Synergy is the balance between nature, agriculture and housing. The collaboration is greater as a whole rather than the individual. The overarching ideology is from Permaculture; collaboration is also central here. The idea behind permaculture design is to plant trees, flowers or herbs around the anchor tree, which all support the anchor to grow as efficient as possible. All supporters have there own function. So important for the design are these 6 functions of plant…
Synergy is the balance between nature, agriculture and housing. The collaboration is greater as a whole rather than the individual. The overarching ideology is from Permaculture; collaboration is also central here. The idea behind permaculture design is to plant trees, flowers or herbs around the anchor tree, which all support the anchor to grow as efficient as possible. All supporters have there own function. So important for the design are these 6 functions of plant communities:
1. attractor: draw pollinators and other beneficial insects to the area;
2. repeller: plants that repel certain predators or unwanted visitors;
3. suppressor: suppressors out-complete weeds or grasses in the landscape, acting as a form of weed control;
4. mulcher: as plants break down you renew topsoil and help maintain water;
5. accumulator: use a deep tap root to access nutrients that other plants can’t access and draw them up to a more accessible level;
6. fixer: fixers take nitrogen farm the air and convert it into nitrogen that other plants can use.
In this project, the aim is to feed and house as many residents as possible on 20.5 ha. In the harmonious collaboration between humans, animals and nature, a vegetarian menu has been chosen. Five biodiverse landscapes have been designed in this, each with specific products and homes for the specific landscape. The 6 functions of plant communities have been taken into account in each landscape.
With this (bio)diversity of products, AGRI-synergy is 60% self-sufficient.
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The agriculture exist out of a vegetable
garden, fruit orchard, perennial guild, protein swamp and food forest border.
The 6 functions of plant communities have been taken into account in each
landscape. But at the scale of the masterplan, each landscape is also again one
of the six functions, which are needed to create a total self-organizing natural food
system. One exception is for the ‘accumulator’, tis function is filled in as the
farm. See next chapter.
The
houses are fitted in to the landscapes and are designed for the specific
function of that landscape. For example: the vegetable garden has in the
masterplan the function of a attractor, so the building should also attract necessary
insect to pollinate the food production in this landscape. So the building is
designed with a courtyard and partly a sloping roof, to keep as many space for production and as little disruption as possible for the pollination process. In the facade of the building are small holes for insects to house, like an insect hotel. In this way the house is also
supportive to the ecosystem. As been
told, the farm is in this case the accumulator, or to say: the anchor of the plan. Around it are the supportive
landscapes. The farm collects
all grey and used water from the houses via natural rivers and filters it through
a helophyte filter. The helophyte filter is connected to the protein swamp to
have a constant supply of clean water. This clean water is needed to grow water
lentils in the swamp for the needed protein for daily consumption.
The last
topic is nature. Nature is included for biodiversity. Because AGRI-Synergy is
based on a working ecosystem, the farm needs many divers nature to have a
rich biodiversity. This is needed to control pest. For instance, you need a
ducks to control (eat) snails when the colony gets to big. So that’s why the landscape is divided in multiple sections. The
nature also collects the grey and used water from the houses (in the two sections
near the rivers) and drains it to the helophyte filter in the farm.
The typologies in nature are: forest, swale, flower meadow, small river, amphibian pool, green alley and wood wall.
But after
all, when you walk upon the roof of the farm, drink a glass of wine with friends
and look around, you’ll experience the beauty of a (bio)diverse landscape full of
life and a sustainable future.
