• Login
    View Item 
    •   Research Bank Home
    • Unitec Institute of Technology
    • Study Areas
    • Architecture
    • Architecture Dissertations and Theses
    • View Item
    •   Research Bank Home
    • Unitec Institute of Technology
    • Study Areas
    • Architecture
    • Architecture Dissertations and Theses
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    “The Steaks Are High” : how can architecture promote an intense grazing system that will define an educational farming facility that can bring forth a new and highly sustainable culture of beef farming?

    Tregidga, Shane

    Thumbnail
    Share
    View fulltext online
    Shane Tregidga.pdf (120.7Mb)
    Date
    2014
    Citation:
    Tregidga, S. (2014). “The Steaks Are High” : how can architecture promote an intense grazing system that will define an educational farming facility that can bring forth a new and highly sustainable culture of beef farming? An unpublished research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional), Unitec Institute of Technology.
    Permanent link to Research Bank record:
    https://hdl.handle.net/10652/3100
    Abstract
    This research shows the design of an intensive, multi-storied beef production facility that competes with the output rate of the current, American based, Feedlot Model. This Feedlot initiative of the late 19th century was intended to reduce the cost of beef by eliminating the cowboy driven herds of stock from the southern states of America north to Chicago by introducing a corn-based feed regime. The repercussions of corn feeding have subsequently been discovered to be very detrimental to the short term health of cattle, to the long term health of beef consumers, and health of the prairie ecosystem of the American mid-west. This research limits its focus to a future reality, where it is hypothesised that expanding corn crop acreage is no longer possible, while the increasing world population continues to demand beef. A tower configuration (attempting to rival feedlot production concentrations) stacks feeding platforms vertically. The platforms initially assumed the grass/ruminant symbiosis as the model of healthy alternative intensification of beef production. However, while attempting to incorporate stacked rotational grazing, it was discovered that the growth rate and density of ryegrass was unable to sustain the concentration of animals needed to justify the capital investment of a vertical beef ‘farm.’ A compromise was made and rotational grazing was then replaced with a hydroponic fodder production process. The fodder is generated by growing barley in a much shorter growth cycle than rye grass. This dramatically reduces both the scale of the tower and increases the tonnage of beef produced. The project demonstrates how architecture can facilitate an intensive beef production operation (from breeding, to slaughter) within a dramatically reduced footprint, this allows the operation to be introduced into the urban environment, thus, bringing beef production to the people. The dramatic visual appearance of these farming towers in the metropolitan landscape should raise the consumer awareness of the origins and implications of their food.
    Keywords:
    beef production, feedlot model, corn feeding, pasture feeding, rotational grazing, hydroponic fodder production, barley, rye grass, sustainable farming, cattle, farming towers
    ANZSRC Field of Research:
    070103 Agricultural Production Systems Simulation, 070108 Sustainable Agricultural Development
    Degree:
    Master of Architecture (Professional), Unitec Institute of Technology
    Supervisors:
    Austin, Michael; Bogunovich, Dushko
    Copyright Holder:
    Author

    Copyright Notice:
    All rights reserved
    Rights:
    This digital work is protected by copyright. It may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use. These documents or images may be used for research or private study purposes. Whether they can be used for any other purpose depends upon the Copyright Notice above. You will recognise the author's and publishers rights and give due acknowledgement where appropriate.
    Metadata
    Show detailed record
    This item appears in
    • Architecture Dissertations and Theses [534]

    Te Pūkenga

    Research Bank is part of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology

    • About Te Pūkenga
    • Privacy Notice

    Copyright ©2022 Te Pūkenga

    Usage

    Downloads, last 12 months
    17
     
     

    Usage Statistics

    For this itemFor the Research Bank

    Share

    About

    About Research BankContact us

    Help for authors  

    How to add research

    Register for updates  

    LoginRegister

    Browse Research Bank  

    EverywhereInstitutionsStudy AreaAuthorDateSubjectTitleType of researchSupervisorCollaboratorThis CollectionStudy AreaAuthorDateSubjectTitleType of researchSupervisorCollaborator

    Te Pūkenga

    Research Bank is part of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology

    • About Te Pūkenga
    • Privacy Notice

    Copyright ©2022 Te Pūkenga