Urban/Suburban residents are more disconnected than anyone to the natural origins of the food they consume. This missing connection results in poor diets, food waste, and little if any awareness of the energy and resources needed to cultivate food. Additionally, a resident's carbon footprint can be significantly reduced by sourcing local food from their own living space. The Urban Crop Cultivation project seeks to restore the connection between residents and food by incorporating vegetation systems in the built environment. Drexel Smart House draws on it's expertise in lightweight and sloped vegetation systems as well as recent advances in energy efficient LED technology and established NASA aeroponic techniques to develop first of it's kind indoor cultivation systems.

This project has been sponsored by Future Lighting Solutions.

Approaches

The Drexel Smart House began this project in the Fall 2009 while students were researching the impacts of indoor vegetation on occupant health. In the entrepreneurial spirit that helped found the Smart House, the organization is currently seeking students interested in developing this project further. Below are some initial concepts developed by Smart House students.

1. Indoor Aeroponic Walls

Vertical cultivation systems are preferred since cultivation yield can be maximized given the constrained indoor space. Since light is supplemented artificially, the density of the walls is flexible. Vertical systems present specific challenges, such as root management and support.

2. Vertical Planters

Vertical planters have all of the space saving and yield benefits as the indoor aeroponic walls however may be limited to vine growing crops. One unique advantage planters have is that the soil containing the roots can be used to exchange heat from the lighting system, recovering energy in the process.

Technologies

The Urban Crop Cultivation project is made possible by a number of technologies used by Drexel Smart House students.

LED technology & energy recovery | Aeroponic Technology | Vertical Vegetation Structures | Rainwater Harvesting & Reuse | Nutrient Supplementation & Distribution | Embedded microcontrollers and automation tools