Generating Optimum Form for Vertical Farms Skyscrapers in UAE

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2021

Abstract

The world population is growing rapidly and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. This huge population increase requires a massive area to reside in, reducing the land areas that can be used for agriculture. This will result in a reduction in food security for the entire population. Thus, the need for food production technologies is becoming a priority with every passing day. Vertical farming is one of the most innovative topics emerging to solve the food production solution. The design process of a vertical farm goes through multiple steps starting with discovering the optimum form. This paper aims to find the ideal model for a vertical farm skyscraper in the UAE while considering the climate conditions and environmental parameters. The method of study in this article relates to using Ladybug and Grasshopper, a Rhinoceros 3D v6 plug-in, to run simulations analyzing the environmental factors, in order to achieve the main objective of this paper. The analysis following Estidama regulations proved that the best possible form has drastic improvements in thermal comfort, decreasing the perceived heat gain and solar radiation while having more surfaces exposed to direct daylight reducing the dependence on artificial light for the cultivation of crops.

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