Seeking Effective Agri-Tecture: An Urban Farm Design That Nourishes a Food Desert

192 Pages·2015·13.08 MB·English

by  Kelley Gotsch Robinson

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2014
Seeking Effective Agri-Tecture: An Urban
Farm Design That Nourishes a Food Desert
Kelley G. Robinson
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FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE AND DANCE

SEEKING EFFECTIVE AGRI-TECTURE:
AN URBAN FARM DESIGN THAT NOURISHES A FOOD DESERT

By

KELLEY G. ROBINSON

A Thesis submitted to the
Department of Interior Design
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Fine Arts

Degree Awarded:
Summer Semester, 2014
Kelley G. Robinson defended this thesis on July 9, 2014.
The members of the supervisory committee were:

Jill Pable
Professor Directing Thesis

Marlo Ransdell
Committee Member

Steven Webber
Committee Member

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and
certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements.

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This thesis is dedicated to my stellar husband Chris, for keeping the Robinson Family Circus in
motion as I embarked on this journey in August of 2012. When you frankly stated those words, “Just go
back and get your master’s degree,” I don’t think either of us realized what was about to happen. Your
endless support, love, and encouragement enabled me to cover more ground than I ever imagined. I will
be forever grateful for this opportunity.
To Mallory and Cole, my beautiful children and faithful cheering section, your patience and
optimism gave me endurance to get to the finish line. I am so proud to be your mother!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, I would like to thank Chris, Mallory, Cole, Mom, Dad, Sandy, and Bruce. Your collective efforts of
support over the last two years made this thesis possible.

I would also like to thank my committee – Dr. Jill Pable, Dr. Marlo Ransdell, and Professor Steven
Webber. Your time and investment in my thesis research is appreciated on numerous levels.

To Dr. Pable:
Thank you for your wisdom, your patience, and your keen ability to ask the perfect question when
necessary. I sincerely appreciate your quick turnaround times, the amount of hours you dedicate to your
students, your thoughtful edits, and your unwavering optimism as we worked through this process
together.

To Dr. Ransdell:
Thank you for your ability to extract ideas out of students. Your research methods expertise was
instrumental in helping me find my original research component. Your experience in conducting active
research provided encouragement that I too, could navigate through holding a design charrette.

To Professor Webber:
Thank you for your enthusiasm and design input. Most importantly, thank you for introducing me to the
word “vertical farming” in Design Issues class. That term provided direction that I was actively in search
of, but not sure how to execute at the time.

To Professor Jim Dawkins:
Thank you for your guidance throughout studio. Your knowledge and experience in the field helped me
break out of the box when I needed to, but also support other decisions I made during the design
process.

Finally, thank you to the O’Briens for your generous support of the Interior Design Program at Florida
State University. I am honored to be a recipient of the 2014 O’Brien Graduate Scholarship Award.
Contributions such as yours continue to aid students in successfully pursuing their career goals.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... viii
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ ix
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ xii
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background of the Problem ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem Statement .................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Purpose of the Research ........................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Justification of the Research ..................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 5
1.6 Original Research Methodology ................................................................................................ 6
1.7 Project Description .................................................................................................................... 7
1.8 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ............................................................................. 7
1.8.1 Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 7
1.8.2 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 7
1.8.3 Delimitations ................................................................................................................ 8
1.9 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 8
1.10 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................................... 9

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 11
2.2 Contributing Factors to Global Food Issues ............................................................................ 12
2.2.1 Food Deserts ............................................................................................................. 13
2.3 A Brief Agricultural History ....................................................................................................... 14
2.3.1 The Industrialization of Food ..................................................................................... 17
2.3.2 The Rise of the Victory Garden ................................................................................. 18
2.3.3 The Result of Industrialization ................................................................................... 19
2.3.4 The Product of Monoculture ...................................................................................... 20
2.3.5 Wasted Food ............................................................................................................. 21
2.3.6 Disappearing Seeds .................................................................................................. 22
2.4 Sustainable Community Food Systems Solutions................................................................... 23
2.4.1 Farmers’ Markets ....................................................................................................... 23
2.4.2 Community Gardens .................................................................................................. 24
2.4.3 Urban Farms .............................................................................................................. 25
2.4.4 Greenhouses ............................................................................................................. 26
2.5 Vertical Farming or “Agri-tecture” Defined ............................................................................... 27
2.5.1 Procedures for Vertical Farms: Hydroponics and Aeroponics .................................. 29
2.5.2 Critics of Vertical Farming ......................................................................................... 30
2.5.3 Vertical Farming – Case Study 1: Sky Greens .......................................................... 31
2.6 Food Distribution and Adjacencies .......................................................................................... 33
2.6.1 Food Distribution Centers .......................................................................................... 33
2.6.2 Programming Concepts Viewed through the Lens of Food Distribution .................... 34
2.7 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 36

3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................... 38
3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 38
3.2 Research Questions ................................................................................................................ 38
3.3 Sample Description and Justification for their Selection ......................................................... 39
3.4 Methodology and Data Collection ........................................................................................... 40
3.5 Instruments .............................................................................................................................. 43
3.6 Data Analysis Methods ............................................................................................................ 45
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3.7 Assumptions, Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................ 45
3.7.1 Assumptions .............................................................................................................. 45
3.7.2 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 45
3.7.3 Delimitations .............................................................................................................. 46
3.8 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 46

4. FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................................... 47
4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 47
4.2 Findings Related to Research Question #1 ............................................................................. 47
4.2.1 Recommended Numbers of Vegetable Servings ...................................................... 47
4.2.2 Testing a Vertical Farming Method ........................................................................... 48
4.2.3 Calculating the Population Statistics within the Test Area ........................................ 49
4.2.4 The Results of the Calculations ................................................................................. 50
4.3 Findings Related to Research Question #2 ............................................................................. 51
4.3.1 Information about the Sample .................................................................................... 52
4.3.2 Research Question 2A .............................................................................................. 53
4.3.3 Research Question 2B .............................................................................................. 55
4.3.4 Research Question 2C .............................................................................................. 61
4.3.5 Research Question 2D .............................................................................................. 64
4.4 Connecting the Framework to the Research Questions .......................................................... 64
4.4.1 Priority ....................................................................................................................... 67
4.4.2 Relationships ............................................................................................................. 67
4.4.3 Communications ........................................................................................................ 67
4.4.4 Neighbors .................................................................................................................. 68
4.5 Emergent Themes from the Original Research ....................................................................... 68
4.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 73

5. THE PROJECT PROGRAM .............................................................................................................. 74

5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 74
5.2 Project Description and History ................................................................................................ 74
5.2.1 Existing Site Conditions .............................................................................................. 74
5.3 Client Philosophy and Goals .................................................................................................... 75
5.4 Window Orientation and Views ................................................................................................ 78
5.5 Analysis of Existing Layout ...................................................................................................... 83
5.5.1 The Four Points Sheraton Hotel ................................................................................. 83
5.5.2 The Mays-Munroe Building ........................................................................................ 84
5.6 Anticipated Changes ................................................................................................................ 84
5.7 User Profile .............................................................................................................................. 89
5.7.1 The Client ................................................................................................................... 89
5.7.2 The Tenants ............................................................................................................... 90
5.8 The Users ................................................................................................................................. 94
5.9 Analysis of General Space Requirements ............................................................................... 95
5.9.1 Design Criteria ............................................................................................................ 95
5.9.2 Space Sizes and Adjacencies .................................................................................... 97
5.9.3 Furniture and Technology Needs ............................................................................... 97
5.10 Analysis of Individual Space Requirements ........................................................................... 101
5.10.1 Indoor Farming ......................................................................................................... 101
5.10.2 Farm-to-Table Eatery ............................................................................................... 103
5.10.3 Farm-to-Table Market ............................................................................................... 105
5.10.4 The Shared-Use Kitchen .......................................................................................... 107
5.11 Codes and Regulations .......................................................................................................... 110
5.11.1 The Grow-tel ............................................................................................................. 110
5.11.2 Martin’s Local Kitchens............................................................................................. 112
5.12 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 120
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6. THE DESIGN SOLUTION ................................................................................................................ 121

6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 121
6.2 General Space Design Criteria .............................................................................................. 121
6.3 Detailed Explanation of the Design Response ...................................................................... 124
6.3.1 The Journey of the Food in the Vertical Farm .......................................................... 124
6.3.2 The Second Floor Plan (Administrative Offices and Nursery).................................. 129
6.3.3 The K-12 Teaching Garden ...................................................................................... 129
6.3.4 The First Floor Eatery and Vendor Area .................................................................. 131
6.3.5 The Lower Floor Food Broker, Market and Seed Library ......................................... 135
6.3.6 The Shared-Use Kitchen and Studio Teaching Kitchen ........................................... 142
6.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 147

7. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 148

7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 148
7.2 Emergent Themes of Research ............................................................................................. 148
7.3 Recommendations for Future Research ................................................................................ 156
7.4 Lessons Learned from the Study ........................................................................................... 157
7.5 Recommendations from the Study’s Research Findings ....................................................... 158
7.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 158

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................................... 159
A. CASE STUDY OF THE PLANT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ................................................................... 159
B. FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD LETTER OF APPROVAL ... 162
C. PARTICIPANT INFORMED CONSENT FORM ............................................................................... 164
D. INSTRUMENT #1: PRE-QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................................... 167
E. INSTRUMENT #2: POST-QUESTIONNAIRE FOR DESIGN CHARRETTE ................................... 170
REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 173
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ........................................................................................................................ 177

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LIST OF TABLES
2.1 Percentage of Certain Varieties of Vegetables Lost ...................................................................... 22

2.2 Despommier’s Primary Advantages to Vertical Farming ............................................................... 29

2.3 Urban Farming Contributions by Percentage in Different Regions ................................................ 32

2.4 Peña & Parshall’s 24 Programming Concepts ............................................................................... 35

4.1 Research Participants and their Level of Involvement ................................................................... 53

4.2 Participants’ Individual Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges of Stakeholder Adjacencies in
an Urban Food Hub........................................................................................................................ 58

4.3 Pros and Cons of Scheme A and B ............................................................................................... 66

5.1 Estimated Square Footage of Major and Minor Spaces ................................................................ 98

5.2 Overall Adjacency Matrix and Legend ........................................................................................... 99

5.3 Primary Furniture Needs .............................................................................................................. 100

5.4 Primary Technology Needs .......................................................................................................... 100

5.5 Indoor Farming Adjacency Matrix and Legend ............................................................................ 103

5.6 Eatery Adjacency Matrix and Legend .......................................................................................... 105

5.7 Market Adjacency Matrix and Legend .......................................................................................... 107

5.8 Shared-Use Kitchen Adjacency and Legend ............................................................................... 109

5.9 The Grow-tel: Occupancy Classification, Occupant Types, and Means of Egress ..................... 114

5.10 Martin’s Local Kitchens: Occupancy Classification, Occupant Types, and Means of Egress ..... 115

5.11 The Grow-tel: Minimum Required Egress Widths per Table 1005.1 of the FBC ......................... 115

5.12 Martin’s Local Kitchens: Minimum Required Egress Width per Table 1005.1 of the FBC .......... 116

5.13 The Grow-tel: Exit Access Travel Distances per Table 1016.1 of the FBC ................................. 116

5.14 Martin’s Local Kitchens: Exit Access Travel Distances per Table 1016.1 of the FBC ................. 116

5.15 The Grow-tel: Plumbing Requirements ........................................................................................ 117

5.16 Martin’s Local Kitchens: Plumbing Requirements ....................................................................... 118

5.17 The Grow-tel: Interior Finish Requirements ................................................................................. 119

5.18 Martin’s Local Kitchens: Interior Finish Requirements ................................................................. 120

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LIST OF FIGURES

2.1 Low Income (LI) and Low Access (LA) Areas in the United States ............................................... 14

2.2 1911 DuPont Pamphlet Promoting the Use of Dynamite ............................................................... 16

2.3 Civilians Planting “Victory Gardens” during World War II .............................................................. 18

2.4 Map of the Hypoxic Zone in the Mississippi Basin ......................................................................... 19

2.5 The Result of Drought and Crop Failure ........................................................................................ 21

2.6 Eagle Heights Community Garden Seed Fair ................................................................................ 25

2.7 The Wood Street Urban Farm, Chicago, Illinois ............................................................................ 26

2.8 The Eco-Laboratory by Weber Thompson (2008) ......................................................................... 27

2.9 Kitchen Design using “Agri-tecture” Methods by Sylvain Charria .................................................. 28

2.10 Two A-frames of Jack Ng’s Sky Greens Vegetables ..................................................................... 32

3.1 Food Desert Statistics Applicable to the Researcher’s Site ........................................................... 42

4.1 The A-Go-Gro Vertical Farm System at Sky Greens in Singapore ............................................... 48

4.2 Calculations to Answer Research Question #1 ............................................................................. 51

4.3 Photo of the Design Charrette ....................................................................................................... 54

4.4 Stakeholders’ Frequency of Communication with Vendors ........................................................... 56

4.5 Stakeholders’ Frequency of Physical Deliveries/Pickups .............................................................. 57

4.6 Scheme A: Existing Four Points Sheraton Hotel – Proposed Lower Floor Plan ........................... 65

4.7 Scheme B: Existing Four Points Sheraton Hotel – Proposed Lower Floor Plan ........................... 65

5.1 Neighborhood Surrounding the Site ............................................................................................... 75

5.2 Existing Site Plan ........................................................................................................................... 76

5.3 The Former Mays-Munroe Appliance Store (left) and the Four Points Sheraton Hotel (right) ...... 77

5.4 Aerial Map of the Site’s Surrounding Context ................................................................................ 78

5.5 North Side of the Four Points Sheraton Hotel ............................................................................... 78

5.6 First Floor of the South Side of the Four Points Sheraton Hotel ................................................... 79

5.7 The Four Point Sheraton Hotel from the Southern Side ................................................................ 79

5.8 The South Elevation of Mays-Munroe ............................................................................................ 80

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