Integration of Urban Agriculture Systems into Interior Architecture: Case Examples and a Modular Design Proposal

Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 677 - 691, 15.03.2026

Nergiz Amirov

https://doi.org/10.34248/bsengineering.1856937

https://izlik.org/JA39CC58LB

Abstract

Rapid urbanization, environmental disruption, and recurring disasters have intensified the need for resilient food strategies that can operate within constrained urban interiors. Although indoor urban agriculture and controlled-environment systems are increasingly discussed, their integration as an interior architecture problem especially for compact and post-disaster living contexts remains insufficiently articulated. This study investigates how interior architecture can support food resilience by embedding modular indoor agriculture into everyday environments. The research adopts a qualitative, literature-based analytical framework and a comparative case evaluation of two precedents that Pasona Urban Farm (Tokyo) and InFarm modular systems (Berlin). Case documentation and published sources were analyzed to extract spatial-technical requirements and user-facing design strategies. Findings are synthesized into a set of transferable principles: resilient modularity for diverse interior typologies, water circularity through closed-loop/low-loss systems, human-plant cohabitation via lighting and access ergonomics, and operational simplicity through legible maintenance and digital feedback. Building on these principles, the paper proposes the Adaptive Hydro-Cell (AHC) as a conceptual prototype: a portable hydroponic unit designed for compact urban dwellings and post-disaster interiors, integrating stackable growth trays, filtration, and mobile monitoring. The contribution lies in positioning interior architecture as a mediating discipline that translates agricultural infrastructure into human-centered, deployable interior systems, and in articulating a resilience-oriented design framework to guide future prototyping and validation.

Keywords

Interior architecture , Hydroponics , Modularity , Urban agriculture , Sustainability , Adaptive design

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was not required for this study and the data. The data/information used in this study is publicly available and can be accessed through industry organisations and company websites. Additionally, this study has not been previously published or submitted for publication.

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