About this project
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Farms in the city
BIGH is building a network of aquaponic urban farms in major cities
More and more people live in urban areas and the need for fresh and safe food is increasing every day. Intensive, integrated urban farming systems are an opportunity to meet this need in a sustainable, innovative and effective way, complementing other stand-alone farming initiatives.
BIGH grows local produce with an aquaponic system that is sustainable, productive and pesticide-free. To this end, BIGH integrates aquaponic farms into/on existing buildings and uses the energy loss from these buildings to provide heat for the farm. BIGH designs the farms to be maximally circular: the building materials are sustainable, reusable and/or comply with the cradle-to-cradle principle where possible. The farms are designed for optimal use of water and energy and to reduce the heat island effect in the city.
Applied: Ferme Abattoir in Anderlecht
The Ferme Abbatoir is one such aquaponics farm that BIGH realized. It consists of a high-tech greenhouse of 2000 m2 and an area for outdoor vegetable cultivation of 2000 m2. The farm is located in the heart of Brussels, on the roof of the Foodmet market hall, which is part of the famous Abattoir site. At the farm, urban farmers grow fish, fruits, vegetables and herbs in a closed and waste-free cycle.
