Gotham Greens is a business focused on urban greenhouses. They not only run, but design and build large scale facilities for fresh, local vegetables. Their headquarters has been in Brooklyn, New York since their start in 2008. They earned the title for the first commercial-size hydroponic greenhouse on a rooftop after harvesting their first sellable product in 2011. To get an idea of commercial size; Gotham Greens produces an average of 100 tons of produce picked annually (Puri). The 15,000 square foot hydroponic farm is located on a rooftop of a two story bowling alley. Their facility is a year-round operation, with a beginning focus on quality leafy vegetables.
Currently, but expanding quickly, they have thirty employees in New York. With the two co-founders Eric Haley and Viraj Puri leading the organization. Viraj is CEO, Eric is CFO, and their first employee, Jennifer Frymark, is chief agriculture officer. …show more content…
Adapting to new growing environments is essential. It’s better environmentally and economically to use pre-existing buildings at this time. Prototypes need to be tested out and rooftop hydroponics is a good leap towards future ‘farmscrapers’. Not having a precedent was a design challenge that the Gotham Greens team had to overcome. The exciting part, architecturally, is the possibility of adding a whole new function to buildings.
Gotham Greens has successfully been able to maintain production without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, they stay away from genetically modified organisms and only grow organic produce. In place of chemicals, the greenhouse utilizes sticky cards to trap bugs. When a new predator is identified, they purchase insects that will consume pests. For example, ordering a tray of 1,000 ladybugs will reduce aphid populations (Fahey). It’s more expensive than pesticides; however, they want to keep a pesticide free
Currently, but expanding quickly, they have thirty employees in New York. With the two co-founders Eric Haley and Viraj Puri leading the organization. Viraj is CEO, Eric is CFO, and their first employee, Jennifer Frymark, is chief agriculture officer. …show more content…
Adapting to new growing environments is essential. It’s better environmentally and economically to use pre-existing buildings at this time. Prototypes need to be tested out and rooftop hydroponics is a good leap towards future ‘farmscrapers’. Not having a precedent was a design challenge that the Gotham Greens team had to overcome. The exciting part, architecturally, is the possibility of adding a whole new function to buildings.
Gotham Greens has successfully been able to maintain production without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, they stay away from genetically modified organisms and only grow organic produce. In place of chemicals, the greenhouse utilizes sticky cards to trap bugs. When a new predator is identified, they purchase insects that will consume pests. For example, ordering a tray of 1,000 ladybugs will reduce aphid populations (Fahey). It’s more expensive than pesticides; however, they want to keep a pesticide free