Poland: Architectural Firm MJZ introduces urban farming masterplan proposal with nutrition research center
Name: Gardens of the Future
Edited by: Myrto Katsikopoulou
Design Boom
Oct 20, 2020
The proposal by MJZ suggests having fresh products grown and sold in every district, in small markets that would be accessible to everyone. in this way, the project alleviates the need for mediators, which are the largest cost factor when it comes to the food delivery chain. the proposed urban cultivation areas could also serve as testing locations for new technologies and techniques that experiment with growing, researching, and selling food grown within the city.
To discover and develop a sustainable scheme of green food mass production, the ‘organic nutrition research center’ is also included in the proposed masterplan. Just like the plantations, the building grows from the soil – its volume is positioned underneath a hill, created by lifting the urban farming allotment grid. The structure would be mostly conceived from engineered timber from certified plantations.
The center is designed as a big technological and organic laboratory with spaces available for guests and more private rooms for experimentation, which would not be accessible but could still be visible to everyone when fully glazed. A generous entrance hall greets the visitors and performs as a roof covered square for educational events on special occasions. the structure is based on a wooden waffle, resting on concrete walls that support the excavation soil from the sides.
