This document outlines a thesis proposal titled "Agritecture (The Urban Ecology and Hortus Conclusus)" that explores integrating agriculture and architecture. The proposal discusses the concepts of hortus conclusus and agritecture, cites problems with loss of agricultural land and increasing carbon footprints, and motivates the project based on influencing and being influenced by urban ecosystems. The objectives are to invoke belonging and sensory experiences through architecture, design multifunctional food-producing spaces, reflect the essence of hortus conclusus, and create an off-grid passive design. Case studies and literature will be analyzed and the expected outcome is an architectural design that preserves nature and helps produce food to address future challenges.

1. THESIS DESIGN I (ARCH 506 L) TOUSEEF AHMAD
9TH SEMESTER-FALL 2019-BATCH XIII CLASS#22
THESIS TITLE:AGRITECTURE (THE URBAN ECOLOGY AND HORTUS CONCLUSUS)
INTRODUCTION:
”The building program and form are all the result of creating spaces that enhance the
senses and create opportunities to understand and interact with nature”
Hortus conclusus is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden".Hortus conclusus is both
an emblematic attribute and a title of the Virgin Mary in Medieval and Renaissance poetry[2]
and art,
suddenly appearing in paintings and manuscript illuminations about 1330 [3] [4]
as well as a genre of
actual garden that was enclosed both symbolically and as a practical concern, a major theme in
the history of gardening.
Agritecture is the art, science, and business of integrating agriculture into cities. It is the
fusion of “Agriculture” and “Architecture”.
A rising concern with the framework of the natural environment is that of climate change in
general, and the prevalent unawareness of the public to the idea in our country, Pakistan. As
we are an agricultural country and day by day we are overcoming through that land by
infrastructure. The aim of my thesis will be to evoke sensitivity to the issue and use
architectural tool to form a critique about the relationship we share with the natural
environment in our cities. Will acting as a merger of Landscape Architecture, Sustainable
Design and some theories like Hortus Conclusus.
Afterthe arrival of modernismandthe growthurbanism, modernhomesandhighrise habitatsreplaced
gardens.Fastgrowingpopulationsandchangesinlifestyle contributedtothe destructionof garden
cities(Samiei,2012).
“any formof designthatminimizesenvironmentallydestructiveimpactsbyintegratingitself withliving
processes”(VanderRyn,CowanS,1996).
As architects, we have to save our natural environment, which is act like lungs for the world. It
will and can by adopting such design strategies and considerations that will overcome the
ARCHITECTURE DEPARTEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PESHAWAR, ABBOTTABAD CAMPUS

2. rapidly constructing carbon footprint by interacting the nature with created spaces by
agritecture and to have it by theory of Hortus Conclusus.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
As the Agriculture land is consuming day by day and replacing with unplanned and non-
ecofriendly infrastructures. Which are damaging the natural ecology (lungs) of the rural and
urban setups. And increasing the carbon foot prints, about a report of UN that in 2030 Pakistan
will face major issues of urban ecology and agriculture.
We should respect the solid void ratio and overcome the Carbon footprint by eco-friendly
materials and incorporate the idea of farming in architectural design.
 Lack of eco-friendly infrastructuresetup which can be regulate the
environment.
 Day by day consuming of agricultureland, which is known as the back bone
of the country.
 The interpretation of trade, economy and ecological friendly ideas into new
meaning to meet the idea and ambitions of today’s contemporary world
societies.
 The idea of agri-tecture and urban ecological to be set as a president for
the nation and architecture of the region.
MOTIVATION:(Identification)
Urban ecosystems are the cities, towns, and settlements constructed by humans. We
all influence our urban ecosystem and at the same time, we are influenced by
ecological conditions.
An urban ecosystem includes people among the living things, and the structures they
build among the non living things. In an urban ecosystem, humans influence
ecological factors (plants, air, soil, animals), and human decisions (where and how to
build houses, parks, highways, schools) are influenced by ecological factors.
“Social and economic activities take place at the level of entire society and country,
or it was and will have great effect on the economic and climate of the region. As

3. infrastructure increasing day by day it effects the ecology and foodproviding area of
the country.
This lends a problem-solving and applied approach to the society, based on cross-
comparison, rather than the accumulation of explicit knowledge.
The condition of urban ecological systems canbe useful indicators forcomparing the
effects of climate change, land use patterns, organismal components, and
substrates on human and biological health. (Zipperer et al., 1997; Carreiro et al.,
2009)
OBJECTIVES:
 To invoke through architecture a senseof belonging and integrating
sensory experiences to their buildings.
 To design a spacewhich help in providing architectural functions as well as
food providing purpose.
 To incorporatethe theory of hortus conclusus and to reflect its essence
through architecture.
 To have an off the grid design which will have through passivemeans.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH WORK:
 Case studies of similar projects around the world. Identifying basic design
philosophies and solutions that contribute to the success of my project.
Analyzing these case studies with respectto concepts, program
organization and building systems.
 Integrating the case study concepts within the thesis design as applicable.
 Detailed literature review to strengthen the solution which would be
carried out through design.
 Socio and ecological needs and formulation spatial association which create
an efficient and pleasureexperience.

4. LIST OF CASESTUDIES:
1.STUDIED FORH.O.R.T.U.S.,a cybergarden
2.ecoLogicStudio:
3. (hortus conclusus: proposal for administration building encloses garden sanctuary in elefsina,
Greece)
4. Hortus Conclusus / Point Supreme Architects
5. HORTUS CONCLUSUS(A fragmentof landisframedmanifestingasa raisedwalledgarden:asetting
createdfor a dialogue betweenloss,waterandtime)
. 4.Pasona HQ is an Urban Farm That Grows FoodFor Its EmployeesinTokyo
LIST OF REFRENCES:
1. https://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2012/01/18/h-o-r-t-u-s--a-cyber-garden.html
2. http://www.ecologicstudio.com/v2/index.php
3. https://www.designboom.com/architecture/hortus-conclusus-administration-building-
garden-greece-papalampropoulos-syriopoulou-07-24-2018/
4. https://www.archdaily.com/95654/hortus-conclusus-point-supreme-architects
5. https://kadk.dk/en/project/hortus-conclusus
6. https://inhabitat.com/pasona-hq-is-an-urban-farm-that-grows-food-for-its-employees-in-
tokyo/pasona-hq-kono-designs-1/
7. https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2013/05/26/architecture-and-urban-ecosystems-from-
segregation-to-integration/
8. Why We Should Be Urban Farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaEKJ5Vv3Zg
CONCLUSIONS:
The expected outcome of the thesis will be an architectural that not only preserves the nature
but also help in the production of the food which is upcoming challenges for the country to be
cater in future as we are vanishing the agriculture land. The design will also act as lungs for the
urban infrastructure through passive means.
The different aspects of the this helical process will make a severe sense of producing a product
of the hypothesis that may be tested in different dimension.
Somehow this natural phenomenon’s will heal the sense through Agri-tecture experience.