Parsons School of Constructed EnvironmentsSummer Studies in ArchitectureSummer 2011Instructors: Alice Min Soo Chun, Jean Won, William Prince, Demi Adeniran, Irene Brisson

Teaching Assistants: Kimberly Tate, Patrick Corrigan, Lee Gibson, Jeff Carter, Catherine Murphy

Ecology, Economy, and Education:

A call for the LOCAVORE:Since the mid 1960’s there has been community movements to increase green space and the green markets to promote regional agriculture by providing small family farms the opportunity to sell their locally grown products directly to consumers, and to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, most nutritious locally grown food the region has to offer.

Over three decades later Manhattan has now grown to become the largest and most diverse outdoor urban farmers market network in the country, now with 53 markets, over 230 family farms and fishermen participating, and over 30,000 acres of farmland protected from development.

This unique relationship between farmers and city residents has not only changed the face of regional agriculture; it has revitalized rural communities and urban spaces, im-proved consumer health, provided fresh and nutritious food to those most in need and supported immigrant farmers, encouraged crop diversity, educated school children and city residents about the importance of regional agriculture, provided a wholesale op-portunity for medium sized farms, inspired new culinary trends, and influenced chefs and eaters in one of the culinary capitals in the world. Hence the birth of the “Locavore”.

Ecosystems in Climate Mitigation:Large cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases are needed if we are to avoid the worst ef-fects of global climate change. Ecosystems can improve these efforts. It presents carbon capture and storage through a Green Economy lens, outlining the potential in terms of natural systems, from forests to grasslands which have been doing the job in a tried and tested way for millennia. There is a greater potential across a wider suite of natural sys-tems: a potential to not only combat climate change and climate-proof vulnerable econ-omies; but also, accelerate sustainable development in nutrition education for children to environmental benefits of improved water supplies, soil stabilization and reduced bio-diversity losses alongside new green jobs in natural resource conservation.

GREEN MARKET + CAFE’

Hydroponic Rotating drum

The GREEN MARKET:

The architecture will service this new agriculture. Design a new typology for innovative sustainable agro-economy by building this ecologic prototype of farm, market and cafe’. The Green House will be a keystone to a possible infrastructure for a mixed programme of education, cooking demonstrations, offices and laboratories in need of ecological farm-ing for land remediation. This project will utilize new materials that will be used for solar energy harvesting, rainwater collection and filtration, composting and biogas production.

The green market will improve the availability of a diverse range of high quality foods.Connect local producers and farmers to chefs, restaurateurs, food organizations and the public. And will support small family farms and promote a healthier society through edu-cation and appreciation for local, fresh, sustainably raised produce and products.

PROGRAM GREEN Market1. Green House: Space for High density planting - e.g trellised fruit trees and vines,

vertical planting, aquaponics. Urban farm area 5000-8000 sq ft.2. Grey water filtration system - Rainwater harnessing- shaded area.3. wall / fan system for cooling 4. New sustainable energy sources: Solar heat for winter? Piezoelectric materials?

Green roof? 5. CAFE’: seating for 50 persons.6. Selling stands or trade booths (50-100) @10’x10’+ with modular furniture for teach-

ing, sitting, ways that the furniture can adapt to different programs7. Solar Canopy with night time lighting8. Innovative storage system9. Bike parking10. Composting area.11. Portable toilets (4)12. Cooking demo area, portable kitchen.13. Performance/theatre area for summer festivals

Both technology and discovery is the fertile factor for meaningful design and architec-tural production, as Marco Farscari states, “it deals with both the construction- the logos of techne(elegant art)-- and the construing--the techne of logos(rehtoric). Elegant technology translates from figures of thought to figures of site, and figures of making. “ The translations are ambiguous but the implications may be understood by verbal and visual cunning.

farming HYDROPONICS:

The students will be designing and re-inventing architecture as a new generation of plant and water technology. Hydroponics is a technique for growing plants without soil. It uses an inert medium (peat, sand, vermiculite, etc) to which a solution is added containing all the essential nutrients required for normal plant growth. A purer form of hydroponics, water culture, involves growing plant roots in water containing nutrients. Their crowns are supported in a thin layer of inert medium. Hydroponics is also known as ‘soilless culture’.

The advantages are:

1. Gardens are easy to service, with water and electricity2. A hydroponic tank can weigh less than a soil-filled planter3. The water supply can be automated with rainwater collection4. No need to mix composts

Soil is a growing medium, but it is not a necessary one. Inert substances like perlite or vermiculite can also serve as growing mediums (as they do in hydroponics). What is necessary are the nutrients the soil or perlite contains. In hydroponic systems, a special-ly formulated, nutrient rich solution, containing all the necessary macro- and micronu-trients necessary for healthy plants, is pumped through an inert medium. The systems are typically installed in a greenhouse or other controlled environment so that it can be carefully monitored

SITE: Between 18th and 17th streets under the Highline

Science BargeFed by runoff from the roof, this rainbarrel provides most of the greenhouse’s water supply. If necessary, this water is supplemented by river water fed through an extensive filtration system.