Exploring Architectural Drivers, Barriers and Solutions for Urban Agriculture and Planting Interventions in the Interior Environment: a New Zealand case study

This paper explores the integration of indoor green walls as a union of the built and natural which offers potential for improvements in urban food supply, air purification and contributions to occupant health. The aim is to identify areas which show potential of greatest contribution through further development. This paper considers the possibilities to transform urban building typologies and encourage resilience and shifts in how occupants inhabit urban spaces when combined with nature. Existing research indicates that the benefits from plants in the interiors could be extensive and research in this area is still developing. It is known that most indoor plants lead to an improved indoor air quality, which is especially relevant at the time of increased reliance on artificial ventilation which unavoidably requires ongoing operational energy consumption and often is built using materials high in embodied energy. This research discusses a range of possible innovative approaches using contemporary technologies, and focusing on the context of one local market, which is not especially large nor central globally: New Zealand. Rethinking the urban environment for a future of reduced carbon emissions and improved food sovereignty should include an active consideration of the beneficial role interiors and indoor environments can play. For urban buildings, improvements to housing through indoor urban agriculture interventions creates autonomy and security for a resilient future of the built environment.