Capstone: Continuity of Cultivation | TJU 2023

MALAWI PROJECT

CONTINUITY OF CULTIVATION

FARMING | EDUCATION | RESEARCH

LEONARD BUSTOS

LA DESIGN 6: CAPSTONE - SPRING 2023

PROFESSOR RICHARD NEWTON

CONCLUSION CONCEPTS INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

MANIFESTO

• Farmland cultivates the majority of land within the site and throughout malawi

• Is a vital component of Malawi’s economy and culture

• The challenging weather conditions and changing climate make it increasingly difficult to be sustainable

This project aims to integrate agricultural spaces with the overall development, support local communities, enhance productivity, and educate and research sustainable farming that accommodates seasonal weather patterns, flooding, and better manage rainfall within the site.

Overall the project explores environmental, societal, and economic approaches that can be passed down to future generations for sustainable farming practices.

SEASONAL CALENDAR

Farming is challenging in malawi due to changing climate .

During the rainy season, malawi experiences heavy amounts of rainfall. As highlighted, malawi experienced the heaviest amount of rainfall during January this year.

Rainfall in malawi can become destructive to farmlandsultimately washing away all crops and livestock.

The dry season also creates difficult conditions since most of the farmlands dry out.

MAIZE CROP SCHEDULE

1.) Deweed if Necessary

2.) Assembly Line:

- Dig hole

- Place seed(s)

- Place fertilizer

- Cover seed(s)

3.) Wait for Rain or Water Crops with Existing Water Source

4.) Deweed/Maintain

Maize’s growing phase takes place during the rainy season, which makes maize difficult to maintain, grow, and harvest.

So what are some methods that can reduce the destructive effects of rainfall and support crop growth and harvest?

5.) Harvest Maize When Mature

6.) Hang Dry

7.) Remove Kernels:

- First rub two maize cobs together

- Once one entire cob has no kernels, use it to remove the kernels from the remaining cobs

8.) Store Kernels in Bag

8.1.) For Self-use, Take to Grinder Mill

9.) Soak

10.) Dry

11.) Grind

12.) Shift

13.) Cook

14.) Serve

FARMLAND CONDITIONS

About 16% of the crops are year-round, 20% are family/community-owned, and 40% grow during the rainy seasons. Overall, about 76% of the land area around our site is used for agricultural purposes

CONCEPTS

LAND ANALYSIS

With the help of drone footage, we can determine the various elements that farmlands consist of within our site.

LAND ANALYSIS

Most, if not all the farmlands consist of the same elements but vary in scale and quantity

EXISTING PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Trees & Shrubs

- Provides shade for farmers

- Supports crop growth

Residential & Storage Units

- Constructed with brick, wood, reeds, & more

Plowed Fields

Accessible Pathway

Retained Woodland

GRANARY GRANARY

NEW PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Water Reclamation & Storage

- Cisterns

- Swales - Canals

- Supports sustainable farming practices

Social Spaces

- Within shaded areas (i.e. Under tree or veranda)

- Strengthen community through engagement

Teaching Spaces

- Within shaded areas

- Supports passing down sustainable farming approaches for future generations

CANAL

TEACHING

SOCIAL

SWALE CISTERN

INTERCEPTOR SWALE SITE PLAN

Water Reclamation & Storage

- Cisterns

- Swales

- Canals

Trees & Shrubs

- Provides shade for farmers

- Supports crop growth

Residential & Storage Units

- Constructed with brick, wood, reeds, & more

Plowed Fields

Accessible Pathway

Retained Woodland

- Supports sustainable farming practices

Social Spaces

- Within shaded areas

(i.e. Under tree or veranda)

- Strengthen community through engagement

Teaching Spaces

- Within shaded areas

- Supports passing down sustainable farming approaches for future generations

PRECEDENTS

INTERCEPTOR SWALE SYSTEM

With the use of interceptor swales, water can be better maintained and irrigated sufficiently to control the heavy amounts of rainfall.

PROPOSED PROGRAM ELEMENTS

The program elements shown are located within potential areas for them to exist, all of which connect to one another to create multi-functional spaces.

AGRICULTURE

The farmland creates an outer green ring around the site that supports cultivation, smallholder farmers, and families in need of food.

Water is collected from the roofs of buildings and feeds into an aqueduct that transports the water into a cistern. From there, the water is later released into swale systems that help the growth of crops within the farmland during the dry seasons.

PROCESSING

Areas for processing crops can also become areas for community gathering and engagement. Typically, for maize, locals lay out a large tarp to sit on and place the harvested maize, to which they remove the kernels. Overall, crop processing is an engaging experience that could perhaps inspire others to become farmers.

EDUCATION

Those being taught vary between smallholder farmers and children, to those who learn the importance of good farming practices, technical skills, and the environmental, sustainable, and societal benefits it brings, all of which also take place within shaded areas.

Gathering spaces expands to various additional program elements, such as cooking. Typically, families visit any relatives in the hospital and provide care for them. This involves cooking meals for their loved ones and takes place outside and in close proximity to the hospital

As all these programs interlink, one from within the hospital could perhaps witness it all happening as they heal and are reminded what the true heart of Malawi’s culture is.

COMBINED

All the program elements interlink and function together to create multi-functional spaces.

CLAY MODEL TOPOGRAPHY STUDIES

CANAL SYSTEM STUDY

An additional strategy for water irrigation is the use of canals that are typically powered by water pump generators. Water is then collected through rubber tubes and poured between each row of crops. Both swale and canal strategies create an immersive space that revolves around water, agriculture, teaching, and engagement.

INTERCEPTOR SWALE APPROACH | PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

CROPS

INTERCEPTOR SWALE

INTERCEPTOR SWALE APPROACH | IRRIGATION

GROWTH

INFILTRATION & SATURATION

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

INTERCEPTOR SWALE

INTERCEPTOR SWALE APPROACH | BEFORE HARVEST

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

CROPS

INTERCEPTOR SWALE

CANAL APPROACH | PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

CANAL CROPS

INTERCEPTOR SWALE APPROACH | IRRIGATION

WATER FLUSHES OUT

GROWTH

INFILTRATION & SATURATION

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

RUBBER TUBE

INTERCEPTOR SWALE APPROACH | BEFORE HARVEST

SCALE: 3/4" = 1FT

CANAL

CROPS

PROPOSED SITE SECTION

Through agriculture, teaching, and engagement, the site then creates a journey for the community and ultimately tells a story of their culture.

PROPOSED SITE SECTION

Additionally, the site tells the story of the water’s journey and function throughout the landscape.

PROPOSED SITE SECTION

HARVESTING

GRANARY SWALE

SCALE: 1” = 1M

PROPOSED SITE SECTION

HARVESTING

LEARNING

CHILEKA FARM

PROPOSED SITE SECTION

SITE PLAN

With the use of interceptor swales and canals, water can be better managed and used to irrigate farm fields during the dry season

METRICS

ENVIRONMENT

• Water management

• Habitat enhancement

• Research and implement practices

SOCIAL

• Maintain tradition of agriculture

• Education

• Strengthen community

ECONOMIC

• Provide jobs

• Generate income from production

CONCLUSION

MANIFESTO

• Farmland cultivates the majority of land within the site and throughout malawi

• Is a vital component of Malawi’s economy and culture

• The challenging weather conditions and changing climate make it increasingly difficult to be sustainable

This project aims to integrate agricultural spaces with the overall development, support local communities, enhance productivity, and educate and research sustainable farming that accommodates seasonal weather patterns, flooding, and better manage rainfall within the site.

Overall the project explores environmental, societal, and economic approaches that can be passed down to future generations for sustainable farming practices.

CONTINUITY OF CULTIVATION

SOURCES

American farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

https://www.agfoundation.org/news/the-three-sisters

ANANAS

https://ananas.design/journal/2019/4/23/how-to-prepare-your-land-before-themonsoons

Malawi Vernacular Architecture

https://www.malawiarchitecture.com/granaries

MDPI

Christian Thierfelder, William Trent Bunderson, & Walter Mupangwa

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/2/3/317

COPENHAGEN CONSENSUS CENTER

https://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/publication/malawi-priorities-agricultureexports

National Agricultural Library

https://www.nal.usda.gov/collections/stories/three-sisters#:~:text=and%20the%20 Southeast.-,The%20Iroquois%20and%20the%20Cherokee%20called%20corn%2C%20 bean%2C%20and%20squash,squash%20throughout%20of%20the%20field.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION

https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/malawi-agricultural-sector

Orant CHARITIES AFRICA

Kusamala https://kusamala.org/about/permaculture-in-malawi/

Livestock in Malawi

https://livestockinmalawi.com/

https://orantcharitiesafrica.org/5-facts-about-maize-in-malawi/#:~:text=There%20 are%2029%20varieties%20of,which%20mature%20faster%20than%20others.

SOURCES

ResearchGate

David Skole, Jay Samek, Cheikh Mbow, & Michael Chirwa

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Vegetation-of-Malawi-showing-the-distributionof-forests-The-majority-of-forest-is_fig1_350577541

USAID https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/2019_USAID_ Winrock%20International_Livestock%20GHG%20Green%20Investment%20Opportunities. pdf

REUTERS

Charles Mkoka

https://www.reuters.com/article/malawi-crops-seed-idINL8N1M95BC

World Food Program

Francis Thawani

https://www.wfp.org/stories/rural-womens-day-rains-unreliable-malawis-farmersharness-sun-instead

The Malawi Project https://www.malawiproject.org/crops-in-the-dry-season/

Tiyeni https://www.tiyeni.org/research

United Convention to Combat Desertification

https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/ldn_targets/Malawi%20LDN%20TSP%20

Country%20Report.pdf

THANK YOU