Master Thesis | 20. Thesis Master EDIBLE MODERNISM Algorithm-based spatial exploration of Urban Agriculture in Brasília Luisa Correa de Oliveira Msc. Integrated Urban Development and Design Weimar, August 2020. Edible Modernism: Algorithm-based spatial exploration of Urban Agriculture in Brasília. Keywords: food systems, urban agriculture, urban metabolism, spatial justice, parametric urban design, urban modelling and simulation. Master Thesis What if we could turn modernism around and Integrated Urban Development and Design, these vacant spaces were producing food Reflective Urban Practice (M.Sc.) instead of reinforcing social segregation? Institut für Experimentelle Architektur | bauhaus.ifex Chair of Computer Science in Architecture | bauhaus infAr Author: Luisa Correa de Oliveira Immatrikulation number: 120383 [email protected] Supervisors: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Schneider Dipl.-Ing. Philippe Schmidt M.Sc. Martin Dennemark : Aerial view of Brasília. Copyright 2020 by Joana França. Reproduced with permission. Reproduced França. Joana 2020 by Brasília. Copyright of view Aerial : Figure 1 Figure Statutory Declaration Foreword This Master Thesis is the end product of my two-year Master’s Degree within the In- tegrated Urban Development and Design (IUDD) program at Bauhaus Universität Wei- mar. This is a Research-Based Design work, which means that it is a scientific application of knowledge to inform decisions and that the process is more important than a final re- sult. I hereby afirm that the present Master The- sis is my own written work and that all the As a thesis in the IUDD program should be, sources, references and exterior aids are in- the main topics explored in our degree are dicated. Therefore, all passages quoted from developed here: urban metabolism-based other publications and autors are cited as strategies, computational design methods, such. and urban modeling and simulation applied in a broad and holistic approach towards ur- I am aware that my thesis can be entered in ban planning. a database after the examination period for future comparison with other works and to I hope this work contributes to the academ- contribute to knowledge dissemination. ic knowledge, as well as public and private Further rights of reproduction are, however, sectors discussions in Brazil, and Germany not granted here and should be requested to regarding the topics it explores. the author. The development of this research was sup- This thesis was not previously submitted to ported and sponsored by the DAAD STIBET another examination board and was not pub- Graduation Scholarship and by the Women’s lished elsewhere. Promotion Fund (Frauenförderfonds) of the Equal Opportunities Office (Gleichstellungs- büro) at Bauhaus Universität Weimar. 03.08.2020, Weimar Date, Place Signature 4 5 Abstract Abstract // Português Historically, food provision was in the core The research methodology consists of a lit- Historicamente, a provisão de alimentos sem- perimento substancial de Agricultura Urbana of the reasoning for human settlement de- erature review on the aspects of Urban Ag- pre esteve no centro das decisões de assenta- no Brasil tem um impacto notável tanto em cisions, and the evolution of the patterns of riculture regarding Urban Planning and case mentos humanos, e a evolução de padrões de nível local como internacional. food production, processing, commercializa- studies on other cities where the practice was produção, processamento, comercialização e tion, and consumption fundamentally shaped already applied. The next step is a local anal- consumo fundamentalmente influenciaram A metodologia consiste de pesquisa conceitu- the contemporary morphology of our cities. ysis of the urban conditions in Brasília, sup- a morfologia das nossas cidades. Durante o al acerca dos aspectos de Agricultura Urbana During past industrialization processes, what ported by GIS data, concerning the topic and processo de industrialização, realidades urba- no que diz respeito à Planejamento Urbano were once intertwined systems, urban and ru- how the current food system works. Next, all nas e rurais, antes interligadas, se tornaram e estudos de caso em outras cidades onde ral realities became exponentially more sepa- these ingredients are woven together in a sys- exponencialmente mais distantes em meio a prática já foi aplicada. O passo seguinte é rated amidst a significant shift in settlement tematic strategy relating the necessary Urban a uma mudança significativa nos padrões uma análise das condições urbanas de Brasília standards, as most of the population migrat- Agriculture aspects to the opportunities the de habitação, com a maioria da população e do sistema local de produção de alimentos ed to cities. The result is a continuous reality modernist urban form suggests. Finally, the migrando para cidades. O resultado é uma através de dados georreferenciados. Depois, of increasing urban sprawl and an agricultural strategy is spatially operationalized with a se- contínua realidade de espraiamento urbano esses elementos são estrategicamente in- production driven away from its consumers, ries of computational urban analysis. The first e uma produção rural afastada dos consumi- terconectados, relacionando-se os aspectos ultimately creating fundamental social, eco- iteration tests the land accessibility for two dores, criando desafios socio-econômicos e necessários para Agricultura Urbana com as nomic, and environmental challenges, from distinct urban agriculture typologies based ambientais fundamentais, desde a comodifi- oportunidades que a cidade modernista ofe- the commodification of food production to on proximity to pertinent urban features. The cação da produção de alimentos até crises de rece. Por último, a estratégia é operacionali- monocultures and deforestation. Urban Agri- result is visualized in a heatmap, which ulti- desmatamento. A Agricultura Urbana é vista zada espacialmente através de uma série de culture is therefore seen as a possible solu- mately informs where the best locations for como uma possível solução para alguns des- simulações utilizando ferramentas de dese- tion for some of these issues, for connecting each typology are. The second iteration tests ses problemas, pois conectando pessoas com nho urbano paramétrico. A primeira iteração people to food systems allows more efficient water accessibility from water harvesting sys- sistemas alimentares permite-se um uso e testa o acesso à lotes para duas tipologias de use and reuse of resources, more sustainable tems in a zoomed-in scale. Lastly, the third reuso de recursos mais eficiente, padrões de Agricultura Urbana baseadas na proximidade consumption patterns, and a strategic urban iteration analyzes solar radiation and its im- consumo mais sustentáveis e um planajeman- de estruturas urbanas relevantes. O resulta- metabolism-based future. plication on the location of composting ele- to urbano baseado em processos de metabo- do é visualizado em um “mapa de calor” in- ments related to Urban Agriculture. lismo. formando as melhores localizações para cada In this light, how could we adapt existing va- tipologia. A segunda iteração testa o acesso cant spaces in a city, transforming them into Conclusively, when overlapping these results, Nesse sentido, como poderíamos adaptar es- à água por meio de sistemas de captação de food production units? How would Urban the outcome is a possible spatial organization paços vazios em uma cidade, transformando- chuva, e a terceira testa a melhor localização Agriculture support existing waste and water for Urban Agriculture, accounting for its im- -os em unidades de produção de alimentos? para unidades de compostagem com base na management systems? How could this new pacts on resources derived from the previ- Como a Agricultura Urbana apoiaria sistemas incidência solar necessária. sustainable strategy be spatially organized ously described research methodology. It is existentes de manejo da água e do lixo? Como within the existing infrastructure in the city? not intended as a unique possible solution but essa nova estratégia sustentável poderia ser Conclusivamente, sobrepondo esses resul- Investigating these questions, this Master rather a suggestion out of many on how the espacialmente organizada junto à uma infra- tados, o produto final é uma possível orga- Thesis presents an algorithm-based spatial subject could be addressed in Brasília. The re- estrutura existente? Investigando essas ques- nização espacial para Agricultura Urbana, exploration for the organization of Urban Ag- sults could be used in informed policy-making tões, esta pesquisa apresenta uma exploração levando-se em consideração o impacto nos riculture elements in the city of Brasília. decisions, public debates, and raising collec- espacial paramétrica para a organização de recursos naturais. O resultado não deve ser tive awareness of alternative food production elementos de Agricultura Urbana na cidade entendido como uma resposta final, mas sim Designed with modernistic urbanism stan- models. Hopefully, the contribution is also a de Brasília. como uma possibilidade em meio a tantas dards, the city has abundant public spaces and valid experiment in the contemporary sus- outras. As resoluções podem ser usadas para large vacant areas by default, making it an in- tainability debate and the validation of com- Planejada sob princípios do Urbanismo Mo- assistir políticas urbanas e interação entre teresting case study. Additionally, Brazil plays putational methods as an alternative