Farm house

By Maks Fus Mickiewicz 26 : 07 : 2016 Urby : Whole-system Thinking : Placemaking

New York – Urby Staten Island is a new residential development featuring a 5,000-square-feet urban farm.

The LEED-certified project taps into the desire for spaces guided by Whole-system Thinking
The development features filtered water stations, charging points for electric cars and storage for up to 500 bicycles

The founders wanted experience and community to be at the heart of the Urby placemaking project. To achieve this, Dutch architecture firm Concrete designed a series of social spaces including a communal kitchen, terraces with beehives and an urban farm.

The farm is used to cultivate more than 50 varieties of greens, fruiting vegetables, flowers, herbs and roots, which are used by residents and in dishes at the development’s on-site café.

A farmer-in-residence, greenhouse, picnic tables and composting bins are also included in the mix. Urby has announced a calendar of culinary classes and tasting sessions that will enable its residents to make the most of the farm’s organic ingredients.

In addition to food, the development’s wellness offer extends to an outdoor pool and two-storey fitness centre, and freelancers can make use of the site’s wifi-enabled green spaces.

The Big Picture

There is a growing desire among consumers to live a healthier lifestyle. Start-ups TuckrBox and Back to the Roots aim to reconnect children with the food supply chain.