alan paul design
architecture and design
london l dubai
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Desert Oasis Farm
This farm, housed within a climatically controlled building intended to be located on the cheaper desert hinterland of a city such as Dubai, or a town such as Al Ain in the UAE, would grow and supply fresh vegetable produce for the city or towns hotels, restaurants, cafes and grocery stores. The produce would be pesticide free, as it is grown in a climatically controlled enclosed environment in which there are no pests.
The building has a honeycomb module which can be added to or omitted as needed. It can be omitted to form internal gardens which workers could enjoy breaks in, also offering views and natural light for them to the interior. These could have ponds and water features within to create a microclimate of cooler moist air, and in which palm trees could grow and provide shade. The module can be added where a particular crop proved to particularly in demand, so the devlopment would grow organically, which would be particularly attractive in the environment. It would look like a bees wax honeycomb. Which aisde from looking attractive would be an appropriate reference given that it is hoped that 'bumblebees' would live within the building (they are able to do this) and naturally fertilise certain crops.
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Desert Oasis Farm
sustainable growth
KEY:
2 Central circulation spine, with skylights over bringing natural lighting in and a connection to the outside
9 Delivery yard, to and from the city (about 10 miles away)
10 Road connecting to city. Guided tours could also be offered around parts of the farm and a restaurant, cafe and farm shop
4 Some moduled areas could be isolated and naturally ventilated for regional crops that thrive in the hot climate
1 The building expands as needed, organically, creating an attractive pattern visible to aircraft flying into Dubai
6 Entrance to Farm
8 Staff car park. If the public are to be allowed access to areas of the farm, with shops, restaurants, cafes and guided then an appropriately sized visitors car park would be provided
3 Some modules omitted to provide landscaped outdoor spaces for staff and/or customers. Some may have water features to create micro climates
5 Substantial overhangs to shade the perimeter from the strong desert sun
11 Desert
7 Administration department
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The desert farm could have a restaurant for visitors
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There could be a visitors tour educating visitors on the plight of our crops and the bees and showing the benefits of this farm
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Such tours would also provide customers with the assurance that they are buying quality pesticide free produce
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The building would provide a pleasant, comfortable environment for workers, who would be offered the produce for their mealtimes and have outdoor spaces in which to relax during breaks. Administrative staff work in the offices at the front of the building.
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A water supply would be provided by wind turbines which extract moisture from the air over the cool sea of The Gulf to create water which would be pumped to the farm. This supply would be backed up by local desalination plants.
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The water requirement for the farm would be less than a traditional farm, as there would be less wastage as the supply would be efficiently and therefore economically supplied as required by each crop. AI may assist with this by assessing growth rates, time of day, temperature to provide the optimum supply.
Some benefits of this proposal for a for example Gulf (GCC) Country are:
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Turns part of a barren desert into a fertile farmland, providing employment for the local city or town, increasing land values and making use of the vast area of desert just outside a Urbia
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Fresh vegetables produce for the city rather than vegetables that have been transported large distances that are no longer fresh
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Pesticide free produce
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Reduced emissions due to reduced transport distance. The transport distance from source to table or shop could be as little as 5 miles
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Less reliance politically and economically on other nations
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Renewable energy would be supplied by in the case of Dubai, the vast Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Farm, otherwise by solar panels located around the farm *which would be automatically spray cleaned to remove sand/dust build up
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The crops would not be confined by season as the climate is controlled
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The building could also have a farm shop or market for locals to shop at