About Oogst

In Dutch, Oogst,

stands for harvest.

Introduction

In October 2008, Tjep. initiated an investigation into new developments in the agricultural sector. What we came across were radical ideas with regards to self-sufficiency, capable of getting us quite a bit closer to the concept of a sustainable society.

As a creative agency focusing on 3D design and visual communication, our approach was not technically oriented, but rather we chose to put the accent on cultural aspects and social implications through design. The central question that we set ourselves is: how can we, as designers, contribute to the fundamental developments that are taking place in Dutch agricultural research? Is self-sufficiency the path towards a more ecological sustainable society? And if so, on what scale is it workable? Can we combine the advantages of a globalized world with aspirations towards physical independence? These are some of the questions Oogst is trying contextualize.

After preliminary encounters with engineers from the University of Agriculture in Wageningen and the Innovation Network in Utrecht, our attention was particularly drawn to two projects. Both projects were initiated and supported by the Innovation Network in Utrecht and are called Agro Park and the Greenhouse Village (Zonneterp in Dutch).

These two concept plans are about creating synergy between production processes in agriculture on the one hand, and, on the other, energy consumption and waste production in the residential sector.

The Greenhouse Village is self sufficient in energy and water and recycles nutrients and carbon. Both concepts mimic the idea of a ecosystem as found in nature.

We noticed, as a design agency, that these developments are rarely linked to a satisfactory form or image. The ideas proposed by engineers are radical and have large social and economic implications. However, when it comes to design, as often happens in the early stages of a technical breakthrough, finding satisfactory new typologies for the proposed technology always seem to lag behind. We also tend to stick to a nostalgic image of what the essence of a traditional farm should be like and look like. This is hardly surprising as agriculture is one the most basic and fundamental human activities,

changes or revolutions will always go hand in hand with strong emotions. In any case, it is clear that the traditional models of agriculture are not future-proof when it comes to environmental issues.

On Oogst.org you will find three proposals for farms designed by Tjep.. These are based on the technology proposed in Agro Park and the Greenhouse Village. We cover the basics of the technology without going into detail. For more information, please consult links at the bottom of this page.

For each new farming concept, the production scale has served as a basis for the design.

Tjep. would not be Tjep. if we hadn’t added a hint of provocation and irony along the way.

To get an idea of the necessary area and the number of animals necessary to be self-sufficient, we carried out a theoretical study into the relationship between production volume and the number of consumers.

The first concept is a farm for one person:

Oogst 1 Solo

The second is a farm for one hundred people:

Oogst 100 Community

The third farm for a thousand people:

Oogst 1000 Wonderland

Although a realization of the project (or a part of it) is foreseeable, economic aspects have not been taken into account in the current proposals. This in order not to limit ourselves in this experimental phase. However, production volumes and theoretically available technology have been taken into account.