World Food Building
Designed by: Plantagon
Challenge: How can we use symbiosis principles to maximise urban food production? Project description: Situated close to a power plant in Linköping, 160km south of Stockholm, the World Food Building (WFB) is a 60m tall office building with a greenhouse on the south side. Plantagon’s industrial symbiosis system uses waste from one process as a nutrient for another. Breathed air, rich with the C02 that enhances plant growth, is extracted from the adjacent offices, pumped into the greenhouse, and replaced by oxygenrich air produced by the plants. The greenhouse is heated by waste burned at the nearby power plant, and a local biogas plant supplies extra heat, also receiving any surplus green waste from the building. The greenhouse is designed to let as much light in as possible, with additional LED lighting where needed. Any excess heat produced is stored in boreholes beneath the building and can be used to warm the offices in winter. The façade is double skinned, allowing the flow of air and heat in an economically and environmentally viable way. The World Food Building produces around 500 tonnes of vegetables per year, ten times more than a conventional greenhouse with the same footprint. |
Project phase: Planning
Location: Stockholm, Sweden |