The Eco-Barge is a floating greenhouse designed to grow organic food for urban areas while producing clean energy. It was created by Serbian architecture design studio Salt & Water to teach citizens of Belgrade about urban and vertical gardening.
Eco Barge – Salt & Water
Much like the Jellyfish Barge we’ve featured before, the Eco Barge utilizes space on the water in an urban area where land for growing food is scarce. It also uses vertical growing techniques to produce more food in a small space compared to traditional growing.
With land availability shrinking in urban and suburban areas, non-traditional methods of growing food are not just inspirational; they are becoming necessary for those looking for local, organic produce. As populations continue to rise, vertical gardening will likely be the future of farming for commercial growers and urban gardeners alike.
Eco Barge – Salt & Water
The Eco Barge has an irrigation system that waters the plants on every level while using much less water than what would be required in a traditional growing system. Water that is filtered through the plants can also be reused in this system.
Another attractive feature of the Eco Barge is its portability. It can be moved around on the water as necessary to maximize natural light. Its built-in solar panels and wind turbines power the structure, including lights and fans.
Tiny house enthusiasts might be seeing great potential here for using something like this as a personal residence – a floating tiny home with a greenhouse right out your front door!
Eco Barge – Salt & Water
Floating objects provide many benefits for urban environments. If designed in a smart, functional way, they can extend the possibilities of a town.
For instance, this particular barge is further imagined as a place where all different kinds of educational workshops and lectures could be held. This way, all the lessons about the vertical gardening system would be learned first hand, in a place of utmost value for the city of Belgrade.
Visit Salt & Water to read more about Eco Barge and see more of their unique projects.