Study on Outdoor Urban Farming Planters Through Daylight Simulations: A Full-Scale Experiment In Singapore

The objective of this study was to examine the practicality and efficacy of utilizing a planter for outdoor urban farming at the Singapore Institute of Technology. The research encompassed various stages, commencing with an exploration of the optimal Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) and Daily Light Integral (DLI) values suitable for cultivating Asian greens. Subsequently, a comprehensive model of the urban farming structure and planter was generated using Revit and Rhino software.

To evaluate the planter's performance in an outdoor setting, daylight simulations were carried out utilizing ClimateStudio. These simulations were conducted during a period of clear sky conditions spanning from 28th March to 13th April, considering the material characteristics of the actual structure and planter. The chosen materials for both the outdoor structure and planter closely mirrored those employed in real-world scenarios. Through the analysis of the outcomes derived from the daylight simulations, this study assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of employing the planter for outdoor urban farming.