A Modular Green House for GrwNxt
The Future of Urban Agriculture
In the first month of 2021, I was approached by GrwNxt, a start-up funded by national and international sustainability programs, to help design a next-generation agricultural solution for megacities over the next 30 years.
The idea is quite simple. Have a modular system that grows any crop very efficiently using the latest technologies in AI, sensors, and construction.
My Role
My role in this project was to give the entire project a face through which the concept could be communicated. With this, I have designed the aesthetic, modular nature, and all visuals for the grow module.
It started with simple sketches, narrowing down on function and aesthetics. Once decided, I created professional visuals for GrwNxt to communicate to their customers.
Grow Module
The result from 12 months of sketching, CAD modelling, and talking with potential customers and clients. A 5 x 6 x 3 m module that can grow crops in an entire office building or hospital. Modular walls and racks allow personalisation for any room size and layout, whilst keeping costs low by utilising only three panel types and universal connectors.
From 2D to 3D
Based on the 2021 results, in 2022 GrwNxt again approached me to continue working on their Module. Clients were asking for scenario impressions, and the company itself was constantly changing specifics about the design and function.
My solution was to develop a visual model of the entire Module in Blender. This CAD would enable rapid layout iterations, scene rendering with accurate lighting, and 3D visualisation of the Module and its environment, as well as of how the robot and workers interact with the product solution.
5 Months went into the initial construction of the CAD model, since, during development, new problem and opportunity areas arose that needed to be addressed before continuing with the model.
This CAD model was for visualisation only and is not intended as a manufacturing blueprint. Tolerances were not taken into account, since the proposed design is still in its concept phase.