Waste[d] Space

Through studying the characteristics of plastic and the way its usage determines movement through space, a need arose for a program that condenses products and systems into a smaller area. This program consists of a vertical farm which takes the traditional expanse of a rural farm and condenses the area into a city block or smaller and does not require the same heavy machinery that a typical farm would. It also yields up to three times as many crops and can reduce water usage up to 90% through a hydroponic growing system where the plants’ roots are sprayed with nutrient-rich water.

The goal is to take an underutilized site in Knoxville and integrate the program of the vertical farm into it. This vertical farm would grow the crops and store them on site to be distributed via a fleet of mobile markets to food deserts in Knoxville. Once harvested, a system of conveyor belts and elevators moves the produce to the lowest level of the project to be loaded into the trucks. The mobile markets will bring the produce to schools, hospitals, churches, and other businesses within food deserts, giving the residents of these areas easy access to fresh produce.