greenbelly project uses sun, rain, and organic waste to grow vegetable gardens on blind city walls

the ‘greenbelly’ project, led by the architect alex losada together with AVL studio and agriculture engineer camille lassale, converts residual spaces into productive centers for local residents, increasing the urban green surface and improving social cohesion. with a simple scaffolding structure, residents can grow food on the various horizontal platforms along the wall, where nothing is wasted. the nutritious fuel for the garden is free inputs available to any city — sun, rain, and compost from local organic waste.

modern cities are suffering from urban saturation, and city life can be unsustainable and unhealthy to some people due to pollution, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. producing local food and reconnecting the existing architecture with nature in big cities is a basic need for residents but also for the environment. ‘with greenbelly, we propose a sustainable project at a manageable scale by recycling spaces, materials, and urban resources,’ explains losada. ‘we can make a greener and healthier city, feed people in need or teach the origin of the food to children.’

this architectural installation aims at reducing the distance from farm to fork — with only 35 square meters of land, a six-level garden can produce up to 6.400 kilograms of vegetables per year and generate 162 square meters of green area in the middle of the city. additionally, it provides a space for local community participation, a space where residents can share agricultural experiences and which can benefit the local economy. the structure is vertical but the platforms are horizontal, which facilitates the access to the crops and maintenance of the garden.

greenbelly team has launched a kickstarter campaign with a goal of 15.000 euro, which still has 58 to go for the backers to support the project.  

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom