Unveiling our final solution. Our final model sits nicely on surfaces as well as mounted to the wall. The brackets would ideally be die-cut steel and the boxes would be rotomolded.
Vertical gardening is so popular right now. Apartment Therapy has been posting a lot about it over the last few months, from wall mounted greenery to tiered planters and window boxes.
I was clicking through Apartment Therapy the other day when I came across this article about a woman, Suzanne Forsling, trying to grow vertically on her home due to space and light constrictions. This woman’s needs and constraints demonstrate the need for our second project, the modular trough. Yes, you can just bolt some gutters or window boxes to your wall, but that doesn’t allow for all types of growing, only of a certain size. Our boxes help the user shift sizes for different types of produce.
We looked into different rainscreen cladding options and decided not to go in that direction. It would severely cut back our user base to only be people who are residing their house. We want our boxes to be accessible to everyone who wants one.
We’re currently prototyping iterations of our modular trough in small, medium and large as well as an attachment bracket.
So far we don’t have a client or collaborator and we only have 2 weeks left of studio. This studio is typically run with all the students having one client and breaking into teams to help all aspects of the clients needs. This semester our teachers decided to try it differently by having our projects determine our collaborator.
We originally contacted Philly Green Wall and Roof. Although they’re really interesting and we really love their work, we decided that’s not the aesthetic we’re trying to go for. We’re more interested in growing your own Victory Garden instead of a fully covered hydroponic wall.
So then we contacted Greenable. They are an eco-friendly home building supply store in Old City. Mary and I will be meeting with one of their staff tomorrow for conversation and a critique of our project thus far. We’re looking forward to the fresh perspective!
Check them out. They’re two very great local companies with a smart perspective.
One of our early concepts was a cinderblock cast with a planting space. The block allows for growing vertically, utilizing space in the tight urban environment. The following is the development from concept to 3D rendering to prototyping 1:2 scale model.
After pinning ourselves down to exploring the world of construction, we needed to learn more about Philly architecture. We went out and captured an array of Philly buildings and various materials as well as various mounting mechanisms and planter materials.
Those photos brought us back to the drawing board and we started sketching. We pooled our ideas together and categorized them. This helped choose our next direction.
We decided we could reach a wider range of users if we target installed base rather than new construction. Ideally we would like to make a system that can be implemented during or post construction.
This weeks concepts:
Modified Cinder Block
slanted stacking system
modified modular growing boxes
Ivy room divider
modular grow boxes
These modular boxes can be re-arranged and infinitely added to each other. It would be able to expand vertically as well as on the horizontal ground plane.
Living Curtain
This idea illustrates a fibrous material embedded with seeds. A drip irrigation system delivers nutrients for the plant to grow.
adjustable grow boxes
The adjustable grow boxes are configured to tracks along a wall. They can be re-arranged into any configuration.
solar powered rotator
Grow beds are slowly rotated by solar-powered motor in a loop, raising them toward the sun then dipping them in a water tray at the bottom of the loop to soak up water/nutrients through holes in the bottom of the grow beds.
DIY milk jug planters
This concept utilizes and repurposes common household items for a vertical growing solution.
bi-level growing platform
Here, multiple growing platforms allow for various plant types.
The following topics inspired our future concepts and developments.
The work of Patrick Blanc and others like him:
Current architectural trends incorporating green walls and or farming into their structure.
Mithun’s Center for Urban Agriculture
Gordon Graff’s Sky Farm for Toronto
Bardessono Hotel Lobby
Existing living walls.
Valcent
ELT Living Walls
DIY and re-purposed planters.
Re-purpose
Alternative growing systems including modular hydroponics and tiered planters.
