How Much Light? The amount of light vegetables receive is essential to their ability to grow. The chart below shows the minimum amount of light a few select vegetables require in a day. Certain vegetables are more tolerant of shade and can survive and grow with as little as two hours of sun per day. Others need at least five. This data, along with the solar exposure and shadow analysis will help determine where specific plants can be grown within Stuyvesant Town. The sketches demonstrate some ideas about how the facades could be divided to take into account shifting shadows. Vertical plots, or V-plots, would be rented to tenants to either farm themselves or lease out to farmers. These plots could potentially modulate along with the variation in sun and shadow throughout the course of the day. The plants would them be harvested by farmers or an automated system on the facade.
vegetables asian greens mesclun spinach arugula herbs lettuce mustard greens scallions chard peas + beans root veges: beats, potatoes, carrots
SUNLIGHT quantity (hrs/day) 2
3-4
4-5
quality
tolerate longer periods of shade tolerate some shade but require proper sunlight in the middle of the day
require most sunlight and do not grow well in shade
Locavoracious
45