Integration Design Of Building Integrated Agriculture In Urban Area

Urban agriculture connects human activities to the proceeding circle of the bio-sphere. While by learning from the circulation loop of the natural ecosystem that isalso called as from cradle to cradle cycle mode, the agriculturalized city buildingchallenges the conventional pattern of resource consumption and energy employmentof the human society, which is the way from cradle to grave. Urban building integrat-ed agriculture (BIA) system is based on the metropolis space and its advanced tech-nology, huge marketing capacity and broad information network. BIA system aims torealize the local food production, food transportation distance reduction, and alsowastewater reclamation and reuse, rainwater collection and reuse, and organic wasterecycle. Due to the physiological mechanism of the crops, the environmental issues ofthe metropolis would be partly resolved, such as a better air condition and a lowerheat island index.This paper bases on three basic theory, urban agriculture, food miles and fromcradle to cradle theory and biomimicry design. After a research study of the existingtheory and design proposals, this paper analyzes the size of the BIA system in an ag-riculturalized metropolis and classifies the types of BIA building. Then a definition isgiven to clarify the implication of the BIA building. Based on the feasibility analysisof the BIA building in the modern urban area, and the demonstration of the main de-sign idea and supporting technology systems, the paper expects to display a particularcompound ecosystem of the BIA building and the construction, metabolism mode andperformance of this ecosystem. It could be concluded that considering the compre-hensive effect of the ecological properties of the crops and the interaction of the BIAbuilding with the urban compound ecosystem, the benefits of the human, environment,society-economy from a BIA building outweigh the imagination and the initial cost.At the last part of the paper, four design proposals are decomposed in order to discussthe practice value and the future of BIA.A BIA system emphasizes the conversation between building, nature, agriculturalsystem and the city. This conversation is about the resource circulation and energyflow between any two of them. For the building, the inner micro-climate is significantfor the comfort both of the people and the crops. The former influences the humanliving quality, and the latter reflects on the quality and quantity of the planted food. Inorder to realize the added value, urban food production, and to maintain the main function of the building, a BIA building is bound to rely on the technologies of eco-logical agriculture, renewable energy employment and waste recycle and reuse. Anintegrated whole is established with this three technologies and integration designpattern, which could be lower the operation cost of both building system and agricul-ture system, and would improve the organic performance of the system circulation aswell.To some degree, a BIA system is a micro ecosystem. A single food chain is set upbetween the crops and residences with a smaller spread of resource and energy. Whilea BIA building cluster (an agriculturalized community) is to a relative higher level. Ithas a more complicated cycling path of resources and energy. It is a more domesticself-sufficient and self-maintenance system. A BIA building (cluster) plays an activerole in the urban compound ecosystem. It pushes the urban food network establish-ment and merges the ecological-social-economic efficiency into the common urbanlifestyle.From a social-economic perspective, BIA system would fulfill the community ac-tivity and economy vitality by job creation and local food marketing popularization.The self-maintained community ecosystem allows food-derived income to be kept inthe local economy system. Additionally, BIA would turn blighted areas into amenities.