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

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

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