A RESEARCH TOPIC ON

Agro Housing Development in Arba Minch Ethiopia

BY

Yared Tesfaye

RAMITE 1630/09

ADVISOR: Besufkad

A thesis proposal submitted to

The Faculty of Architecture & up Planning

Arba Minch University Institute of Technology, AMIT

In partial fulfillment

Of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Arba Minch, Ethiopia

1. Chapter one - Introduction
1.1 Research background
Agro-Housing is a new urban and social vision that will address problems of urbanization by
creating a new order in the city and more specifically, in the housing environment. it is to have
housing programs that will allow the formation of a new social and urban order that can be
replicated as it represents basic human values lost in the process of modernization and progress.
Additional expected benefits from Agro-Housing include the decline in commuting, the decline
in further transportation system development, and the replacement of the zoning strategy by
more sustainable urban conception.
In Ethiopia’s city, the cost of living is soaring and many of the poorest households struggle to
afford food, rent, healthcare and school fees. With a population of more than four million, 22%
of which are poor and 23.5% unemployed, advancing urban agriculture in Arba Minch offers a
huge potential to fight poverty and reduce unemployment in Ethiopia’s economic and political
hub., which encompasses horticulture, animal husbandry and aquaculture in urban and peri-urban
settings. Described as ‘another way of feeding cities’ by the Veolia Institute, urban agriculture is
gaining global attention, with both national and international experiences showing its promising
potential to improve urban food security. Aside from building healthy diets and job
opportunities, the capital would also hugely benefit from contributing to urban greening. With its
open spaces, growing demand for fresh agricultural products, emerging urban food security
initiatives and availability of labor force, urban agriculture gives Arba Minch the chance to
become a greener and healthier city.

The idea behind Agro-Housing is to create a close to home space where families can
produce their own food supply according to their abilities and choices. This will allow the
citizens more independence, freedom, and additional income. Production of food crops to feed a
growing urban population without further damaging environment, and feeding up farmland and
allowing it to return to its ecological setting.

1.2 Statement of the problem

1.2.1 World food threat
The world is less than 40 years away from a food shortage that will have serious implications for
people and governments, according to a scientist. "For the first time in human history, food
production will be limited on a global scale by the availability of land, water and energy, " said a
senior science advisor on food security
ww.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/01/28/the-biggest-future-trends-in-agri…
Incident like covid 19 that limit the activity of human connection prove the important of self-
sustain housing unit
1.2.2 urbanization and food source in Ethiopia city
 The demand of food in large city of Ethiopian is increasing rapidly while the supply is
not growing because of the increasing of urban population.
 Peoples immigrate from rural to urban rapidly due to this the price of agricultural
product is increasing in undetermined way.
 as the number of urban settlers increase the demand and scarcity of food also increase.
In general problems of food threat in Adiss Ababa are stated as the following.
 Rapid growth of population and low production of food in the city
 High number of unemployed in the city increase the demand of food, shelter, cloth but
the society don’t able to afford the basic needs.
 Lands are cover by building at high rate which decrease the amount of land use for
agriculture
 The youth have low intention for agriculture
 1.3 Research objectives
1.3.1- General objective
The general objective of the study is to incorporated Vertical Farming in urban living
spaces(housing) which can prove to be, a sustainable urban housing unit.
1.3.2 - Specific objectives
 To Investigate the common vegetables demand in the community
 To Identify ways how agricultural farms is Incorporated in to urban housing
 To find a sustainable systems and materials for agro housing
 To develop a prototype housing unit for agro-housing development

1.4 Research questions

 What are the common vegetables demand in the community?

 how agricultural farms is incorporated in to urban housing?
 what are the sustainable systems and materials for agro housing?
 How to develop a prototype housing unit for agro-housing development?

1.5 Scope of the research

1.5.1 - Spatial scope

Geographically, the study focuses in Limat sub city of Arba Minch. Produces of vegetables by
vertical farming in sustainable way at homestead (compound).
1.5.2 - Thematic scope
The thematic scope of the study is to integrate housing development and vertical farming
consider related with land use, socio-economic condition of households in the system of farming
and the practice of Urban Agriculture with respect to environmental and health issues to the
potential and prospects of vertical farming.
 1.6 Significance of the research
The decision of households to be engaged in UA is led by the need to sustain their family
members and the expectation of improved returns in the absence of better paying jobs. Hence,
the activity is important as a source of fresh food by improving the supply of perishable but
nutritious food to urban consumers. It is sold with more affordable prices for urban consumers
than imported food, and increases the overall supplies and regulates undependable supplies of
food and lessens the seasonality of food available to the consumers. It is also a source of income
and security for the dairy farmer and provides employment for the families as well as for herders,
sellers of grass and leaves and collectors and sellers of produce i.e.
providing employment upstream and downstream from the production. The activity also benefits
the city at large in terms of more efficient use of land, in creating sustainable environment as
livestock can turn urban waste into resources and as wastes from livestock keeping can be a
valuable input for urban growing of staple foods, vegetables and fruits
The idea of Agro-Housing – carries a great economic potential as it will reduce the intensive use
of natural resources for food production and enable the people to produce their food and to take
responsibility for reduce the air and soil pollution by cutting the need for transportation and
freeing a large quantity of agriculture fields for forestation. And also create jobs within the
neighborhood and will permit more independence to people.

1.7 Research limitations

 Time is the basic limitation of the research to collect the necessary information from the
farmers in the city
 Lack of privets study or research about agro housing in Arba Minch
 No budget to achieve the research goal
 Understanding
 2. Chapter two Literature review

Ethiopia is an old country with a very young population. 45 percent of its 76 million people are
under 15 years. Large families, or rather, large dependency ratios, is closely linked with poverty.
If the dependency ratio increases with one, the probability of falling into poverty increases with
30 percent. Some international aid organizations think population growth will become the most
important challenge for the Ethiopian Government in the future. Life expectancy at birth

Ethiopia is 44 years; 6 years shorter than the sub-continental average.

It is estimated that 40 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line of USD $ 1
a day, adjusted for purchasing power parity. As much as a third of household spending is non-
monetary; informal trade for goods or services.

One in six Ethiopians live in urban settlements, but the majority of such settlements have no
more than 2 000 inhabitants. Urban centers grow at a faster pace than the national average, 4.1
percent versus 2.7 percent, respectively. The difference of 1.4 percent is thought to be the result
of net migration to urban areas, rather than increased fertility.
Source United Nations Human Settlements Programmed Regional and Technical Cooperation Division

2.1 The Concept of Vertical Farming

In vertical farming, plants are cultivated in multi-stacks or vertically-inclined surfaces of
buildings, warehouses, or greenhouses located in cities or urban areas. The plants could be
cultivated in three ways a soil-based system in which plants are potted in trays of soil and
sprayed periodically with a mist of nutrients, or an aeroponic system in which the roots of plants
are sprayed periodically with a mist that provided the necessary nutrients, hydration, and oxygen
for growth, ora hydroponic system in which plants were grown without soil by dipping the roots
of plants in water containing nutrients
2.2 History of Vertical Farming in the World
William Frederick Gericke pioneered hydroponics at the University of California at Berkley. In
the 1980s, Åke Olsson, a Swedish ecological farmer, also proposed vertical farming as a means
for producing vegetables in cities. He is known for having invented a spiral-shaped rail system
for growing plants. Around the turn of the century, Dickson Despommier, an American
ecologist, and professor of public health, passionately revived the concept of vertical farming.

He described the vertical farm as ―the mass cultivation of plant and animal life for commercial
purposes in skyscrapers. Using advanced greenhouse technology such as hydroponics and
aeroponics, the vertical farm could theoretically produce fish, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. The
vertical farm is considered to promote sustainable agricultural practices more than that by
conventional farming, which refers to large scale, outdoor agriculture that embraces systems that
engage heavy irrigation, intensive tillage and excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and
herbicides. Environmentalists, urban farmers, architects, agronomists, and public health experts,
among others, have been joining this mini revolution as they partner to work out a way to
salvage a food-scarce, ultra-urbanized future. A wide number of technology experts have
converged on the concept of vertical farming, advancing the fields of robotics, aeroponics,
aquaponics, and hydroponics. Nonprofits organizations (NGO) aiming to promote
environmentalism and local economic prosperity, have been backing the vertical farm concept.
Similarly, for-profit ventures that seek to meet the demand for local produce have supported this
concept. Further, governments looking for ways to boost domestic food security have been
funding these endeavors. Numerous countries including Korea, Japan, China, Germany, the
United Arab Emirates, China, France, India, Sweden, Singapore, and the United States, have
convened to discuss vertical farming. They have repeatedly endorsed the concept as integral to
the long-term sustainability of their cities.

Urban centers in Ethiopia are characterized by small size settlements and the dominance of a
single primate city, the national capital, as the main administrative, economic and financial
center accounting for more than a fifth of the total urban population (Table 3). However, the
number of localities has been increasing rapidly. In 1984, there were about 320 localities with a
population of 2,000 or more but within ten years, it increased by two-third and reached 530 in
1994. In spite of the low level of urbanization, inadequate housing resulting in homelessness or
in overcrowded living arrangements, poor sanitation and shortage of health and educational
services and limited employment opportunities are common features of most urban centers

2.3 Forms of Urban Agriculture

Analysis of contemporary urban structures has laid the foundations for the development of
various ideas of urban crop cultivation. My work presents the increasingly popular innovative
forms of urban management, which support the cultivation of crops, i.e., green roofs, city farms,
window farms (or window gardens) and vertical gardens.

 Green roofs

A green roof means an open area of roof covered with plants. This is one of the world‘s popular
ways of eco-compensation, i.e. investing in a given area in such a way that it increases its
environmental value. It is important that green structures can be implemented not only in the new
investments, but also in the those that already exist. The more popular the green roofs become,
the more diversity in both the plant cover and its purpose can be observed. A widespread type of
green roofs is dedicated to the restoration of a biologically active surface in towns and is usually
not available for use. This is an environmentally useful space which provides a habitat for birds
and other animals (Sznajda-Birnfeld et al., 2012)
Another type of green roofs are intensive green roofs, often referred to as roof gardens as this
name reflects their nature. The roofs are usually flat and resemble standard gardens or farms
(Rabiński, 2011). It is important to build them properly so they can support an additional weight
(up to 1500 kg per m2), so as to be able to cultivate there a wide range of perennials, bushes and
trees and to build additional elements, such as ponds, garden sculptures or garden houses.
Introduction of the elements listed above will need to ensure a proper thickness of a vegetation
layer, which can be up to 125 cm. Food produced on the roof of the workplace or dwelling
houses will be fresher, healthier and cheaper because of, inter alia, the lack of transportation cost
(Kania et al., 2013).
  Vertical garden

Currently, the most popular type of unconventional urban farms are vertical gardens, which
support growing of not only perennials and creepers but also bushes on the facades of buildings.
They can be created on both outer and inner walls, in both public space and private houses. The
main advantage of creating the green walls is the functional use of building facades, which
brings benefits to ecology of urban areas as well as their inhabitants (Bribach, 2014).
Vertical gardens are vertical constructions fixed to the wall, made of a lightweight frame
which is mounted on a special fabric supporting plants and preventing the use of an automatic
water spraying system. The purpose of the fabric is to support the roots as well as to maintain an
appropriate amount of moisture and nutritive substances. The implemented watering system to
distributes also a fertilizer which is necessary to nourish the plants. In case the daylight is not
available, it is possible to use artificial light, which helps to locate the green wall inside or in a
shady place (Kania et al., 2013).

 City farms

City farms are environment- and agriculture-friendly projects which enable people at all age to
visit a real farm located in the city Centre. They promote the development of wastelands in an
environmentally friendly way, while providing at the same time multiple benefits. Their activity
aims at improving the lifestyle in terms of healthy nutrition, environmental protection and
sustainable development, since the creation of a city farm ensures increased awareness of issues
such as environmental degradation, the use of renewable resources of the Earth and the reduction
of pollution resulting from the wasteful use of natural resources. The main purpose of building a
city farm is to persuade people to live according to nature by practical activities as well as
supporting the strategy of sustainable development and eco-development of urban areas. This
can be achieved through the development of environmentally friendly areas, acceleration of
organic waste recycling, improvement of water management, affecting the climate and biological
diversity of urban wildlife (Palej, 2010).
2.4 Theoretical Framework/Perspectives
Vertical farming is a concept that involves cultivating plants with livestock on vertically inclined
surfaces such as in skyscrapers in urban areas, where there is a lack of available land and space.
It is an agricultural technique involving large-scale food production in high-rise buildings that
enables fast growth and planned production by controlling environmental conditions and nutrient
solutions to crops based on hydroponics using cutting-edge greenhouse methods and
technologies.
2.4.1 Vertical Farming for Sustainable Development
Despommier recognized that current, industrial-based agriculture and land-utilization practices
are not sustainable and cannot be relied upon indefinitely to feed the world ‘s population. The
idea of vertical farming does not rely upon more land and more water in order to be effective. but
simply, it involves the utilization of high-rise, multistoried buildings, coupled with advanced
greenhouse and emerging light-emitting diode (LED) orogenic light-emitting diode (OLED)
technology to produce fruits and vegetables as well as fish, poultry, and small domesticated
animals (Despommier, 2009; Max, 2011).
Cultivating plants and raising fish and small animals in a controlled indoor environment ensures
year-round productivity, thus making production independent of the vagaries of seasonal
growing periods. Production would also be protected from adverse climatic events that normally
reduce yields or completely eliminate productive capacity. Despommier (2007) suggested that
with suitable technology and agro management skill, a vertical farm acre can produce the
equivalent of 4 to 6 soil-based acres. For some crops, especially those that grow in tight clusters
such as strawberries, one vertical farm acre yields the same amount of produce as 30 outdoor
acres. Vertical farms use less water, are less susceptible to diseases and pestilence, and would
need much less agro-mechanization to sustain operation.
A vertical farm would also help alleviate chronic unemployment issues faced in many urban
environments. Aside from offering jobs within the vertical farm infrastructure, additional
ancillary jobs opportunities would result from the incorporation of the farm into the life of the
community. First of all, the farm would need workers to construct and maintain the structure.
The vertical farm would also include a system of grocery stores, organic food markets and
eateries, and local distribution and transportation networks that would offer opportunities for a
variety of other food-service related positions (Despommier, 2009; Hwang, 2010).
2.4.2 Sustainable Urban Agriculture
In the 19th century, British social activist E. Howard designed a new city mode utilizing broad
farmlands to surround the beautiful living environment, putting all what is good offered by the
positive city life together with all the beauty and welfare provided by countryside in order to deal
with the traffic jams, environmental degradation and city disease caused by farmers ‘influx into
the big city. This should be the earliest urban agriculture theory.
Since the 20th century, along with the wide spread of urban agriculture in many developed
countries, research in its theory has been furthering. This article explains the theoretical bases of
urban agriculture mainly from the view of point of economics.
In some cases, it is true that the past is the future. Vertical farming is rooted in the agricultural
practices of the nineteenth century. During World War I and later during World War II, people in
communities were urged and supported by government officials to grow food in whatever spare
land was available in the cities and towns of the nation, as a method of augmenting the scarce
provisions available at that time. The future of sustainable urban agriculture has its roots in the
past.
2.5. Potential and Prospect of Vertical Farming
Vertical Farming can be potentially beneficial in increasing food production, maintaining high
quality and safety and contributing to sustainable urban farming. Well-known advantages of 15
growing food within the urban territory can be beneficial environmentally, socially and
economically. Vertical farms can also provide solutions for increasing food security worldwide.
Fatemeh Kalantari (2017).

2.5.1. Food Security

Food security has become an increasingly important issue. Demographers anticipate that urban
population will dramatically increase in the coming decades. At the same time, land specialists
(e.g., agronomists, ecologists, and geologists) warn of rising shortages of farmland
(Despommier, D.2014). For these reasons, food demand could exponentially surpass supply,
increase by 40%, exceeding 9 billion people by the year 2050. The UN also projects that 80% of
the world ‘s population will reside in cities by this time. Further, it predicts that by 2050 we will
need 70% more food to meet the demands of 3 billion more inhabitants worldwide united nation
2015). Food prices have already skyrocketed in the past decades, and farmers predict that prices
will increase further as oil costs increase and water, energy, and agricultural resources diminish.
The sprawling fringes of suburban development continue to eat up more and more farmland. On
the other hand, urban agriculture has been facing problems due to land scarcity and high costs.
We desperately need transformative solutions to combat this immense global challenge
(Despommier, D.2014).
The logic of vertical farming is simple: produce more food on less land. The same rationale that
we use to stack homes and offices in limited and expensive land, such as in Hong Kong or
Manhattan, can apply to farming. Proponents of the vertical farm claim that it would create
compact and self-sufficient ecosystems that cover multiple functions, from food production to
waste management.
2.5.2. Climate Change
Ethiopia has already endured 10 major droughts since 1980. For the past four decades, the
average annual temperature in Ethiopia has been increasing by 0.37 degrees C per decade, with
the majority of warming occurring during the second half of the 1990s. Eighty-five per cent of
Ethiopians live in rural areas and most rely on subsistence farming for survival. With increasing
changes to the climate, Ethiopians are struggling to farm. The drought is worsening, and people
are going days without food and water.

(Trócaire) .

2.6 Protection of the environment.

Waste Management – reduction of waste generated by tenants by providing an easy accessible

storage for waste recycling.
Vegetation The intensive use of vegetation mainly in the greenhouse and on the balconies will
contribute significantly to the reduction of carbon dioxide and the creation of a cooling effect
and shading in the building.
Flexibility & Adaptability -The design of the apartments allows maximum flexibility to arrange
interior spaces according to the requests of the future tenants. Beside the position of the
plumbing fixtures, all the interior space can be divided easily with minimum energy by the
definition of the owners and their financial capacities. There is a possibility to integrate working
spaces within the apartments if needed.
2.7 Agro-Housing – Economic Assessment

It will expose the young generation to the possibility to be responsible for their own health and
well-being by growing their own food.

Agro-housing will create jobs within the neighborhood and will permit more independence to
people.

Rainwater Harvesting – From the roofs and balcony rainwater will be collected for gardening
saving potable water from the city system.

Recycling -The metal structure as well as materials such as aluminum and glass will be recycled
and will reduce the cost of the end of life of the building.

The Agro-Housing project has a minimal footprint in order to free maximum ground surface for
gardening and rainwater harvesting. 

2.8 type of vertical farming

2.8 .1type of vertical farming based on system
1. Hydroponics

Hydroponics is easy and simple way to grow plants, considered by many more advantageous
than the cultivation in soil because it makes possible to give plants maximum levels of the exact
nutrients they need. Precise control of nutrient uptake allows reap higher yields faster.
East Asia, Spain and Israel have increased the implementation of hydroponic farm, while NASA
has developed a research program for a system hydroponic food production to be used in space
missions.
2 Aeroponics
Aeroponics the principle of aeroponics is to grow plants suspended in closed or semi closed
environment by spraying the pant s dangling roots and lower stem with an atomized or sprayed.
Nutrient-rich water solution.
The leaves and crown extend above. The roots of the plant are separated by the plant sup-port
structure often closed call foam is compressed around the lower stem and inserted into an
opening in the aeroponic chamber.
Which decreases labor and expense. For lamer plants trellising is used to suspend the weight of
vegetation and fruit
3 Cacophonic
Dry coconut stands are very rich in nutrients cacophonic is simple methodology of growing
plants in coir. The plant seeds are embedded in to the a pot of full of coir and is water every day
for its growth
4 Aquaponics
Aquaponics refers to any system that combines conventional aqua culture (raising aquatic
animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tank)with hydroponic system (cultivating plant
in water ) in a symbiotic environmental in an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture
system is fed to hydroponic system where the by products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria
initially into nitrites and subsequently in to nitrates which are utilizes by the plant as nutrients
and the water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system

2.8.2 type of vertical farming based on structure

Stacked beds

The design is Merab' a stacking of

the standard in-line pipe beds that
continue to be the system of choice
for nonnumerical hydroponic farms.
Much like the ramification of
stratifying floors in a vertical farm,
the de-sign's stacked configuration
doesn’t allow sunlight to penetrate
each layer, ranker lighting a
necessity. The best commercial
example of the stacked bed approach is the de-sign used by Terra Sphere Systems, which has it-
emended systems oath five tiers to growing surface within a 3 metrietioor to ceilirq height
Stacked drums

Though it is the least common con-

America hydroponic system Listed here.
the drum design Likely offers the most
promise for the future of indoor
agriculture. It consists of growing plants
within the intoner of a drum structure
positioned around a central artificial Light
source. resulting in extraordinarily low space and energy Use per unit of production

Trellis

The A-frat-nitriles design was the 11 'St Developed the IKEA innovation lab numerically success
full hydroponic Space10 along-side architects sine land system to exhibit a vertical on mutation.
holmane mads-ulrik nusum. the spherical Varieties of this design consist of pipes •Grow room•
IS a DIY garden

2.9 CONCEPT VIABILITY

Urban Crops says that vertical farming yields more crops per square meter than traditional
farming or greenhouses do, Vertical farming also uses less water, grows plants faster, and
can be used year-round —not just in certain seasons. The facilities also can, in theory, be
built anywhere
At Urban Crops, eight layers of plants can be stacked in an area of just 30sq m (322 sq ft.).
It's not a commercial-sized operation, but rather a proving ground intended to show that the
concept is viable.[30]
- Chris Baraniuk 6 April 2017
3.13 ASSOCIATIONS AND INSTITUTION
There are a lot of centers (more than 150 for Christine Zimmermann-Loessl of the
Association for Vertical farming working on realization, realization and on their physical,
economic and structural feasibility Than et Earth (UK); New York-Sun works (USA);
Omega-Garden (Canada); Levenson (Canada); Plant Lab (Italy); Vert Crop
 (Canada); Plantago International AB (Swedish), ENEA (Italy); Sky Greens
(Singapore); The Plant (USA), Mirai Co, (Japan), Aerofarms INRA-AgroParisTech (French),
German Aerospace Centre (Germany), Urban Pastoral Collective (USA), EcoGeek (USA),
SOA (France); ODA architecture (USA), to name just a few. There are also numerous
universities that foster research In this area: in addition to Columbia University (USA) in
which D, Despommier, we mention a few other. Clemson University Institute of Applied
Ecology (USA); Faculty of the Architecture Department in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture Savannah College of Art and Design
(USA), Polytechnic di Torino (Italia), School of
Architecture, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia (Canada); Universitå La Sapienza di Roma
(Italy) and the Universitå di Perugia (Italy),

3.14 CONCLUSIONS

In the name of progress, man is turning the world into a fetid and poisonous place (and this
is "anything but" a symbolic picture). It is polluting the air, water, soil, animals and himself,
to the point that it is legitimate to ask whether, In a hundred years, you can still live on earth
-Erich Fromm
We already have the statistics for the future the growth in percentages of pollution,
overpopulation, and desertification The future is already m place
-Gunter Grass

By me the appropriate form for vertical farming can be good solution for these all reviews, for

this as per technology and consideration small multi storey vertical farms are to be built with
hydroponic method in urban areas integrated with other functional space such as office, mixed
use, apartment building and so on.
3 CASESTUDY
In the past few decades, the conservation about urban agriculture and vertical farming has
proliferated and many contemporary architects have started to join in. These precedents may
involve agriculture in architecture at various levels from the scale of a city to a scale of a
single institutional building, but however, an agricultural component Is always Included as
the main conceptual consideration in the design. The followmg studies exhibit how urban
agriculture has been explored and what kind of forms are using for vertical farming.

2.9.1 AGRO-HOUSING: WUHAN CHINA

Project type: Multi- family Residential
Architect Knfao Kilmore architects
Area: 10,000 sq m
Year of completion, 2015
Client: Living steel
Location, Wuhan, China
Climate: Warm, humid
Context: Suburban

The environmental situation in China worsens by the day, with billions being spent on
infrastructure and development projects for rapidly urbanizing agricultural land, small scale
towns and villages, The Chinese have no other choice but to urbanize these spaces order to
accommodate the rapidly growing urban population. By 2025, the government of China
passed a rule that involved mandatory displacement of 250 million farmers
and rural dwellers from the country side to the cities. This not only creates housing shortage
but also causes forced lifestyle changes and culture shifts

2.9,2 THE AGRO-HOUSING ASSEMBLAGE

Agro- housing is a significant study that addresses the juxtaposition of urban living with
agriculture. In the design of the apartment, the spaces Incorporate within them two basic
elements- Apartment type housing towards the north, east and west and a multi-floor
greenhouse- in the southern facade- The apartment contains a centrally placed core that divide
the community from the cultivated spaces but at the same time grants equal access to the green
space from all the apartments, for the unification of the community as seen in figure 2.9.2, The
apartments promote the sense of individualism; while, the agricultural components are located at
the interface between the apartments in order to act as spatial bridges for communal harmony in
the common areas. Ultimately, the design Implements vertical farming-to allow assimilation of
the agricultural lifestyle and rural culture into urban living,
 Fwure 5.9 Agro-housing assemblage

Source: scribd /34273490/Agro-Housing

2.9.3 CONCEPT
The concept of Agro-Housing is a housing program that will allow the formation of a new
social and urban order and that can be replicated as it represents basic human values lost In
the process of modernization and progress Agro-Housing will reduce the need for
commuting and the extra development of the transportation system and it will replace the
urban zoning strategy by more sustainable urban conception.

2.9.3 GREENHOUSE COMPONENTS

IRRIGATION

Complete drip irrigation system,

 Advanced fertilizer dosing system

Irrigation controller

Water disinfection system

Water recycling system

Water treatment solution

GROWING METHODS
Soil-less material: coco peat, rock wool, volcanic ash, perlite, etc.

Growing gutter system

Trellis system
CONTROL
•Full range of climate and irrigation controllers, according to one's needs-

ACTIVE VENTILATION/COOLING
•Circulation fans

•Shading/thermal screens
HANGING SYSTEM
•Versatile system fit for a variety of crops and treatments

2.9. 5NATURAL RESOURCES & CLIMATE

CONTROL
WATER CONSERVATION AND REUSE

7 AXONOMETRIC PROGRAM OF
AGRO-HOUSING
WINTER SUN AND AIR VENTILATION SUMMER SUN AND AIR VENTILATION

Planning

Groundfloorplan
3RD FLOOR PLAN

Rooftop plan

South Elevation
2.9.6 AGRO-HOUSING - CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS

The proposed structure of the building Is composed of metal columns and beams on a grid of
10m x 9m, on top of the corrugated steel sheets, a five-centimeter concrete layer will be applied,
these lightweight steel sheets will be prefabricated and installed onsite. Additionally, the
concrete staircase is stabilizing the building's structure. This prefab steel system will create
flexible spaces in the building and will contribute to the sustainability of the project, In the end
the building's life, it will be easily recycled, Facade - The exterior panels is prefabricated using a
modular grid, The glazed panels have sliding shading in the same dimension. The other panels
on the facade is covered with terracotta tiles, a sustainable material, Materiality - The choice of
materials in the building is consider thermal qualities and abilities to be recycled at the end of the
building. Insulation Using structurally insulated panels to determine the energy efficiency of the
building and reduce texture energy expenses. End of life - A majority of the suggested building
materials: steel, aluminum, and terracotta tiles are recyclable
 Chapter three: research materials and methodology

3.1 Description of the Study Area

Agro-housing

Primary data Secondary date

Site visit Market observation Interview Information from governmental office

Data collection

Data analysis

Development of
proto type
 No Specific Data need Source of data Data collection Data Present
objective method Analysis

1 Investigate the common Common

vegetables on
Market market observation Analyze the type Excel software
vegetables demand by Interview customer, and amount of
the market
Customer farmers and merchants
the community vegetable by
Vegetable used
Farmer in the city site observation present on market
by customer
Estimate the ratio of
vegetable supply to
the city

2 ways how agricultural Case study Standard guide line Study project on agro- Analyze and
farms is Incorporated in Literature Recent project in the housing interpret to the
review contacts of the site
to urban housing world and in east Standard book for
vegetable Caracter and
Africa
aria coverage

3 a sustainable systems Literature Basic vertical farming standard and type of Analyze and
and materials for agro review on system vertical farm interpret to the
contacts of the
housing system use in Basic material uses for standard material uses
community
vertical farming for vertical farming
vertical farming

4 develop a prototype Selecting Site analysis Site visit Data interpretation Architectural
soft ware
housing unit for agro- Specific site Internet explore
housing development

The study will carry out in Arba Minch Limat sub city The city was selected for three main
reasons. One, it is the one of largest city in Ethiopia harboring more than 5 % of the total urban
population in the country; thus, it was assumed that it holds many of the urban farmers. Two,
knowing that few researches are done so far in this issue, the study improves knowledge about
the role that urban agriculture plays in the study area and can be one of the baseline references.
And last but not least, it was assumed that research findings have good representing value for
other cities in the country and similar urban areas elsewhere. Use of administrative units was
found to be suitable to select representative study sites within the city. representative sub-city for
the study. Major criteria were presence of urban agriculture office and location of sub-cities.
3.2 Research Approach

Mixed approach, A triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Relevant

information obtained from both primary and secondary sources. With the primary source of data,
questionnaires and interviews are the main tools to obtain primary information. Majority of the
primary data will collect through household survey administered to urban farming households,
field observations, and key informant interviews. Key informant interviews and target group
discussions were carries out to substantiate the data obtain through the questionnaire survey.
On the other hand, secondary data will collect from different books, previously undertaken
research papers, internet search, in addition, draft and publicized government policy and strategy
papers, satellite image, photographs, etc. other sources of secondary data.

3.3 Methods of Data Collection

The primary data will obtain through a questionnaire, survey, Field observations. The secondary
data will gather from various sources including official documents, records and published and
unpublished reports from various organizations and other related literature to achieve a
comprehensive perspective of the issue under consideration.

3.4 Sampling Frame

Sampling frame is a list or set of directions for identifying all elements in a study population.
Therefore, the sampling frame for this study is the list of local producers of vegetable by
stakeholder in Limat sub-city. The total size of sampling frame in the local producer and land
owner are determined to be identifying sample size of household.

3.5 Sampling Design

A sample design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population before data
collection the study will use random sampling method. Random sampling technique was applied
to collect data from the concerned government offices.
3.5.1 Population

The random sampling technique is used to collect data from urban farmers who produce and sold
vegetables in the city. Specifically, urban farmers who produced and sold vegetable in their own
housing unit in Limat sub city.

3.5.2 Sampling Technique

selecting a sample household from this kebele to providing representative and reliable data;
facilitating revisit or asking supplementary questions about urban agriculture activity and others
relative question around the progress of the work and its difficulty during analysis.

3.5.3 Sample Size

For the structured survey, four cooperatives will select from the sample. The sampling frame will
create based on the data obtained from the four cooperatives. First the study population will list
and then stratify based on participants' performance of productivity. A minimum of three types
crops produces and current participation in the farmland were the two issues considered in
selecting the participants in the study
3.5.4 Questionnaire

Both types of questioners are use and survey household to address the question so closed ended
and open-ended questionnaire the entire questionnaires will prepare in English and then translate
into Amharic, because Amharic is either the responses’ mother thong language or they can speak
and read without problem.

3.5.5 Interview (Key informant interview)

Unstructured interview material will prepare and administered. Unstructured questions raised
due to some issues need further explanation or the interviewee initiates some relevant issues
which are not prepared by the interviewer. Interview with Arba Minch Office of Agriculture
development and privet farmers.
 Chapter 4

Data Analysis
data analysis of prototype vertical farming

4.1 INTRODUCTION
Vertical farming has been started in Ethiopia recently it is not practice in most of the urban space
but recently the idea is been followed by the Adiss Ababa city government administration in
order to sustain the food quality and quantity of the city it is not satisfied because of the idea is
new and lack of advanced material it is difficult to introduce the system rapidly white peoples try
to participate in the system there is also mis understanding of the so city that vertical farming is
profitable simultaneal people have no habit of farming .

4.2 SEASONS OF CULTIVATION

4.9 CONSUMPTION OF SOILLESS FARMING SYSTEM

Many studies describe the quantitatively the differences between the three most common soilless
farm system as compared to the conventional farming system, in term of the irrigation water,
fertilizer consumption, crop productivity and the productively of the unit of irrigation water.
Table 4 1 shows the average values which have been collected from many of the research review
which have been implemented in different locations. The results showed the highest water
productivity could obtained under the Aeroponics farming system, also the closed system always
showed a higher water productivity over the open system
 4.17.2 COMPARATIVE YIELDS

Comparative yield of per acre crop in soil and hydroponics system

Crop Soil System (1b) Hydroponics system (1b)

Potatoes 16,000 140,000

Lettuce 9,000 21,000

Tomatoes 10,000-20,000 120,000-600,000

Cucumbers 7,000 28,000

Table Comparative Yields Per acre in soil and hydroponics system
source: SMEDÄ report
Note: Yield of tomato m hydroponic system is 10-30 times more than the conventional soil
system,