Argo Food Park is a center for food and agricultural innovation in Aarhus, Denmark that sits on about 250 acres of land. A new masterplan from William McDonough + Partners and 3XN/GXN has presented a proposal to develop the area into an urban environment that promotes innovation, knowledge sharing, and interaction between companies.
Farm fields surround the buildings located in the food park, and the proposal takes that into consideration, using the plant waste and manure from these farms as part of the new system design, fastcoexist.com reports. The proposal links the buildings for farm operations and office space in order to get enough heat or energy from the farm components to provide power for some of the buildings. The use of manure, biogas, and other farm waste will be used to power buildings and will be scaled up as new buildings are built.
The five main focus areas for the development are healthy materials, clean energy, increased biodiversity, healthy air, and clean water. “A carbon positive city demonstration at The Agro Food Park can be the embodiment of this new century—its clean water, air, soils and energy serving as a continuous source of economic and ecological innovation and regeneration, redefining how we act now for a positive future,” says William McDonough, FAIA, Int. FRIBAA, on the McDonough + Partners website.
The Argo Food Park proposal includes three primary spatial and landscape concepts called ‘The Strip,’ ‘The Plazas,’ and ‘The Lawn.’
The Strip acts as Argo Food Park’s main street. It is a street with open facades and shared amenities where the park’s companies can display their products and identities. It is built to be walkable and very pedestrian friendly.
The Plazas are a series of plazas meant to give local character to the surrunding buildings.
The Lawn is a central green space. It is meant to showcase the innovative and experimental happenings within the city’s agriculture and food production.
Currently, the masterplan calls for the work to be completed over four phases.
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Image courtesy of 3XN/GXN
Related Stories
Sustainability | Nov 8, 2019
South Korea plans to build three hydrogen-powered cities by 2022
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport is in charge of the project.
Wood | Oct 24, 2019
Could mass timber be a game changer for stadium design?
Projects throughout the U.S. and Canada showcase the design and environmental traits of large-scale wood sports facilities.
Sustainability | Aug 15, 2019
Paris will soon be home to the world’s largest rooftop farm
Agripolis is spearheading the project.
Sustainability | Aug 2, 2019
This will become the first carbon-neutral social housing project in Italy
Barreca & La Varra designed the project.
Sustainability | Jun 7, 2019
Workplace wellness: Top 3 tips for Fitwel certification
How can thoughtful design encourage healthier choices, lifestyles, and work environments?
Sustainability | May 28, 2019
Carrier’s world headquarters in Florida goes green
The structure is the first commercial building in Florida to achieve LEED Platinum v4 Certification.
Resiliency | Apr 22, 2019
Turner Construction doubles down on jobsite efficiency
The company targets a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions and water use from construction activities by 2030.
Sustainability | Apr 5, 2019
BIG unveils vision for a sustainable, floating city
The project is dubbed Oceanix City.
Sustainability | Mar 25, 2019
This is the world’s first Sustainable SITES Initiative v2 Platinum project
The building is part of the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh.
Sustainability | Feb 20, 2019
Studio NAB’s Superfarm project creates an entire ecosystem in an urban environment
The Superfarm will go beyond what vertical farms typically produce.