Tiffany Agyarko ’24
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Architectural, Structural and Urban Strategies for Urban Farming
Certificate(s): Urban Studies
I worked with the organization Neighborhood Growers in Baltimore to determine the structural and economic feasibility of operating commercial- and community-scale hydroponic rooftop greenhouses in city neighborhoods. I was responsible for identifying the city policies and building regulations that affect urban farming and rooftop greenhouse construction and operations. I interviewed a variety of professionals, including representatives from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development. I also researched the varieties and vendors of controlled-environment agricultural systems and greenhouse technologies that are best suited for the produce that will be grown in the greenhouses. I also helped develop a methodology for analyzing the structural feasibility of placing a hydroponic greenhouse on an apartment rooftop and on a typical U.S. industrial warehouse rooftop. I am very interested in projects that allow me to explore how the built environment shapes life within cities, and this internship allowed me to explore this within the context of urban farming. This research also gave me insight into key techniques for analyzing concrete slabs.
2021
Food Systems, Water And Human Health
Form Finding Lab, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University
Sigrid Adriaenssens, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering