"No man, except in the first nine months before he draws his first breath, manages his affairs as well as a tree does” George Bernard Shaw.

The world is running short of fresh water. With agriculture accounting for some 70% of all water used, the shortage is closely linked to food production. The growth in demand for water and increasing shortages of supply are two of the most certain and predictable scenarios of the 21st century. Agriculture, with a high demand for water, is a major pressure point. Fortunately, the world is not short of water, it is just in the wrong place. Converting seawater to fresh water in the right quantities and in the right places offers the potential to solve all the problems described above.

The Seawater Greenhouse uses seawater to cool and humidify greenhouses and to convert sufficient humidity back in to fresh water to irrigate the crops. This tecnique is being used for several projects in the south of Spain, in Oman, in Abu Dhabi and in the South Africa. The Seawater Vertical Farm has been developed in order to increase the efficiency of the system (by exploting the stack effect), to design safer and easyer to control settlements and to create a concept that can be used in different situations including the metropolis environment. That’s why our Seawater Vertical Farm generated some attention in Dubai, where the lack of fresh water and of local vegetables, the awful urban traffic, the transport problem, in addition to the high soil value calls for a Seawater Vertical Farm as a solution.

http://www.studiomobile.org/vertical farm/studiomobile Favretto Girardi-1-.jpg

http://www.studiomobile.org/vertical farm/studiomobile Favretto Girardi-2-.jpg


http://www.studiomobile.org/vertical farm/studiomobile Favretto Girardi-3-.jpg

The air going into the greenhouse is first cooled and humidified by seawater, which is trickled over the first evaporator. This provides fresh and humid climate for the crops that in these conditions need very little water as they are not stressed by excessive transpiration.

Phase 01 The air going into the greenhouse is first cooled and humidified by seawater, which is trickled over the first evaporator. This provides fresh and humid climate for the crops that in these conditions need very little water as they are not stressed by excessive transpiration.

Phase 02 As the air leaves the growing area, it passes through the second evaporator which has seawater flowing over it. During this phase the humid air mix with the warm dry air of the ceiling interspace. Thus the air is made much hotter and more humid.

Phase 03 The warm air is forced to flow upward by the stack effect that is temperature induced. In the central chimney the warm and humid air will condense when in contact with plastic tubes where cool sea water is pumped. In the surface of the condenser many drops of fresh water will appeare, ready to be recollected in a tank to water the crops and for other uses.

http://www.studiomobile.org/vertical farm/studiomobile Favretto Girardi-4-.jpg

Do you really think this will be built at times like now? I doubt it, most probably will be moved to never built section

It would be great if they continued with this idea - so futuristic its unbelievable.

Is anyone able to upload pictures of a 'working' seawater farm from Oman, Abu Dhabi or one of the other countries where this idea is actually being used?

I really really hope this project goes ahead, vertical farms are absolutely essential for the future and the sooner we start to develop them the better.

Unfortunately, it does seem pretty unrealistic to expect this before the 2020's :(

HAHA
Come ooon!! get a life, this is the worst use of space and resources I have ever seen in modern architecture in my life, and all that for cabbage??? ahaha
If ever even concidered, this design will not be realized, ok might look cool, in a film, but obviously not suitable for our world. sorry,
I do not dislike it though, a bit out of proportions but still a "hip" idea.

Too bad for all the futuristic cyborg-farmers, they will just have to grow their carrots in a normal farm for awhile

HAHA
Come ooon!! get a life, this is the worst use of space and resources I have ever seen in modern architecture in my life, and all that for cabbage???

I do not dislike it though, a bit out of proportions but still a "hip" idea.


Hehe I have to agree.

Pure fantasy. All this capital just to farm? Why not design something more efficient for use on the ground in the huge areas of desert they have.

It's like a badly thought out science fiction fantasy. Dazzle them with enough glitz and they won't question you about it.

vertical farms are absolutely essential for the future and the sooner we start to develop them the better.(

This proposal is not vertical farming.

And vertical farming is not essential, and especially not so in a place like the UAE. They have more flat land than they know what to do with.

pure fantasy ? i don't think so, but this is a very sophisticated integrated system. it will use hydroponics to implement. NASA is working on implementing this technology in Space settlements.

This project is a prototype, and in the long run it will prove to be beneficial.

the concept is very simple but as i said very sophisticated .

I have scanned this vision some time ago from the BILD newspaper
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5894/imgpoh.jpg

I have scanned this vision some time ago from the BILD newspaper


Yes, this is a good example of vertical farming, which is ultimately about trying to make a city self-sufficient by bringing farming into the city. It's about reducing energy costs in transport and utilising space as efficiently as possible.

This design has the farm integrated in with apartments, but you can do it for any high rise if it's designed appropriately for that secondary use.

I would prefer a design without commercial or residential space and I think it IS possible to build such things but not in the world recession and I doubt they will be very useful unless they have 80F+

This is such a cool project!

This is such a cool project!

It is indeed cool, but is it efficient ? I seriously doubt it.