Economic efficiency principles for architectural and space-planning design of vertical farms

Abstract

The paper highlights use of the economic efficiency principles group during construction and architectural planning of vertical farms. Even though vertical farming is a more efficient and sustainable approach to agro-industry than convenient farming, this method requires significant capital for building and operation. To overcome these shortcomings, the paper describes methods of implementing project solutions that can increase the economic feasibility from architectural perspective. The authors divided the principles group into three main ones: the principle of completion from without, the principle of economy and saving resources, and the principle of saving time and space.
 The basis of the first principle consists of diverse techniques for increasing the system’s stability and adaptability to unpredictable external and internal changes. For this purpose, it is recommended to implement such solutions as poly-functionality of the building, its openness to the public, space-planning and structural flexibility, and dispersal of engineering networks.
 The main purpose of the second principle is the overall increase in energy efficiency and in building and production sustainability. It is determined that the most appropriate techniques of this principle are: a variable approach to design process with implementation of different comparison methods for architectural solutions; quality assessment of project decisions, using functional-cost analysis, LCA, LCC, and qualimetry; sustainable methods integration for energy and production resources restoration; application of energy efficiency architecture methods.
 The principle of saving time and space is fundamental for maintaining the main labor and production resources, which is a way to minimize areas, construction resources, and labor costs for construction and production. This principle is the key to a general reduction in the cost of agro-industrial products production, and therefore reducing its cost on the market. Hence, it leads to stabilization and reduction of price, and product accessibility to the consumer.