At our fourth meeting we continued developing prototypes. We also evaluated and improved upon two functional prototypes. Our 5th meeting will be on Sunday Feb 28 from 14:00 – 17:00 in the Baumhaus – bring food and snacks to share. We will continue evaluating and building on all prototypes. Team members will need to keep in touch with their groups, coordinate ordering materials with us (baumhaus.berlin@gmail.com) and prepare a building plan. If you would like to book a work session in the space to work on building your prototype, just get in touch with us to arrange a time.
11-02-2016 – Vertical Garden and Permaculture Planning Meeting #4
At this fourth meeting we focussed on prototype development and improvement; it was a well-paced, fun and effective meeting. About 25 people showed up and brought along plenty of knowledge and a collaborative spirit. We evaluated prototypes for the ‘Waterfall’ hydroponics concept and the ‘Tiny Aquaponics’ system.
The evening started off with a chilled meet-and-greet, giving us a chance to get a good look at these two prototypes in advance of presentations on these systems. We heard presentations from the ‘Modular Compost’ soil system and the ‘Lush Jungle’ hydroponic system later in the meeting. Each group considered the next steps in the evolution of their system. Before the meeting ended, each group reported on their next steps to continue their prototyping process, as we sipped delicious cocktails made by the one and only Sarah from The Wedding Space.
Now for a more in-depth review of each system:
The ‘Waterfall’ hydroponic system had been built over the past few days and was now mounted on one of the front walls of the space. This is a closed system, composed of a wooden water tank and 3 wooden plant troughs. The troughs are lined with pond liner to allow water to flow though and burlap plant pouches filled with Seramis are installed in each trough. A pump sends water to the top trough, which then flows gently back down through the system. The team explained how they built the prototype and assessed how sustainable it was, as seen in the photo below.The total material costs for this prototype were 200€. This included all the materials used to make the plant troughs, tank, controller and pump.
The rest of the group offered plenty of useful suggestions for improvement, such as more ecologically friendly materials and solar panels to power the system. In the next weeks, this group will be experimenting with light and watering conditions and monitoring the growth of the plants.
The ‘Tiny Aquaponics’ prototype combines shrimps with the roots of plants in a fish tank in a mutually beneficial relationship; shrimp poop provides nutrients for the plant, whilst the plant filters the water to maintain a suitable habitat for the shrimps. In the feedback session, the group suggested a few suitable pumps for this prototype (ram pump and tesla pump). Next, this group will be enlarging their prototype and experimenting on a bigger scale!
In our second hydroponics system, the ‘Lush Jungle’, garden plants are placed in fabric pockets stapled to a waterproof wall to create a full, flat living wall. They are watered from drippers from four different heights so that plants get enough water without constantly soaking the wall. The group talked us through developments in their plans to build a 4x4m living wall. They had found a more durable alternative to rockwool, to root the plants into the system. We considered additional lighting systems to supplement natural light at the walls furthest from the windows. Another suggestion was that they source plants that would otherwise be thrown away from plant nurseries. Next up for this team, they will be drawing up a list of materials to order and building their prototype.
The last system to prototype is a ‘Modular Compost’ soil system, a vertical tower garden complete with a vermicomposting system (compost with worms and old food). The prototype will be made up of box shaped containers which will allow the plants roots ample room. Group feedback included suggestions for alternate natural fertilisers, such as mushrooms and a similar composting system with ants. Now, the team will work out the dimensions of their unit and how to use the space available in the most efficient way. They will be choosing plants and prototyping over the next few weeks.
