11/02/2020

Sarah Buckley

Framlab, a creative agency, has proposed democratized vertical urban farming for lower socio-economic demographics in Brooklyn’s boroughs, entitled Glasir. 

Glasir is a project that intends to intervene with the current agriculture and water concerns, with its equally concerning economic ramifications. 

“The borough of Brooklyn has seen an explosive economic growth throughout the last decade,” says Framlab.

Between 2001 and 2015, there has been an improved job creation rate, but with its development, it has seen both positive changes and a high degree of social stratification, with a correspondingly high degree of nutritional inequality. 

As Brooklyn is largely understood as a ‘foodie’s paradise’, it conversely also has a 20 percent food insecurity rate. 

Glasir is supposed to be deployed initially in the borough’s poorest and least food secure areas – neighborhoods such as East New York, East Flatbush, Canarsie, and Flatlands.

“With studies proving a direct correlation between food insecurity and health risk, Glasir’s proposition to offer affordable, locally-grown produce has the potential to not only boost the nutritional profile of the residents’ diet, but also plant the seed for societal and economic betterment in these neighborhoods.”

“By combining the flexibility of modularity with the efficiency of aeroponic growth systems, the projects offer self-regulating, vertical farming structures that can provide neighborhoods with affordable, local produce year-round.”

The trees are characterized by a monopodial trunk with rhythmic growth, developing tiers of branches, following Rauh’s model. 

Additionally, the style of growing plants aeroponically, as was experimented with by NASA, proves a comparable crop to yield as opposed to traditional, geoponic cultivation.

The exclusion of soil leaves very little room for unexpected variables and makes aeroponics a highly flexible growth system. 

The system is centered around a subscription service model for the periodic distribution of crops to households, businesses, and schools.

The structure is further designed to be physically explored/played upon and invite its community to harvest fruits and vegetables.

It also utilizes drone technology to deliver the greens to and from its destination, and with minimized waste material and decreased cost, alongside stored harvested energy that can be used to charge electrical bikes, mobile devices, and integrated lighting, these structures will act as an ecological and technological hub, guilt-free.