How to Create Fantastic Triple Decker Floating Farms

When you think of hydroponics, you probably think of a compact grow box sitting in the corner of a room or in a business space. But that's by no means the only way to approach this kind of innovative agriculture.

One extreme example is a courageous plan to put triple-decker floating farms into the ocean. This amazing, ambitious design comes from a company called Forward Thinking Architecture working out of Barcelona, Spain. From their vantage point in the Costa Brava’s crown jewel, these visionaries are proposing to put 2.2 million cubic feet of hydroponic and aquaponic gear under a set of solar panels that could go into the Pacific Ocean, as well as other bodies of water like the Mediterranean Sea or even local rivers.

Food Supply and Distribution

These floating farms are estimated to be able to produce about eight tons of vegetables per year. That helps with the idea that our food production levels globally will have to increase by 70% to feed the future population of the world, and that our meat consumption is going to have to decrease.

How you construct these types of amazing infrastructure?

Build Triple-Decker Structures

Those who are trying to set up these systems will have to have a structure that's going to incorporate their hydroponics and aquaponic products. That will require a lot of engineering. The smart plans developed by Forward Thinking Architecture feature structures that look like an office building does, with pillars in an open air structure. The bottom is open to the water in order to accommodate fish farms.

Install Skylights and Solar Panels on Top

Solar panels will power much of the operations below. Skylights allow light to percolate in, in order to nourish plants and bring light.

Install Plants in the Middle Tier

There are many ways to fill tray tables with sterile media and implement a series of plant pots across horizontal rows. The key task is to get irrigation water from the bottom or from some reservoir, to bring plants clean and nutrient rich water.

Contain Fish Farms

In order to keep fish in place, nets or some other kind of barrier have to be installed below the water level. Workers can go down to the third tier and work with fish, cleaning the water, doing supplementary feeding or otherwise farming seafood.

Take a look at some of these groundbreaking designs and think about how dreaming big with hydroponics can really open up business opportunities. It's also a good idea to take a look at the Dealzer website and see what kind of gear you can get for any scale or size of hydro garden.