Urban produce-growing project earns honor for M. Arch student

An innovative concept that integrates agriculture and urban living earned Sana Khadepaun, a Texas A&M [Master of Architecture] (http://dept.arch.tamu.edu/graduate/master-architecture/) student, a place among top projects in a contest whose organizers aim to revamp cities into places whose inhabitants grow food.

Khadepaun’s concept was shortlisted as a top entry in [Urban Meal Mine: Sustainable Farming for Megacities] (https://competitions.uni.xyz/urban-meal-mine-sustainable-farming-for-) , a contest hosted by Uni, a collaborative community of creative people who aim to generate conversations and constructive criticism of architecture, art, products, fashion and more.

Her concept which includes a wholesale market, retail area, vertical, indoor farms and public spaces is part of an effort to rejuvenate London’s Nine Elms district, which is emerging from decades as a wasteland of industrial facilities.

In Khadepaun’s concept, which she developed as her graduate thesis project, city dwellers could grow produce in multistory structures with integrated water systems, grow lights, and environmental controls.

The multistory structures are part of a complex that includes a “green”-roofed retail market for the produce that also includes workshop spaces, bank and additional public spaces.

The complex also includes a large, open central space for public events with water features and gathering spots to serve as a respite from urban life.

Contest organizers sought entries that bring farming to cities where people, using today’s technology, and grow and consume produce locally.

Richard Nira
rnira@arch.tamu.edu