The Loop by Mengye Zhu

THE LOOP

THE LOOP Mengye Zhu Fall 2022

ABSTRACT

This thesis seeks to address the issue of food safety that is increasingly exacerbated by dimensions of climate change and current food distribution and organization by rethinking the ways people might interact and connect with the food they purchase and eat.

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SITE

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HISTORY

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PROGRAM

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THE LOOP

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PROCESS

APPENDIX

TABLE OF CONTENT

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The site is underneath the Queensboro Bridge in the Sutton Place neighborhood. This is a site with a long and rich history as a market, only recently renovated to house a flagship Trader Joe’s.

SITE

405 E 59th St, New York, NY

Diagram

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SITE SITE ANALYSIS DRAWINGS

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HISTORY TIMELINE

HISTORY

The project site has taken on quite legendary dimensions, but looking at its history reveals how upscale grocery stores gradually take the place the farmers’ market originally set under the bridge.

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The space will also serve as an educational purpose to call for people’s attention to sustainability while people experience the farmto-table setting within the urban environment.

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PROGRAM

PROGRAM

To mitigate the impact of citizens’ alienation from the food they eat as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of food transportation, I aim to propose a design of a self-sufficient farm-to-table restaurant with a specially designed aquaponics system that reuses the polluted water directly from the East River to form the aquaponic circulation, providing seasonally, reliable foods via a sustainable environment within the bridgemarket site.

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For decades, it has been apparent

that the Earth’s climate is changing, and the role of human impact on the climate system is indisputable. Climate change is producing ‘uncertainty’ in agriculture and food safety systems because it has increased insect populations, making plants more vulnerable to fungal infections, as well as causing warmer oceans that foster the growth of marine biotoxins, which can jeopardize seafood safety. With its large population density, New York City is well-known for its high resource and energy consumption. However, aside from the dairy industry, the state is not well-known for vegetable production.

As a result, the city is now beginning to explore the possibilities of a new way of farming in order to maintain its vast population. In light of this scenario, my project seeks to emphasize stability through sustainability by examining present tensions between food safety and environmental risks that will arise as cities continue to grow in the future.

Against these tensions, I aim to explore possible avenues for allowing tourists and local communities to experience the fusion of city life and urban farming in an immersive farm-to-table setting for collaboratively developing more sustainable lifestyles.

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PROGRAM THESIS

As studies have shown, food safety has been one of the driving forces As studies have shown, food safety has been one of the driving forces pushing indoor farming forward.

Repeated recalls of produce, especially vegetables, over the past several years have unintentionally cautioned people about where their food comes from.

Although farmers’ markets allow people more direct access to and connection with food cultivation and their various sources, food safety still presents a potential risk, particularly because of the nature of their operation. In particular, farmers’ markets are frequently held outdoors in temporary locations that lack the necessary equipment and facilities (such as refrigeration and handwashing stations) to implement basic risk management procedures and are therefore typically exempt from state and municipal food safety regulations.

This situation intrigues me to think about how might we build food environments that are not only easily accessible for New York City’s residents but also those that foster reassurance and security around how food is being produced, sustainably—in ways that reduce the carbon footprints that are continuously harming the environment? Ultimately, my thesis seeks to address the issue of

food safety that is increasingly exacerbated by dimensions of climate change and current food distribution and organization by rethinking the ways people might interact and connect with the food they purchase and eat.

The Bridgemarket site is a commercial development located in the Upper East Side Manhattan neighborhood of New York. The commercial development is located beneath the Queensboro Bridge, near the Manhattan end of the bridge around 405 E 59th Street.

Affluent neighborhoods surround the Bridgemarket, and it is one of the most upscale areas in New York City.

The site has taken on quite legendary dimensions, but looking at its history reveals how upscale grocery stores gradually take the place the farmers’ market originally set under the bridge. The development of the site dates back to 1908, when the Queensboro Bridge, an Roosevelt East River Drive (FDR), a parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, was opened to traffic. In order to enhance the amount of public space available for use, the area beneath the bridge was utilized as a market for

farmers to transport their commodities across the bridge from Long Island in horse-drawn carriages until it was taken over by the New York City Department of Transportation in the 1930s, when it was transformed into a location for parking, a sign shop, and a storeroom. Due to financial constraints and several failed negotiations with the Public Development Corporation and the neighborhood association in the process, the project construction finally started developing in 1998 and the Bridgemarket Food Emporium opened to the public in the following years. However, the Food Emporium shop in Manhattan closed in November 2015, and it has since been overtaken in recent years by upmarket entrants such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s chains.

From the farmer’s market to upscale grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, one of the reasons for this change is undoubted that the rise in popularity of food safety challenges has gradually been recognized and addressed in recent decades. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne disease outbreaks cause an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3000 fatalities in the United States each year. Fresh fruits

and vegetables, which account for 46% of foodborne illnesses, cause the most infections of any food group since they often do not get an extra kill step such as heat treatment after processing.

While products sold at farmers’ markets have been linked to at least 10 outbreaks of foodborne disease in the United States, the primary impediment to implementing food safety standards are a lack of facilities, equipment, and materials including farmers’ marketspecific food safety rules.

Farmers’ markets are becoming an increasingly popular place for the selling of fresh vegetables and other foods in North America. Many people believe that when food is grown locally, it is safer and more pleasant because there is no long-distance transportation, no gassing to imitate the ripening process, no sitting in storage for weeks, and they know the food is fresh from the farm.

However, the nature of their operation can present possible food safety issues, challenges, and risks to consumers.

Upscale grocery stores do have more regulations regarding food safety issues but still can’t guarantee food safety while the food undergoes the transportation and processing procedure. Also due to the long-distance transportation, the

massive emission of carbon dioxide is harming the climate. The two forms of food distribution happening in the bridgemarket site enlighten me to reflect that the space might benefit from a more horizontal distribution avenue that combines both production and consumption under one roof.

According to Brian Katzowitz, a CDC health communication expert, leafy greens do not have an outer shell or rind to protect them as fruits and vegetables do. Instead, they grow close to the ground in open fields, where they might pick up germs from soil, water, and animal intestines. As reported by researchers, the ubiquitous romaine lettuce, which was once a kitchen mainstay, now makes people anxious and upset. Since 2017, it has been related to four significant E. coli outbreaks in the United States.

Fortunately, in recent years, leafy greens such as romaine lettuce have increasingly been cultivated in vertical farming systems, which benefit from a controlled indoor atmosphere. In this kind of farming, people are free of using pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, which ensure the safety of the food consumed and avoid polluting the soil

and water in urban areas.

As the site has been taken over by Trader Joe’s, food safety concerns have been resolved to a degree because of the strict government supervision.

However, because Trader Joe’s works with growers primarily in California for west coast stores and Florida for east coast stores, food must still undergo longdistance, large-scale transportation, and it is frequently difficult to detect problematic products until they are shipped and sold in stores. And according to Bisnar Chase, an Personal Injury Attorneys, Trader Joe’s is recalling 33,610 pounds of kale and broccoli salad due to the possibility of listeria infection. Additionally, these recalled products were sent to retail outlets across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Not only does the obscured networks of circulation that create distance between the food people eat and where it comes from make people feel alienated from the food they are consuming, but it also generates large amounts of carbon dioxide. Moreover, the CFO of AeroFarms, informed that transportation costs amount for 20% of the current cost of selling a vegetable, and the cost of the cold chain packaging procedure also accounts for 20% -30%,

which is close to half. As a result, vertical farming in cities is an advantageous method for reducing carbon footprint and food miles, as well as reducing the risk of contaminated foods during food production and logistics transportation.

In recent years, from residential spaces to hospitality, more and more proposals for vertical farming are slowly being considered for indoor implementation in various cities. A noteworthy example is Georgia’s First Indoor Vertical Farm, which is also known as the space farm at the Stamba Hotel. Space Farm is a 200-squaremeter facility with seven levels of racks that adopt hydroponic technology, which uses 75% less water than typical farming. This way of organizing food cultivation conserves energy, while allowing fresh organic produce to be grown and handpicked for the hotel.

By incorporating the farm into the hotel industry and putting what it produces on the table, people can be reassured of their foods origin. In this process, vertical farming also becomes an ideal avenue for reducing the carbon footprint of food production more generally. The indoor farm-to-table setting could be used to address the issue of carbon footprint during the food transportation

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process while also reducing people’s concern about food safety, and it’s also a feasible approach to be implemented in densely populated cities.

New York City has the highest population density of any large city in the United States, with nearly 27,000 people per square mile. Aside from dairy production, the state isn’t recognized for its food production. As a consequence, New York is currently exploring the possibilities of vertical vegetable farming within the city to support its massive population. Given that vertical farming requires a comparably smaller space to develop, and due to the limited availability of arable land in New York City, the optimal solution is to bring vertical farming indoors. With its tall ceilings, commodious space and sufficient natural lighting situation, I argue that the bridgemarket site is the ideal space for developing indoor vertical farming.

However, since vertical farming relies on vast amounts of water, it inspire me to take surrounding reusable water resources into account.

The East River in New York City has a reputation for being polluted, according to the Pace Press.

Throughout the years, the water has been contaminated by human-made chemicals, sewage, pesticides, and an abundance of bacteria. However,

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PROGRAM THESIS

thanks to initiatives in New York City to enhance water quality, the rivers have progressively become more suitable for marine species to swim freely and more people have surprisingly witnessed dolphins in the River, for instance as recently as March 2021. Even if it is impossible to restore water quality to its original state, we may filter contaminated water and utilize it for other purposes.

Because the East River is just a few blocks from the project site, it may be feasible to transfer water underground from the East River, which could then be filtered and used onsite for the vertical farming circulation system.

Aquaponics, one of the three approaches to vertical farming, constitutes a highly distinctive form of hydroponics that combines plant cultivation with aquaculture for fish farming. The symbiotic link between aquatic species, plants, and microbes is used in this type of production system.

As explained in a document from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, plants and fish in an aquaponics system mutually benefit one another. Plants help filter water for the fish as they grow. As a result, when excretions from the fish are broken down by bacteria, they can be used as a fertilizer for plants, reducing the need for additional nutrients and increasing the toxicity of the water. As that being said, water reclaimed from the

East River could be filtered and utilized for fish farming, but plants could also be cultivated at the same time owing to its symbiotic relationship with bacteria, providing the best of both worlds.

In conclusion, to mitigate the impact of citizens’ alienation from qualified food as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of food transportation, I aim to propose a design of a selfsufficient farm-to-table restaurant with a specially designed aquaponics system that reuses the polluted water directly from the East River to form the aquaponic circulation, providing seasonally, reliable foods via a sustainable environment within the bridgemarket cite. The space will also serve as an educational purpose to call for people’s attention to sustainability while people experience the farm-to-table setting within the urban environment. By doing so, the proposal addresses the issue of food safety, which is being intensified by the impacts of climate change, while also arousing awareness of how people engage with and connect with the food they purchase and consume.

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Collage

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Trace-Linework

Linework filled with black Transformation

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

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Amenities

Work

Vertical Transportation

Support

Entry/Reception Cafe & Store Educational Center VF Show Room Public Farm Fishing Area Dining Space

Office Kitchen

Stairs Elevators

Restroom Storage Electrical Mechanical

Space Planning 1st Floor

Space Planning 2nd Floor

Educational Space

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PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Dining Area

VF Space

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THE LOOP

THE LOOP

My project seeks to emphasize stability through sustainability by examining present tensions between food safety and environmental risks that will arise as cities continue to grow in the future. Against these tensions, I aim to explore possible avenues for allowing tourists and local communities to experience the fusion of city life and urban farming in an immersive farm-totable setting for collaboratively developing more sustainable lifestyles.

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Reception --- VF Showroom --Educational Center Reception --- Cafe --- Store Reception --- Dining Area --Upstair --- Public Farm Reception --- Kitchen

Circulation Diagram

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THE LOOP PLAN AND DIAGRAMS

Privacy Diagram (Left: 1st Fl Right: 2nd Fl)

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THE LOOP DRAWINGS

Arugula

Parsley

Lettuce

Basil

Leaf Mustard

Garden Cress

Marigold

Petunia

Cockcomb

Tomato

Strawberry

Tilapia

Murray Cod

Bass

Baby Kale

Trout

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Detail Drawing

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THE LOOP DRAWINGS

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Metal

Paint

Wood

Tile

Stone

Nylon

Tile

Brick

Velvet

Frosted Glass

Concrete

Tile

Leather

Concrete

Concrete

Maple Wood

THE LOOP MATERIALITY

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THE LOOP SECTIONS

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On the first floor, recessed ceiling lights would be used primarily. The second floor would be illuminated by column lights.

1st Floor

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THE LOOP LIGHTING

2nd Floor

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Reception

Public Farm VF Showroom

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THE LOOP SECTION PERSPECTIVE

Public Farm Waiting Area

Immersive Dining Educational Space

Public Farm VF Showroom

Storage

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THE LOOP 1st FLOOR CAFE The green-wall cafe is right next to the entrance after passing through the reception area where visitors could sign in to visit the vertical farming showroom. To create a watery atmosphere, the cafe’s ceiling is made of textured frosted glass, and the floor is made of blue tile. The cafe will serve food grown on-site for any people who come to visit the space.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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The Loop Store sells on-site grown vegetabls and fruits by using sustainable packages. Visitors can access the store by going upstair from the cafe.

Visitors can either purchase on-site or purchase through the app and pick up in the store. The would be seeing the growing situation of their food they are about to enjoy.

THE LOOP 2nd FLOOR STORE

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THE LOOP RENDERING & PACKAGING DESIGN

The Loop Packaging Design

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To increase plants and community interaction, the site is going to provide an opportunity for people to spend around 10 dollars to purchase and name one piece of the plant grown in the space.

They could check the species of the plants through a designed app and also the availability. Once they purchase, they could check the growing status (temperature, height) of their unique plant. At the end of the plant’s growing period, an energy animation would be formed automatically by the sensor of each plant and sent to the owner.

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THE LOOP RENDERING & APP DESIGN

To increase plants and community interaction, the site is going to provide an opportunity for people to spend around 10 dollars to purchase and name one piece of the plant grown in the space.

They could check the species of the plants through a designed app and also the availability. Once they purchase, they could check the growing status (temperature, height) of their unique plant. At the end of the plant’s growing period, an energy animation would be formed automatically by the sensor of each plant and sent to the owner.

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THE LOOP 1st FLOOR CORRIDER People can sit in the waiting area after signing in at the reception desk until the staff inside the vertical farming showroom brings them in. Aquaponics and hydroponics are two types of vertical farming techniques featured in the showroom. The specially designed aquaponics system that connects the first and second floors will be visible to visitors.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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THE LOOP 1st FLOOR VERTICAL FARMING SHOWROOM Visitors can enter the vertical farming showroom after passing through the corridor.

The showroom will provide an immersive experience by lowering the fish tank from the second floor so that visitors to the vertical farming showroom on the first floor can see the reflection of water and fish.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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THE LOOP 1st FLOOR EDUCATIONAL SPACE The educational purpose is actually present throughout the entire space, but there is an interactive educational space where visitors can learn more about various vertical farming techniques. Weekly classes will be taught by professionals, and visitors will utilize both the educational space and vertical farming showroom during class time.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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THE LOOP 1st FLOOR PUBLIC FARM The public farm is located adjacent to the educational space and kitchen. Here, individuals who purchase the seed and finish naming their own plant on the app will find their unique plant. The public farm provides people with direct access to the plants they cultivate and the opportunity to observe their growth.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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THE LOOP 2nd FLOOR PUBLIC FARM Similar as the public farm held on the 1st floor, visitors will be able to access to their own unique plant after purchasing and naming process. The public farm receives adequate natural and artificial lighting through the large windows.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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The Loop dining area will serve people seasonally growing food on-site. Chiefs will adjust the menu accordingly each month. Visitors will be able to enjoy their meal in an immersive dining space.

THE LOOP 1st FLOOR DINING SPACE

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THE LOOP RENDERING & MENU DESIGN

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THE LOOP 2nd FLOOR FISHING AREA When exiting the elevator on the second floor, turn right and pass the corridor, there is a fishing spot. The fish that clients capture will be prepared in accordance with their preferences utilizing a variety of cooking techniques. This section offers customers a more playful way to interact with the space.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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THE LOOP 2nd FLOOR IMMERSIVE DINING SPACE On the second floor, the immersive dining experience will be accessible. When customers exit the elevator, they will see a tunnel-like aquarium dining space.

Customers will be able to enjoy their meals while watching fish swim above them through a large glass panel. The waiting area is in the center of the tunnel, with the dining tables and chairs surrounding it.

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THE LOOP RENDERING

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PROCESS

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Amanullah, and Shah Khalid. “Agronomy-Food Security-Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals.” Agronomy - Climate Change and Food Security, 2020. doi:10.5772/intechopen.92690.

Dunlap, David W. “Bridgemarket Emerging, after 22 Years.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Mar. 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/07/realestate/bridgemarket-emerging-after-22-years.html.

Forchino, Andrea Alberto, et al. “Eco-designing Aquaponics: a case study of an experimental production system in Belgium.” Procedia CIRP 69 (2018): 546-550.

Farbstein, Jay. “Creative Community Building: 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.”

Google Books, Bruner Foundation, 2003, https://books.google.com/ books?id=bBR3wL5XpYAC. Goddek, Simon, et al. “Challenges of sustainable and commercial aquaponics.” Sustainability 7.4 (2015): 4199-4224.

Hae-yeon, K. (2021, January 4). Future of agriculture grows under Seoul’s subway stations.

The Korea Herald. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from http://www.koreaherald.com/view. php?ud=20210104001032.

Jonathan, Logan. “New York City’s Environmental Progress of the East River amid Dolphin Sighting.” The Pace Press, 15 Apr. 2021, https://thepacepress.org/6714/news/new-york-citysenvironmental-progress-of-the-east-river-amid-dolphin-siting/.

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APPENDIX

King, Rebecca. “Jersey City May Have the U.S.’s First Municipal Vertical Farm. Experts Share How It Can Thrive.” North Jersey Media Group, NorthJersey.com, 26 June 2020, https://www. northjersey.com/story/news/hudson/2020/06/26/jersey-city-vertical-farming-project-successexperts/3259198001/.

Kotian, Vidula. 2019. “Georgia’s First Indoor Vertical Farm.” - Design HotelsTM. Design Hotels. August 20, 2019. https://www.designhotels.com/culture/happenings/georgia-s-firstindoor-vertical-farm/.

Mohammad, Zahra H., et al. “Food Safety Challenges and Barriers in Southern United States Farmers Markets.” Foods, vol. 9, no. 1, 2019, p. 12., https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9010012.

“Reports of Selected E. Coli Outbreak Investigations.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Dec. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ outbreaks.html.

Stein, Eric W. “Vertical Farming in NYC.” Indoor Farm Center, Center of Excellence, 8 July 2021, https://indooragcenter.org/vertical-farming-in-nyc/.

Scallan, Elaine, et al. “Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—Major Pathogens.”

Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 17, no. 1, 2011, pp. 7–15., https://doi.org/10.3201/ eid1701.p11101.

“Trader Joe’s Announces More Recalls Related to Listeria Contamination.” Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP, 19 Oct. 2021, https://www.bestattorney.com/blog/trader-joes-announcesmore-recalls-related-to-listeria-contamination/.

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THE LOOP Mengye Zhu zhum865@newschool.edu