in government markets in Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Sham Shui Po."7 7. The Standard, 'Town of Sorrows' finds cheer in Shenzhen food, The Strategy The urban fabric of Tin Shui Wai is a series of concrete towers, in which several of these towers encircle a large court to create a housing group. There are a total of 22 housing groups within Tin Shui Wai. The agricultural strategy has to consider the most significant factor first before other fac tors, which is how to maximize growing area to grow produce in a concrete towers environment. Growing food in and amongst high-rise buildings is far more demanding than just growing decora tive plants. Almost all crops need various amount of daily sunlight to survive. Although some plants do survive with small amount of sunlight. In a community consisting of 40-stories tower that are high, located relatively close to each other, the amount of sunlight available becomes more dif ficult to achieve. Decorative plants can survive on ambient sunlight or intermittent direct light. Many crops require significant hours of direct sunlight or artificial light, especially for many indoor grown crops. Maximizing available natural direct sunlight becomes a priority. Natural sunlight will, therefore, guide the locations of growing areas in order to maximize possible daily sunlight. Through a series of studies, potential areas for growing were determined throughout the site. The result was three areas that should allow best agricultural growing to occur; rooftops, facades and at ground level. Residential towers will be 45 topped with a rooftop garden and households within the towers will have their own access to growing balconies suspended outside their homes covering the facades of the buildings. Vegetables and fruits will be produced for the families in the kitchen gardens, and any extra produce could be taken down to the wet market for exchange, buy ing, or selling. The base of the towers will have a several allotment gardens that will be be offered to the people living there. Moreover, the market gar dens, located on other unoccupied areas where intensive urban agriculture can occur, can also be offered to residents there. Towers, allotment gardens, and market gardens are connected to the wet market by pathways at ground level creat ing a ground level based on food production and distribution. An elevated footbridge pathway will then offer a more enjoyable circulation route to other parts of the community. The elevated path ways will suspend growing canopies throughout the site. The growing canopies are a second layer of growing space elevated above ground, thus maximizing the sites potential used predominantly for vine like produce. The wet market located at major nodes of pathways act as the distributor of fresh produce generated from the growing spaces around the community. *".«£,->• *x 1 /y-.. w ^ A* t^«|* |SPHPi V i i! ft «4 ^^ X TiJEpCSSiSilSnB ^AXiSilllVI PSTEIITiM Growing potential for Tin Shui Wai 47 AXOMETBiS OIAgRAM Axometric diagram of the strategies 48 ^'-;, -lef'fr • - • >'-•>'' /, • « * *' Diagram of the networking system and canopied growing 49 Design Building Strategy: Production Tower To appreciate the benefits of urban agriculture for a community, the residents of the community must be introduced to gardening very early. By creating a small balcony that wraps around every level and suspended from the windows of a tower, one can create kitchen gardens for the resident families. The balconies are not used by humans but are used as growing spaces for resident families as well. A bamboo scaffolding system attached to the concrete slabs of each level is used to support the planters that are hung into place for growing. Two families will share a communal compost bin and a tool bin, both of which can be accessed through their kitchens. Families are not required to grow their own produce, hence the scaffolding system offers the flexibility of easy removal. Produce can be stored at the second level of the tower or be transported at ground level to the market for distribution. The first level of the towers will offer a lobby for residents, which can house a horticulture information library, a tool rental shop, a seed bank, and a large managed compost bin in addition to a recycling room. 50 Planting on towers 51 j—GROWING PLOTS WASTE/COMPOST TYPICAL TOWER PLAN SERVICE ELEVATOR OPTIONAL GROWING PLOTS mushrooms green onions potatoes cNantro Hewers empty plots UNIT PUN Floor plans for towers 52 Nowadays, rooftops are rarely fully utilized to their fullest potential. Mundane objects such as me chanical and electrical rooms are usually located there. As we know, the rooftop has unimpeded sunlight and plentiful outdoor space and should be used to its maximum potential than just only hous ing mechanical and electrical rooms. The thesis proposes that all the rooftops of the residential towers, institutional and educational buildings be used for urban agriculture (allotment gardens and classrooms). In addition, several levels of the tow ers can be converted to garden levels, allowing for more allotment gardens and gathering space for the people. Shielding the gardens from strong winds are metal screens that have wind turbines collecting wind generated energy for the tower residents to use. Certain rooftops have already been fully utilized, for example carpark rooftops are currently used for outdoor sports fields. 53 Urban Strategy: Production and Distribution Ground Path The isolated concrete towers in Tin Sui Wai create spaces of void and emptiness in the community. Simply providing a family a place to live is not equivalent to providing them with a true home. Residential towers located in Tin Shui Wai are for living purposes and they typically have isolated bases. Growing of fresh produce will almost oc cur throughout the community but some areas are kept for recreational purposes such as parks, playing grounds and leisure sports fields. The ground paths will connect all the towers, allotment gardens and market gardens to the wet market in the community. The products from growing will be from towers but transporting and maintaining of produce will be carried out at ground level, distri butions to the markets also occur at the ground level. Growing at ground level is thus connected to the market by way of ground paths and becomes the service level for the community. Schools will have playing fields that incorporate gardens that border the space. Allotted plots around the school could be used for learning purposes. Sand gar dens are introduced to nursery's services around the community. Ultimately, gardens and lawns will be transformed into growing food. The residential towers will become production towers and the path at ground level will transport the produce to the market. 54 THE GROUND: PRODUCTION COttOB lettuca starfruit Typical ground plan 55 Elevated Bridge Path At ground level, the servicing of the urban agri culture happens. The introduction of an elevated bridge for pedestrians that weaves itself into other areas around the estate will be created, thus be coming a circulating network for the community. The bridge path will connect all major components of the site, between towers and to programs such as sports facilities, metro stations, shopping cen ters, and to wet markets. More importantly, the bridge also defines the spaces where three dif ferent types of canopies will exist. These spaces are areas that create the social connections for the people of Tin Shui Wai. They include: a pavilion canopy located where bridge pathways intersect for people to gather for a sport park area, a grow ing canopy suspended over large growing areas for more growing to occur, and an outdoor market space where canopied growing will shade the people below. The elevated bridge path also acts as an oasis overlooking the canopied growing be yond and offers a separate route of moving from the servicing life of the community below. 56 Canopies The pavilion canopy as described are located at all major connections of the elevated bridge path. Hong Kong currently has already been utilizing a complex system of footbridges in the Central dis trict. The elevated bridge paths in Tin Shui Wai will connect people to major areas in the community but it will also act as a park for the people. The bridge paths are the connections that connect the community to the rest of Tin Shui Wai. Along the paths, there are growing plots owned and operated by the community. The intersections of pathways will create spaces of play or rest. The pavilion will offer park spaces such as sand gardens for kids to enjoy, herb gardens, therapy gardens for the elderly, healing gardens for those seeking peace, benches for Chinese checkers, or green space forTai Chi and morning exercises practitioners. The concrete paths will define areas where bam boo-growing canopies will exist. The canopies will extend off from the paths and create areas for growing produce such as vegetables and fruits. The view from above the bridge to the growing canopy will vary according to seasons and the type of produce being grown. A colourful and bountiful layer of produce will cover parts of the community. The canopy will allow sunlight to penetrate through to the spaces below and allow for growing at the ground level. In addition, the 57 vegetations will decrease the heat island that Tin Shui Wai currently is. The dome like canopy will also maximize surface area with maximum amount of direct sunlight, and thus create more growing space. Vegetation will be naturally hanged and workers will have the ability to work on from below the canopy while the community can enjoy the spectacular view from above. The type of vegeta tion grown on the canopy will be based on the locals' taste preferences such as Chinese greens and beans, squash and melons. The wet market is located at the ground level in the center of the Tin Tsz Estate. At a community level, it links the shopping center and metro sta tion and vertically it links the residential towers to the wet market. Within the market, the path also links the outdoor market space with the internal community space, and branches into the individual market streets. The market is an outdoor market space protected by a wave of canopied vegetation above. Strips of market stalls are extended verti cally from the main path creating strips of market streets and stalls. At the center of the market stalls are enclosed service corridors where permanent services are housed. This includes services such as permanent counter space, waste disposal, tool storage, furniture storage, and sinks. A half wall al lowing an open view of the entire market separates the stalls and allows for a view of the canopied growing above. The strips categorize the different types of produce, from raw vegetables and fruits, 58 live animals, to seafood. The separation of these types of food is important to decrease the chances of contamination and maintain a higher level of sanitary environment. Market streets eventually lead out to a community plaza for the people to enjoy the open public space. Added stalls can continue down into this space or be used for yearly large functions and festivals. The market streets between the stalls are where the life of the space takes place. The market street mimics that of a busy market street with many Chinese traditions. The streets essentially breed conversation between store owners and the bar gainers. People bargain for their groceries, com pare prices, and gossip about this week's news. Stalls may extend out into the streets enticing customers to purchase their goods. The produce will be emptied out at every night or placed into storage, and the stalls will be washed in prepara tion for the next day's produce. A covered market space is located to the north of the path. This space is a flexible space that allows for an informal type of market layout. Temporary or seasonal produce will be displayed on movable show cases. Food auctions for produce, cooking competitions and demonstrations, horticultural lessons, compost lessons will also be held here. 59 The estate parking garage is also located just to the east of the market in close proximity. As a result, the lower two levels of the garage will be converted into a loading area where produce can be transported from the market to the rest of the community, and where storage units are housed. 60 Early concept model 1 Early concept model 2 Early concept model 3 61 Concept model of pavilion canopy *™«riflW^lJ| •* J J* MJKB i Concept model of growing canopy •^0^ «<»*-. I Concept model of market canopy 62 Plan of the pavilion canopy Sketch of the pavilion canopy 63 Plan of the growing canopy Sketch of the pavilion canopy 64 service corridors opened market market stalls Plan of the wet market Sketch of the wet market * ^ stta plii: tin tsz Mitt mlt:1:2SM Site plan for Tin Tsz Estate mwmiMmimm pnrtllticaitN iraulpitl wtt market plan •levatidbrlliipatt Site section showing all connections (a) en en • i J J L $mmmm^0 Site section showing all connections (b) 68 View from south into the wet market View from north into the wet market 69 View from east into Tin Tsz Estate View into the shopping center 70 Productivity The community of Tin Shui Wai covers an area of 2 200 000 square meters of land and with a population of 270 000. To have a fully balanced diet, a person may eventually only require as little as 202 square meters per person in a 6 month growing instead of 60 800 square meters. Thus we need a total area of 31 353 750 square meters of growing space to accommodate the community. How can we achieve this? Currently, produce for the community originates from around the world and only 7% produced by Hong Kong. Their main importer of produce is from China. Ideally, the goal of this thesis proposes to lessen the reliance of produce from elsewhere and make Hong Kong more food self-sufficient. By maximizing Hong Kong's arable land, mean ing converting sloped hillsides into agricultural terraces, and growing intensively at Tin Shui Wai, the possibility of self-sufficiency is possible. However, to address the more important issues of community identity and spaces for social growth one should not implement intensive agriculture at every available space for growing. 71 To achieve a level of positive community growth and a more self-sufficient urban agricultural envi ronment my thesis proposes a growing time-line, in which the goal is to achieve a level of less de pendence from other countries, and more reliance on the community and Hong Kong. Realistically, Tin Shui Wai will produce one third of the total produce required for the community. One third will be imported from other countries and China. Lastly, another third will be produced by urban ag riculture elsewhere in Hong Kong, (see appendix for calculations) currently ideally realistically Productivity Charts food imports (data from: Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong (2007). -J 73 Vision The design I am proposing in this thesis is intend ed as a means of slowly incorporating urban agri culture into a very dense community such as Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong. The practical application of this proposal goes beyond the boundaries of just simply providing enough food for the people in the community; it strives to achieve a self-sustaining regional agricultural system. This thesis offers a series of architectural steps, predicted over a ten year span, to maximize the growing potential of produce for Tin Shui Wai. This will ultimately cre ate space within the community for social growth and harmony with positive outcomes. The community of Tin Shui Wai is currently in dire need of change resulting from poor planning by the Hong Kong Government. The community is remote and isolated from the core of Hong Kong with little opportunities for the people living there. The social consequences of dense "concrete jungles" such as isolation, alienation, and loss of identity reflect the poor environment in which the community is situated. A community such as this one could definitely benefit from the advantages of urban agriculture as described below. i. persooal grendiig balcoales ft. grandi Hoars m a -» cj- ^e 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 all current building projects are completed Garden community time line (a) Now: Individual Action - ,'^ At •?•'•* ^lM*^-^-,l^^&3&L- i$M'*A'^?A'A mmm^mmmA e. aroint tarfeis -& -^ t —y* -* hgrawlBi canopies Lwetnukets i.elevatel flit patbs »e ^ h 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 decrease in arable land Garden community time-line (b) In 5 Years: Infrastructure Development Ol 76 The tough circumstances and brutality of the site have made the people of Tin Shui Wai apathetic to change. This thesis also speculates on a plan of action for the near future; starting now. The plan involves a stance which begins with the positive outcomes of urban agriculture for the individual people, eventually evolving into an infrastructure for the entire community. The steps for the garden community time line include: Now: Individual Action - A system for a new 'skin' is introduced to the concrete towers at Tin Shui Wai. Three feet deep kitchen gardens are suspended from the edges of the residential units. Balconies are accessed through renovated windows and doors. The compost bin and tool shed is shared between two units. This establishes a potential connection between 'willing' neighbours. - The slow conversion of residential floors and tower rooftops to growing floors, also allows air movement through the urban walls. Families with in a residential tower will share a communal grow ing space. Multi-purpose rooms will be offered for gatherings and learning sessions. Screens with wind turbines will shield the space while harvest ing the energy for powering the tower. 77 - The development of allotment gardens around the towers enables those who wish to expand their kitchen gardens, to cultivate at ground level close to their homes. Ground pathways leading from the residential towers to other allotment gardens will also be introduced. The first level of every tower will act as the main common area for tool rental, seed and tool storage and composting area for the tower above and the surrounding allotment gardens. A lounge area for the interaction of the casual agricultural community is also located on the ground level. In 5 Years: Infrastructure Development - Further expansion from the allotment gardens is the development of market gardens. Other areas of open land that are unoccupied will be converted into allotment gardens and sports fields, including big box rooftops being used to intensively grow crops. Using the system of bio-intensive growing, beds are raised or dug two feet in the ground. These gardens will be maintained by the people of the community, providing jobs. -An outdoor wet market will act as the distribution site for all the produce that are grown throughout the estate; any extra crops from the kitchen gar dens, as well as the market gardens throughout the site, will be collected here. The wet market also acts as a community meeting space for the residents to hold functions and special events 78 bringing the together. A canopied roof is used for growing produce is also used to protect the market located below. - In order to facilitate food production at ground level, a system of elevated foot pathways will be introduced, providing elemental cover for food, transport and processing (with basic services). The elevated pathways will connect major pro grams of the area, such as between the wet market, shopping center, sports fields, educational institutions, and metro station. More importantly, where pathways intersect there will be canopied pavilions for community recreation such as the practice of Tai Chi, playing games or just to relaxing. - Lastly, growing canopies will be suspended from the elevated pathways creating a another layer of growing spaces where shadow condition permits, such as ample sunlight and proximity to pathway servicing. Vine growing will cover the canopy partially, which would shield outdoor programs below such as daycares and playgrounds from the scorching heat of the sun. Alternatively, enough sunlight would be available to grow some crops. A city can be organized around the production of food because early cities were formed as food distribution centers. This system may not be applicable in every urban situation starting from the ground up, where individual actions lead to 79 community infrastructure. The garden community time line of actions could be varied to address different urban situations. For example, in Hong Kong where situations of dense office towers in the Central district can benefit from this time line, possibly placing less emphasis on the develop ment of residential towers and more on gardening floors for workers. This system predicts a method of urban renova tion along the lines of community gardening, with beneficial social outcomes. Communities such as Tin Shui Wai will grow based on food produc tion but more importantly, grow socially through the positive outcomes of urban agriculture. Such outcomes stem from the methods and systems this thesis has proposed. The ability to gain per sonal self-sufficiency through a system of kitchen gardens is the first step to a healthier lifestyle and less dependency on the outside markets. The garden floors and the wind turbines provide the community with energy, and the much needed air flow to other parts of the site, such as the suffo cating plazas. This would minimize the impact of the "wall effect". Within towers, areas of dead air space causing the spread of infectious diseases can thus be eliminated. Through the introduction of plants that absorb polluted air vapors, this would also result in healthier accommodations and more sanitary conditions for the residents. The allotment gardens, market gardens, and canopy gardens provide the people with activities 80 such as gardening, harvesting and facilities such as daycares, and physical therapy clinics for the elderly. These positive engagements would ad dress alienation and the feeling of isolation within the residents, which are quite common in Tin Shui Wai, in part because of the repetitive nature of the living conditions. It could also motivate people beginning with providing jobs for some residents and economic gains from selling their produce to others. Lastly, the network of pathways from major nodes on the site such as the markets and the metro station can provide opportunities for the residents to interact with one another. / iuMltftMaa aiewW •tanluniuitbilcut * iuilMMIgm WWAfAM possibilities for Browioi vmtinittm eilling it llotrwiitilnB imtUMiw detalltd sections slugHBcmmctUa mpwtitMm Outcome: Personal self-sufficiency oo ilfc. ~ ^iiclindgmikiun thttttnd girtin wind Out Inn nBMdraifninn roeftsp plan typical nasr plan shillirtd nil girdtn retldtntial SRJU and aardent •ncwllug droll Mr lumlngculus/liiciR iNumittgariMt -bantHicniM iHHttqilnl CMUJISl/llllS ground flaerpla n garden floorpla n mitir classmms.gitBirtigsBicts 'MasM^MMmmMk** ftwi/ Wftfly^ftWAV| taMMMyv&'iV -n^T-ff- Sm^iMKA'A !TJV* ~&'* t, - • Dm work onrblgirdHi Outcome: Positive personal/community well being oo N3 reotttpginliB the'wall effeetuhongkong annul) ganln nglishlw tin glut typical plan win growing baiconies plants tEaransve cbenileal vapours section a-a' I»urci:litilaigxigi] Outcome: Community Health oo Q 1 If f::::^ i 86 The community of Tin Shui Wai represents many housing estate communities of Hong Kong. The collection of such communities creates the City of Hong Kong, consisting of largely artificial spaces filled with grey concrete towers. Moreover, asphalt paving has covered most of the natural land in Hong Kong to accommodate the thousands of cars and buses. Hong Kong strives to provide enough housing and jobs for its own people and therefore, a few small pieces of green space are considered gems in Hong Kong. The new urban environment based on several agriculturally archi tectural moves proposed in this thesis is one that will set out to begin solving the problematic issue of food security. More importantly, it addresses the decline of people being able to enjoy the positive outcomes of the Earth's natural ability to provide for us. My thesis examines a type of new identity for the community of Tin Shui Wai, one from which other communities can adapt to take advantage of the natural foods our earth can provide us. 87 Appendix 1 - Building System Strategy The building system plays a significant role in the urban fabric of the community. Water ponds and storage will take place at ground level and pumped up to the canopy and released again. Grey water is also collected from the showers and sinks from towers and restaurants to the water pumping station located to the northeast of the market and used for cleaning and watering the market and the food plots around the community. Growing vegetation throughout the site helps to cool the buildings and the services at ground level, minimizing the heat island effect. Growing should me maximized at Tin Shui Wai, thus in addition to growing on surfaces; a new type of curved canopy growing is introduced. The ability for the sun to reach all the planting strategy at all angles of the site is thus maximized. 88 food circulation diagram P60?'8 people Possibilities of food circulation for the community 89 energy diagram exausted air ^ living glass (controls air quality) power glass (photovoltaic glass) double skin facade (air cooled or heated) intake air solar energy Possible sources of energy for the market 90 water / waste diagram rain water collection market Possible circulation of waste for the community 91 Appendix 2 - Materials: Concrete and Bamboo The materials chosen for the bridges and canopied structures are based on several factors, such as the availability and material cost. Concrete is commonly used for Hong Kong residential tower buildings because of the stability and availability of the material. A lightweight type of concrete will be used for the elevated bridge path and the ground pathway. It is also the material used for the service corridor in the market space because concrete allows for efficiency when cleaning the space, reducing the chances of food contamination. Bamboo has long been a building material in Chinese history. It is commonly used because of its strength, elasticity, wear-resistance, cost and availability. It is also the main material used for scaffolding in building construction. The lightweight and longevity of the material make it an ideal building material in places like Hong Kong. The canopied structures will use bamboo because it is easily replaceable, accessible, and cheap in cost. Possibilities of bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong (images from: Simone Velez, Grow Your Own House (Vitra Design Museum, 2000) CD 93 Appendix 3 - Productivity Productivity Calculations: Hong Kong: 6 940 432 (current population) x 2.2 ha (land needed for world lifestyle) needed: 15 268 950 ha available: 109 200 ha 109 200 ha / 6 940 432 people thus, only 0.0157 ha of land / person Rest of Hong Kong arable land: 270 000 (current population of Tin Shui Wai) x 0.0157 ha (land per person) 4 239 ha = 42 390 000 m2from rest of Hong Kong 42 390 000m2 / 232 m2 (min. amount of land) = intensive farming = feed 182 715 people = less intensive farming = feed 1 926 people in 10 years assume 50% intensive farming. 182 715/2 = 91 358 people 1 926 / 2 = 963 people total: feed 92 231 people from Tin Shui Wai 94 Tin Shui Wai: 'calculations are for Tin Tsz Estates, approx. 1/9 of Tin Shui Wai ground area (grown intensively): 173 138 m2 X 6 = 1 038 828 m2 building facades (3 facades covered): 712 639 m2 rooftops and garden floors: 75 261 m2 X 6 = 451 566 m2 elevated pathways: 7 555 m2 canopies: 49 566 m2 total area: 2 260 154 X 9 = 20 341 386 m2 20 341 386 m2/ 252 m2 = 80 720 people Thus, Hong Kong arable land can produce for 92 231 people and Tin Shui Wai can produce for 80 720 people, approximate ly 2/3 of the current population of 270 000 will be provided for. 1/3 will be from imports from other countries. 95 References Illustrations Despommier, Dickson. 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