* building-integrated agriculture | Productive Urban Landscapes

Elevated light-weight bridges allow for flowing agricultural landscape and unhindered production as well for unexpected views. (source: Alkisti Volonasis and Romila Faye Strub 2020)

Productive urban landscapes as a response to intense urbanisation in Peru

We are pleased to share the Masters’ thesis project Lima 4.0: Territorial fragility as an agent of agricultural innovation by Alkisti Volonasis and Romila Faye Strub who recently graduated from Politecnico di Milano’s MSc in Architecture. Alkisti contacted us about a month ago, and since then we have exchanged several emails about their design research…

Katrin Bohn • 17th November 2020

The indoor farm in Högdalen, with lettuce in different stages of development (source and caption: Rebecka Milestad www 2019)

Swedish researchers’ complex study of the pros and cons of urban indoor farming

‘… many assumptions are made, and expectations held, about urban indoor farming from a sustainability, food production and food provisioning point of view. These assumptions and expectations need to be tested and assessed…’ With these words, a recent paper by Swedish researchers from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, and Stockholm University starts. Rebecka…

Katrin Bohn • 11th June 2020

Chatterjee et al. refer to this Integrated Vertical Farming System at Tripura, India, developed and live tested by ICAR Research Complex. (source: Singh, A. KVK South Tripura 2015)

The vision of productive urban landscapes is horizontal and vertical.

February saw the publication of the book chapter Implication of Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming for Future Sustainability by Anwesha Chatterjee, Sanjit Debnath and Harshata Pal. It takes stock of global urban agriculture thought and practice as well as envisioning a sustainable food-focused urban future for Indian cities. Of interest to us is the strong,…

Katrin Bohn • 28th February 2020

COST Circular Cities visited a biofiltration pilot plant in Hiedanranta, near Tampere, which mimics nature’s own purification systems. (source: Bohn 2019)

EU research network COST Action Circular City holds working meeting in Finland

Katrin Bohn took part in a working and field study meeting in Hämeenlinna, Tampere and Forssa as part of the COST Action Circular City (fully titled: COST Action 17133 Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful city). During 4 days, more than 60 participants from all EU countries discussed how to foster cooperation and research…

Katrin Bohn • 23rd September 2019

Image: Green facade of a residential Gründerzeit building in Berlin (source: Reinhard Groszmann 2019)

A new food-productive life for Berlin’s fire break walls?

Yesterday, Katrin Bohn was invited by the Eastern branch of Germany’s B.A.U. Association [B.A.U.-Regionalgruppe Ost des Bund Architektur & Umwelt e.V.] to consult on its Initiative Green Fire Break Walls [Initiative Grüne Brandwände]. Aim of the working meeting of the association was to explore synergies between its own initiative to transform into “green walls” Berlin’s…

Katrin Bohn • 24th January 2019