Aplicação de diretrizes do design for environment para o desenvolvimento de hortas inteligentes

Abstract

In Brazil, concerns about healthy eating due to the excessive use of pesticides have led to the production of home-grown food. In urban areas where space is limited, vertical gardens have stood out for occupying little space, requiring low maintenance, and being affordable. This work aimed to develop two smart garden projects guided by DfE (Design for Environment) guidelines, with the purpose of reducing the environmental impact of the product throughout its life cycle and, in parallel, overcoming the limitations found in the Indoor Planting automated garden project. Through benchmarking analysis, important functions for the product were identified, while market research highlighted issues with indoor cultivation and maintenance. These issues were addressed with the conception of two smart garden projects aligned with DfE guidelines. Market research revealed few available models of automated gardens, with existing ones being small. Apartment residents value durability, ease of assembly and cleaning, and available space when choosing an automated garden, indicating a demand for such products. This study developed two vertical garden projects, one conventional and the other hydroponic, both with low human interference and automated irrigation and lighting control. Using DfE guidelines, the projects focused on reducing environmental impact, durability, and ease of updates. The conventional model has three levels, a drawer system, and a greenhouse, while the hydroponic model is compact and productive, with 27 planting compartments. Both use green aluminum and recycled HDPE, with robust structural validation. Future steps include a Life Cycle Analysis and economic feasibility studies.