By DIAN ZHANG

Paris, France-based design firm ABF-lab has designed a highly productive urban farm building that blurs the lines between architecture and nature. Their recently unveiled project--the Agro-main-ville Food-Farm Tower--is going to be the first of its kind in the entire country.

The Food-Farm Tower is expected to break ground this year, and will be located in Romainville, an eastern suburb in Paris. The tower will span over 21,000 square feet, and will take an estimated cost of €3.4 million, or $3.78 million to build.

To maximize agricultural productivity, the ABF-lab decided to eschew artificial light, and let the entire farm be fully immersed in the sun. By making the tower vertical, the designers were able to maximize plant exposure to sunlight, as well as situate the project on a limited plot of land in a dense area.

The Food-Farm Tower will contribute to the local environment by producing hyper-local food, cutting down carbon dioxide emissions, and improving air quality, and will also serve as a public garden for residents in the community,

Emerging as a first in France, a pilot and a conceptual reservoir will propose an infinity of scenarios to be developed with local associations and participate in radiation Romainville city. It will be one of the first neighborhoods to fully integrate the principles of urban agriculture as a catalyst for better living together.

Architects in the ABF-lab hope to raise awareness of urban agriculture with the innovative project, and inspire more people to make eco-friendly contributions. 

Dian Zhang is a data journalist with Hanley Wood's data studio team.

Follow her on twitter @dianzhang_.